Meshly Oy - Time to hit reset: Why IT needs a new approach to data and AI

The Cracks Are Showing

Global pressures are forcing change, and the old models are starting to break down. This is the moment where Meshly’s expertise can help companies and society navigate the transformation ahead.

Consider this: fewer than one-third of technology leaders believe their data is high-quality, secure, and accessible enough to support successful AI initiatives. At the same time, 90% of all enterprise data is unstructured—and it’s growing three times faster than structured data.

Source: Untapped Value: What Every Executive Needs to Know About Unstructured Data, IDC & Box, August 2023

Meanwhile, a study by IBM’s Institute for Business Value found that one in four companies have made significant technology investments without seeing meaningful business returns. Over half (55%) report that designing IT solutions to address critical business challenges is either a major hurdle or a real barrier.

Source: Strategy by Design pulse survey, IBM Institute for Business Value 2024

The Cost of Complexity

This disconnect stems from technical debt. As new solutions are layered on top of old ones, complexity grows, and the lines of ownership and control blur. It’s time to pause and hit the reset button. By slowing down and fixing the foundations now, we can unlock faster returns—not just from AI, but also from container technologies and other emerging megatrends.

The Case for European Independence

The current geopolitical climate has sparked conversations around the “Eurostack”—a European, independent software ecosystem. Building it from scratch is a monumental task, but we don’t have to start from zero. There’s a wealth of professionally maintained, up-to-date open-source projects that incorporate the latest innovations. By combining these with proven architectures like data mesh, we can achieve meaningful independence from external vendors.

Open source is also more secure than many assume. Unlike proprietary solutions, the entire codebase is available for review and verification.

Fixing the Foundations

Data silos, slow access, unclear ownership, and poor quality are all symptoms of a broken system. Data must be treated as a product. Its availability, scalability, and business value improve dramatically when built on a solid foundation of governance and infrastructure.

By shifting our approach and simplifying the data layer—using purpose-built platforms, automation, and code-based infrastructure management—we can redirect IT budgets toward innovation instead of maintenance.

Agility Through Open Source

Open source enables organizations to adopt the best innovations directly from the source. It also enhances agility, allowing companies to adapt quickly when the next big thing arrives. At Meshly, we provide full support for these ecosystems, combining the strengths of the open-source community with the ease of ready-made solutions.
This layered approach delivers both agility and security. Critical data and applications remain safe and under company control, while still benefiting from the added protections and solutions offered by service providers.

Building Bridges with Meshly

Meshly was founded to bridge the gap between open source and the enterprise world. Together with our clients, we’re building structures where companies retain full control over their data, limiting access from cloud platforms and external vendors.

Meshly brings deep expertise in critical environments and large-scale implementations. We understand both the data ecosystem and the open-source landscape. Our expertise and support services make open-source solutions a viable, strategic alternative to closed systems. Meshly is proud to join the Reaktor Ecosystem and to be working closely with other Reaktor Ecosystem companies.

To explore how you can benefit from an open-source data infrastructure, visit meshly.fi or reach out to us at [email protected].