The fact of the matter is legacy systems that once served your business well eventually become bottlenecks to progress. In today’s fast-paced digital world, enterprises need to stay agile and responsive to evolving market demands. One key area that often requires attention is application modernization.
This process involves updating legacy software to improve performance, enhance security, and ensure compatibility with modern technologies. According to a recent survey, 72% of organizations claim legacy system complexity to be a barrier to digital transformation. So, it comes as no surprise that around 92% of businesses are either working on or planning an application modernization project.
Here are some of the top app modernization strategies that enterprises should consider:
Rehosting
Commonly known as “Lift and Shift,” this technique is an app modernization strategy where existing applications are migrated from on-premises infrastructure to a cloud environment with minimal changes to the application code or architecture. This approach focuses on redeploying applications in the cloud quickly and efficiently, allowing organizations to benefit from cloud scalability, reduced capital expenditure, and improved disaster recovery without significant redesign or recoding.
However, while rehosting provides a fast and cost-effective path to cloud adoption, and lays the groundwork for more comprehensive modernization, it may not fully optimize the application for cloud-native features. That is why the rehosting strategy is often used as an initial step in a broader modernization plan.
Re-platforming
Re-platforming involves making minimal changes to an existing application to optimize its performance in a new environment (typically the cloud) without altering its core architecture. This strategy focuses on adjusting specific components, like the database or operating system, to better utilize cloud-native services and capabilities. By re-platforming, organizations can enhance performance, improve scalability, and reduce costs while preserving the application’s core functionality and user experience. This approach strikes a balance between quick cloud adoption and leveraging some of the cloud’s advanced features, making it a practical step for businesses seeking to improve their IT infrastructure without a complete overhaul.
Refactoring
The refactoring strategy of app modernization involves restructuring and optimizing the existing codebase of an application without changing its external behavior or functionality. This technique focuses on improving the internal architecture to enhance performance, maintainability, and scalability. By cleaning up the code, addressing technical debt, and adopting modern development practices, organizations can extend the application’s lifespan and make it more adaptable to future requirements.
Refactoring can also facilitate smoother integration with new technologies and cloud environments, enabling better resource utilization and more efficient operations. Although it requires a thorough understanding of the existing code, refactoring provides a cost-effective way to modernize applications incrementally while preserving their core functions and business logic.
Re-architecting
Re-architecting, on the other hand, involves completely redesigning an application’s architecture to fully leverage modern technologies and cloud-native capabilities. This approach typically entails breaking down monolithic applications into microservices, optimizing for scalability, and integrating advanced features like serverless computing, containerization, and API management.
Through re-architecting, organizations can significantly enhance application performance, flexibility, and resilience, enabling rapid updates and better alignment with business needs. Although more complex and resource-intensive than other modernization strategies, re-architecting provides substantial long-term benefits, positioning applications to meet future demands and technological advancements effectively.
Rebuilding
Rebuilding is an app modernization technique where a total redevelopment of an application is done from the ground up, using modern frameworks, languages, and technologies. This strategy allows organizations to address the limitations and inefficiencies of legacy systems by creating a new application that aligns with current business requirements and user expectations.
Rebuilding provides the opportunity to incorporate the latest innovations, such as cloud-native architectures, microservices, and advanced security protocols, ensuring the application is future-proof and highly adaptable. While it requires significant investment in time and resources, rebuilding can result in a robust, scalable, and efficient application that delivers superior performance and user experience.
Replacing
In this strategy, an existing custom-built application is entirely substituted with a commercially available software solution, often delivered as a Software as a Service (SaaS). This approach is particularly effective for functions that are not core to the business’s unique value proposition, allowing organizations to benefit from the latest features, regular updates, and scalability offered by modern SaaS products.
This method reduces the burden of maintenance and infrastructure management, as they are managed by the SaaS provider. Although it may involve significant changes in workflows and processes, ‘replacing’ can align the organization with industry best practices and technological advancements by streamlining operations, improving efficiency, and enabling faster implementation of new capabilities.
Cloud-Based Solutions
Leveraging cloud technology to upgrade legacy systems is a strategic move that can drive business growth while ensuring data security and regulatory compliance. An IDG study found that 73% of IT professionals believe cloud computing has significantly improved the performance of their legacy systems. According to a survey, 56% of businesses are implementing cloud-based solutions to modernize their IT infrastructure and reduce their dependency on legacy systems. A particular study by Ponemon Institute also found that 67% of organizations experienced fewer security incidents after moving their legacy systems to the cloud.
Cloud providers offer advanced security measures like encryption, multi-factor authentication, and continuous monitoring to protect sensitive data and lower the rate of cyberattacks. Built-in regulatory controls and audit trails also make compliance standards easier to maintain in the cloud.
API integration
By strategically leveraging API integration solutions, businesses can effectively overcome the challenges of legacy systems and pave the way for digital transformation.
78% of organizations are now leveraging APIs to connect legacy systems with new applications and services. These API-based solutions allow legacy systems to communicate with modern applications seamlessly, allowing for improved data exchange and communication between systems. Additionally, a study by IDC found that companies prioritizing API integration saw a 35% increase in operational efficiency and a 30% reduction in IT costs!
Agile Methodologies
Agile practices allow companies to deliver software updates and enhancements in a more timely and efficient manner, ultimately helping to modernize and extract more value from their legacy systems. Proving this point, a study by McKinsey & Company found organizations that successfully adopt Agile practices experience around a 70% increase in project success rates and a 50% reduction in project duration.
These statistics highlight the impact Agile practices can have on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of software development projects with regards to app modernization. Agile methodologies provide a flexible approach to software development, permitting businesses to swiftly adapt to changing requirements and integrate new technologies into existing legacy systems.
Middleware Tools
Another effective strategy to overcome the challenges of legacy systems are middleware tools. They play a key role in app modernization by working as intermediaries that facilitate communication, data management, and integration between disparate systems and applications. A report revealed that 40% of companies are now investing in middleware toolsto bridge the gap between legacy systems and new technologies.
Embracing top app modernization strategies not only revitalizes your existing systems but also paves the way for innovation and agility. By leveraging the latest technologies, optimizing processes, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement, your enterprise can unlock new levels of efficiency and competitiveness.
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