Page 30 - Building digital public infrastructure for cities and communities

Modernization unlocks qualitative gains in service delivery and citizen experience. Academic
studies across European administrations show that modernization efforts yield 15-30 per cent
operational cost reductions, 40-60 per cent faster system responsiveness, up to 50 per cent shorter
service times and 70 per cent higher user satisfaction (Sasidhar, 2025). By moving away from
monolithic systems toward microservices, public agencies also diminish technical debt and create
more scalable service architectures (Lenarduzzi et al., 2020).

As such, modernizing legacy systems is a crucial step toward more inclusive, resilient and
responsive DPI. Transitioning from ageing, monolithic architectures to agile, cloud-based and
microservices-oriented platforms not only eases maintenance burdens and fortifies cybersecurity
but also empowers public agencies to adapt swiftly to emerging needs.

3.5 Vendor Lock-in

Vendor lock-in remains a significant obstacle to building sustainable DPI. When public authorities
become overly dependent on proprietary platforms, switching to alternative solutions or integrating
new systems often entails substantial financial, technical and operational challenges. The dominance
of digital private infrastructure and the ongoing trend of platformization further intensify this risk
by limiting openness, interoperability and long-term flexibility.

17