Media Query Source: Part 60 - HackerNoon (US online publishing platform); The M&A IT problem

• HackerNoon (US online publishing platform)
• The M&A IT problem
• A top problem needing to be solved involves data & systems integration
• When overlooked / postponed, firms risk fragmentation & unforeseen tech debt

The query responses I provided to HackerNoon on March 13, 2026:

HackerNoon: I am writing a report on IT problems in M&A. Looking for soundbytes from secondary sources to balance out the report and give it depths and perspective.

What top IT problems are you seeing in M&A?

Gfesser: Apart from the challenges of cultural differences that aren't easy to assess prior to acquisition, one of the top problems I've seen needing to be solved is systems integration, and at the heart of systems integration is data, arguably the lifeblood of any firm.

For example, one of the M&A related efforts I've led involved resolving a data dispute that was raging for over 3 years following the merger of several firms.

The firms knew that making data from some domains available organization-wide would enable the building of additional products that depended on this availability, but despite the merger, factions still existed to the point that each firm was concerned about data ownership, and perhaps surprisingly, internal competition.

Why are email and communications systems often overlooked during merger and acquisition integration planning?

Gfesser: With respect to email and other systems that offer alternative modes of communication, these are often overlooked because M&A efforts tend to initially focus elsewhere on areas viewed as more impactful such as financial and legal concerns, unfortunately not engaging with tech leaders until a later stage.

What risks does this lead to?

Gfesser: In both of these areas - systems integration and data, and email and other communications systems - firms risk fragmentation and unforeseen technical debt following an acquisition or merger.

How should leaders approach this problem?

Gfesser: Tech needs to be addressed in parallel with other areas traditionally viewed by M&A stakeholders as higher priorities, sometimes because of their bias toward other concerns. Training can help the tech averse or tech naive understand how critical a role tech plays in M&A, because tech can be a known unknown or an unknown unknown for some stakeholders.