Get Future Ready with an Application Modernization Strategy

An application modernization strategy involves taking legacy, on-premises software applications that address business processes and converting them to cloud-based, mobile-friendly applications that use modernized code and capabilities. These legacy systems are often written in antiquated, highly customized code that is no longer efficient or productive. However, even though these software systems are outdated, they are critical to operations.

According to America’s SAP Users’ Group (ASUG), 91% of SAP enterprise companies use customized code that is hard to maintain and update yet critical to operations.

When businesses evolve, the applications that once provided competitive advantages or operational efficiencies tend to become less effective. To stay ahead of the competition, enterprises need digital systems that are agile, scalable, and flexible. So, it’s no surprise that developing legacy application modernization strategies is a top priority for today’s businesses.

Here’s an Example

• A leading company in the manufacturing industry modernized a legacy on-premise application and built a web app using Microsoft Azure App Service, which offers auto-scaling and high availability.
• After the legacy system modernization approaches were complete, their IT department no longer had to worry about managing the infrastructure.
• Functionalities such as Managed Cloud Backups and Disaster Recovery as a built-in service also reduced the time required by IT for maintenance, thereby freeing up time and resources to focus on reskilling and contributing to the strategic goals of the organization.

As stated in a recent article in Forbes, many companies have accumulated a “technical debt” due to years of patching and upgrading systems. Although this patchwork approach may seem like a quick-fix solution, it can cost far more than redesigning and redeveloping applications using newer technologies.

It also makes innovating more difficult – upgrading one system can “break” or disrupt another. Additionally, legacy app modernization provides new features and functionalities that cannot be replicated in older systems.

• In the 1990s, Netscape Navigator was the dominant web browser. However, as the codebase grew and became more complex, it became difficult to maintain and enhance. The decision was made to rewrite the browser from scratch. This effort resulted in the Mozilla project, which later led to the Firefox browser. However, the time taken to rewrite meant that Netscape lost significant market share to Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
• In most businesses, it’s the norm to find IT departments struggling to fix the defects in legacy applications. They often spend more time and resources on troubleshooting than value-added activities such as supporting digitization and automation.

However, the most significant benefit comes later: when you apply an application modernization strategy using the latest technologies and platforms, you minimize the time and resources required to maintain and manage these applications.

Here’s an example:

A leading company in the manufacturing industry modernized a legacy on-premise application and built a web app using Microsoft Azure App Service, which offers auto-scaling and high availability.

After the application modernization process, their IT department no longer had to worry about managing the infrastructure. Functionalities such as Managed Cloud Backups and Disaster Recovery as a

built-in service also reduced the time required by IT for maintenance, thereby freeing up time and resources to focus on reskilling and contributing to the strategic goals of the organization.

Wouldn’t you want your IT team to implement AI, leverage Business Intelligence technologies for better analytics, and bolster data security to protect the organization from cyber-attacks rather than performing maintenance and putting out fires?

In a study of 263 senior executives from global companies, 82% of CEOs claimed to possess a high level of knowledge regarding cybersecurity-related issues. It indicates that understanding cybersecurity is becoming an essential facet of leadership in the tech industry. As digital threats become more prevalent, tech leaders’ grasp on cybersecurity can be a critical component in guiding a company's strategy and ensuring its resilience.

Storing encrypted passwords is the least efficient way to manage information security. Employing an application modernization strategy can ensure multi-factor authentication for all applications. It becomes even more critical for healthcare professionals who must also stay HIPPAA compliant

The following pain points make a compelling case for modernizing your legacy systems and retiring applications built on obsolete technologies.

• Rigid architecture - lack of flexibility and scalability
• Lack of agility
• Expensive to maintain and enhance
• Require skilled resources to maintain and manage, which may be in short supply
• Limited hardware and software options

One of the reasons application modernization is gaining traction as a business priority is the need to integrate applications to share data and functions within a single user interface.

To make remote working effective, there must also be a change to applications that were previously used only behind a firewall. To better serve your customers, your employees need access to business-critical applications across all their devices, including laptops, tablets, or mobile phones.

An application designed specifically for a PC must now be compatible with multiple mobile devices. It requires powerful web and mobile apps that ensure you continue interacting with your customers and harvest meaningful data to understand changing preferences and behaviors. Take, for example, Twitter. In early March 2020, even before many governments instituted mandatory lockdowns, Twitter was among the first major tech companies to encourage its employees to work from home. This pre-emptive move was made possible due to business application modernization and was intended to ensure the safety of its staff and mitigate the spread of the virus.

While the board and the C-level executives recognize the importance of data-backed decisions, assessing whether your applications provide the necessary data and can analyze data and drive insights is imperative. This data must also be easy to access and understand.

For instance, data may be visually represented through dashboards so management teams in all company areas can easily see data and, more importantly, use it to make effective decisions.

This ability alone can empower businesses to:

• Make faster, more accurate decisions
• Move forward with disruptive changes that puts you ahead of the competition