Legacy Systems: Chellenges, Risks and Modernisation What is a legacy system? Challenges, risks and migration A legacy system is an outdated computer system that is used to store and track important data. These systems are often hard to maintain and update, which can lead to security risks and costly downtime. Legacy systems can also be…
Legacy Systems: Upgrade, Evolve, Integrate or Replace? Introduction When it comes to upgrading, evolving, integrating, or replacing legacy systems, it can be hard to decide the best option. At the same time, you must make the right choice to ensure your business will have the functionality and data integrity it needs to succeed in the…
How to upgrade your legacy systems A legacy system is a software system that was in use for much longer than it originally expected to be. These systems have been through many years of changes and updates, resulting in very complex code bases. As they grew, the development teams responsible for them grew as well….
In the ever-evolving landscape of software, app, and web development, a topic that remains as relevant as ever is that of Legacy Systems. This term may sound antiquated or of another era, yet it is deeply intertwined with the operations of countless organisations, companies, and startups today. This hidden world of internal infrastructures has a unique knack of persisting throughout the years, shaping the efficiency and adaptability of businesses world-wide.
Legacy systems, in essence, are long-standing, tried and tested methods and processes usually embedded in older technology. They are deeply ingrained in the operations, workflow, data management and decision-making schema of many a company. These systems are typically tailor-made to cater to the bespoke requirements of an organisation, thereby finding their purpose and value intertwined with the day-to-day and long-term functioning of that organisation.
In the realm of bespoke software / app / web development, the existence of legacy systems can often present a challenging, yet intriguing conundrum with a spectrum of possibilities sprawled at either end — adopt new systems or continue with the tried and tested workflows of the legacy systems. A report (Gartner, 2017) revealed that businesses spend as much as 60-80% of their IT budget on maintaining legacy systems, serving as a testament to their integral role in business structures.
While there are clear benefits of sticking to legacy systems, it is just as vital to examine the challenges they bring. Obsolete hardware, lack of support, security vulnerabilities, and integration issues are some of the common problems associated with legacy systems. As businesses continue to improve and innovate, new-age technology could coexist with legacy systems, leading to an optimal solution to bridge old and new facets of the technology world.
The persistence of legacy systems across industries is quite fascinating. Many Fortune 500 companies still use COBOL, a programming language from the 1950s, indicating the integral role and efficiency of legacy systems in colossal business structures. It’s fascinating to think that these older systems are still outperforming new technology in certain, critical areas, demonstrating that “old” doesn’t necessarily mean “not worthy”.
And yet, the global market for application modernisation services, that is modernising these legacy systems, was worth $11.4Bn in 2020 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 16.8% from 2021 to 2028 (Grand View Research). There’s a clear trend towards modernising these systems, but the process must be handled with considerable expertise, strategic planning, and utmost caution, considering the potential impact on critical business operations.
This just scratches the surface of the vast, complex, and intriguing world of legacy systems. There’s a wealth of information and conversations to delve into, from their relevance in the bespoke software / app / web development industry to their role in organisational growth, adaptation, or innovation.
If you want to explore this interesting theme further, discover more details, opinions, insights and real-life scenarios in the Legacy Systems section of our blog. We encourage you to browse the blog generally to uncover a broader gamut of topics related to the software/app/web development realm. And if there’s anything you’d like to discuss, be it a thought, a query, or perhaps a bespoke software development need, Rotherham Apps would be thrilled to engage in a conversation with you.