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For many businesses, legacy system modernization is no longer a buzzword, it is a basic need. To make the transition easier and better deliver critical services, it is necessary to employ a thorough strategy and the right tools.
Legacy systems persist, is it for a reason?
Recent research says that there are still 800 billion lines of COBOL code running in production. Even though many companies realize modern tech potential and the necessity to migrate, the fear of change, the lack of a clear roadmap, and the absence of required technical expertise.
Legacy systems in use: reasons, numbers, outcomes
When is a legacy system not enough? Here are 4 common pressures that drive businesses backward.
The need for flexibility
As businesses expand into new markets and product lines, they require a flexible and easily extendable platform. The lack of customization capabilities also hampers executing strategic moves.
Increasing maintenance costs
Companies start facing redundant tasks, operational inefficiencies, poor system response times, and escalated risks of human error.
User demand calls for better reliability
Legacy systems struggle to cope with increased data volumes with abundant channels and increased user activity. System shutdowns come as a natural response, leading to reputational damage, operational expenses, and lost customer trust.
Diminishing legacy system expertise
Technical experts dealing with legacy software steadily approach retirement or transfer to newer tech. The lack of adequate documentation is a burden, decreasing the learning curve for those tasked with system maintenance, and leading to operational disruption.
Approaching a decision: maintain or modernize
Start your decision-making process with an assessment. In some scenarios, legacy system maintenance is the only option. The solution often comes with certain risks, such as security issues, limited system interoperability, and operational costs. By running a cost-benefit analysis, you can decide whether maintenance is a winning strategy and then head towards designing a tailored approach.
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But when your critical data is at stake, costs soar, and the business faces operational disruption, modernization is a strategic necessity. Based on your unique case, you may choose various strategies:
Trends in software modernization strategies
Looking out for industry trends and research is essential to know about all the available options.
Cloud-native development
Cloud-based apps boast flexibility and are easy to operate, improve, and deploy. These features are key for continuous system modernization. You may choose from public, private, or hybrid cloud options based on the workload, security requirements, scalability needs, and cost considerations.
Containerization
You can either employ containerization for maintaining critical legacy functionality or replace the whole system. Container orchestrators, such as Kubernetes and Docker, make apps more scalable, and easier to operate, scale, and deploy.
Composability
Composable architectures allow for customizing separate system parts up to business and end-user needs without redesigning the whole system. Rapid market response, development flexibility, efficient data management, and feature reuse capabilities are key advantages.
Embracing a DevOps approach
DevOps is a strategically crucial approach during software modernization. Established DevOps teams prioritize cross-functional collaboration, quick issue resolution, and process automation. The methodology helps eliminate human error, improve system performance, enhance operational efficiency, and reduce costs.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning
AI and ML for data caching and high-performance computing are on the rise, recent research says. The technology is capable of processing large amounts of data, predicting customer behavior, optimizing operational tasks, and aiding informed decision-making.
Towards a sustainable future: modernization benefits
Transformation leads to tangible benefits.
The right tools and expertise: the TYMIQ approach
With all the advantages, software modernization approaches may be costly and time-consuming. Let us help you navigate.
We come up with a low-risk modernization strategy as per your current business needs and objectives. Our process breaks down into the following steps:
- Infrastructure and tech stack assessment
Evaluating your existing setup thoroughly, prioritizing a backlog of tasks
- Documentation review
Improve documentation for smooth knowledge transfer and ease of transition
- Assembling a DevOps team
Forming specialized expertise to navigate the modernization journey seamlessly
- Strategic planning
Developing a clear plan with milestones, timelines, and resource requirements
- Incremental modernization
Adopting a phased approach for improvements with minimal disruption
- Security integration
Embedding robust security measures at every stage for data integrity and compliance
- Agile practices
Implement an Agile methodology for flexibility, collaboration, and responsiveness
- Continuous monitoring
Establishing ongoing monitoring for continuous improvement and adaptability
- User training and support
Guiding an in-house team to ensure a smooth transition.
- Performance evaluation
Regularly assessing performance to refine and enhance the modernized systems
- Post-implementation support
Addressing issues and ensuring sustained positive impact.
At TYMIQ, we recognize the importance of a well-defined strategy for modernizing your legacy software. Prioritizing your business needs, we offer a cost-effective and value-driven modernization technique of a combination of approaches. Contact us for your tailored modernization plan.
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