In a comprehensive technology transformation initiative called Technology Ecosystem Transformation (TETRIS), TIAA has modernized its IT infrastructure, reduced technical debt, and expanded customer functionality. The multi-year project started in 2023 with phase one that revamped the core technology stack using 10 new enterprise platforms. Phase two, launched later, enabled 87 use cases across all business lines.
TETRIS has allowed TIAA to launch innovative products like MyChoice Multi-Year Guaranteed Annuity and create TIAA Gateway, an API-based suite for partners in retirement and wealth planning. The project also accelerated product launches by 35%, improved accessibility with multi-lingual capabilities, and reduced design system fragmentation.
Prior to TETRIS, over 80% of TIAA’s IT workloads resided on fragmented legacy systems, creating operational risks and limiting innovation. Through this transformation, the company has cut technical debt by half and moved mainframe applications and data centers to the cloud.
TIAA’s chief operating, information, and digital officer, Sastry Durvasula, pitched TETRIS as a three-pronged strategy focused on empowering business growth, fueling innovation, and modernizing IT. By prioritizing business use cases and establishing clear success metrics with leadership, TIAA has ensured continued support and demonstrable ROI throughout the project.