Modernization Without Disruption: Rethinking the Rip-and-Replace Mindset
CIO, Thursday, October 1st, 2026
Park Place Technologies CTO Chris Carreiro argues CIOs should modernize selectively rather than replace infrastructure simply because it is old.
Chris Carreiro, CTO at Park Place Technologies, argues that full rip-and-replace programs can create as much operational risk as they remove, especially when the same team must keep the existing estate running, and that asset age or an OEM support deadline should not automatically trigger replacement.
Instead, CIOs should ask whether the technology still performs, what happens if nothing changes for 12 to 36 months, whether risk can be reduced without replacement, and whether the asset constrains new needs such as AI.
He also says engineering time and organizational attention should be budgeted as carefully as capital.