One of the deepest concerns Americans have today is that theirpolitical leaders are delaying the inevitable. Instead of facing upto the financial problems our country faces, they choose to putthings off and borrow against the future.

I sometimes wonder if insurance carriers aren't employing the same strategy, particularly when it comes totheir core solutions. There is no doubt that legacy replacement hasbeen an important issue for most of the first decade-plus of thiscentury, but industry observers don't see any short-term end tothis situation.

An insurance IT leader I spoke with recently had these words tosay: "I see a lot of organizations that are building around theirlegacies or are front-ending them with newer technology. Sincethey're not retiring the legacy system they are still going to havethe thought five years from now over should they replace it and howshould they replace it."

There is something to say about short-term gains. These quickfixes certainly are less expensive and can be accomplished in ashorter time frame than a full system replacement project. Giventhe business pressures all of us are facing and the budgetaryproblems that have haunted us, it's hard not to argue that aquick-fix strategy is a responsible solution.

But we all know that eventually there will come a judgment day.At that point insurers will no longer have the option to put a newfix on an older fix. That also may come at a point in time whererevenues are going up and expenses are leveling out.

Hundreds of companies are betting on that scenario

But as we have come to realize—at least those of us in theprivate sector—hope is not a strategy. Those in the industry whohave addressed a full legacy system replacement are headed in adifficult but brave direction. Those who have opted for quick fixesmay think they are staving off the inevitable, but for them thebigger question remains: For how long?