People resistant to change will not survive changes to the industry, according to Gartner analyst Steve Prentice.

Gartner estimates IT jobs will be cut in half by 2010, thereby removing stagnant-minded staff.

"The skills of the past are not those required in the future and organizations will find it increasingly difficult to retain necessary expertise in an aging workforce," Prentice said.

The research firm says legacy thinking occurs "when attempts to retire or replace systems are undermined by entrenched attitudes towards change, fear of the issues and risks involved, and budgetary constraints".

Gartner says examples of legacy psyche are "it's always been done that way", "our application is unique", and "this is core to our business - we cannot change it".