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What is legacy application modernization?
Legacy modernization or legacy application modernization is the process of upgrading or improving an enterprise's existing digital platform with the help of modern solutions that can support future digital endeavors.
Over time, legacy systems start exhibiting errors, bugs, and critical issues that can impact your revenue. You need to get rid of old systems, and digitally transform your business processes to gain a competitive edge.
It's similar to a modern-day software update. The legacy transformation merges the strength of old business applications with updated technologies and software, to build a more powerful platform.
Why you need to say goodbye to your legacy system?
Refreshing and revamping legacy software is no mean feat, but aging legacy systems often become obstacles to delivering quality products and services. Some of the major issues are:
- Integration, scalability, and compatibility issues with new software, tools, and applications
- Slow, laggy legacy systems that provide poor user satisfaction
- Device-dependent legacy systems lack mobile versions, and aren't capable of multiplatform usage
- Legacy systems aren't user-friendly and require special skills and extensive training to use
- Hidden operating costs, like outdated hardware, inefficiencies, and staff training
- Costly, regular updates to avoid issues when dealing with technological advancements. They also take a longer time to respond to changes in the market.
7ways to modernize legacy systems
1 Encapsulation:
This involves leaving the code in its original state and environment, while connecting the new interface and accessing the layers via an API at the same time.
2 Rehosting:
In the rehosting process, the application code is unaltered, and there are no modifications in features and functionalities. The application as a whole is moved to a cloud-based platform. Rehosting is considered one of the faster options.
3 Refactoring:
This approach to legacy modernization covers the restructuring and optimization of existing code, without any changes in the external behavior.
4 Rearchitecting:
The idea of rearchitecting involves migrating the application to new software, to be able to then explore newer and better capabilities for the platform.
5 Replatforming:
When an application or its components are migrated to a new platform, it's called "replatforming" a legacy application. There are minimal changes to the code for it to adapt to the new platform.
6 Rebuilding:
In this modernization approach, an application or its components are rebuilt or rewritten from scratch, while preserving the scope and specification of the application.
7 Replacing:
This involves eliminating the former application and replacing it with a newer one, taking new requirements, specifications, and customer requirements into account. This is considered as a last resort, as it requires building an application from scratch.
Is it the right time for legacy modernization?
Rather than replacing old legacy systems with new software, many organizations choose to modernize them. Legacy application modernization offers the best of both worlds, providing benefits to both the business and consumers.
When done correctly, modernizing a legacy system provides almost immediate returns, such as:
- Increase in revenue
- Higher productivity
- Up-to-date software
- Better business agility
- Cost avoidance
Migrating legacy systems with Zoho Creator
Organizations spend so much on maintaining their legacy systems, they often can only afford to modernize in segments. So how can businesses update their systems and escape the exhausting process of revamping their outdated legacy applications?
Out of the many options available, your best bet is low-code development.
Zoho Creator is a low-code platform that helps make custom applications that meet your business needs. Low-code platforms drastically accelerate your software development process, which is invaluable when conducting a migration project.
In addition, low-code platforms allow non-developers to participate in the migration process, as they provide these departments with easy-to-use tools that can be used by people with little technical knowledge. Ultimately, low-code allows you to deliver better solutions for your customers and your business, with a test-and-learn approach.
With constant upgrades aimed towards optimal outcomes, low-code should be your tool of choice for migrating your legacy systems.
Some of our clients from around the globe include:
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Take a look at some of our prebuilt templates, and if we don't already have what you need, we can help you create applications targeted specifically for your organization's challenges.
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Sign up for freeFrequently Asked Questions
Any software/application or platform that is considered outdated, but is still in use, is called a legacy system. Legacy modernization is the process of upgrading or improving the systems that are in use, with the help of modern solutions to support future digital endeavors.
Legacy transformation is the process of modernizing an operational system to keep up with and support new technologies and platforms. True legacy transformation efforts are typically large in scale and usually involve both infrastructure and application modernization.
APIs are vital to legacy modernization and, in turn, solving legacy system challenges. APIs disclose data in a way that protects the integrity of legacy systems and enables secure and governed access to the crucial data. This allows organizations with older systems to adapt to modern business requirements and quickly adapt to new technologies and platforms.
The data import feature allows anyone with an existing database in spreadsheets to easily upload them and Creator will simultaneously build an application on the same model. There are also a set of smart data import features that enable users to cleanse, refine, and group data at the time of upload. For more details on this, please head here.
If not maintained well, legacy systems can be a gateway for hackers—as they accumulate patches over time, they can easily become a point of attack. All Zoho Creator apps support federated logins and enterprise-grade SAML SSO, AD, and multifactor authentication, so it can grant access faster and more securely. We've already updated our compliance, including GDPR and ISO policies, so you can rest easy knowing your data—and your customers' data—is secure.
Legacy systems can be found across many organizations. Examples include hardware in power plants, manufacturing machines controlled by computers running MS-DOS, or outdated financial systems. It’s important to conduct system performance and security audits every once in a while. By doing so, you can find out if a legacy system exists within your organization, and whether or not it's actually reasonable to replace it.