Spencer Nguyen - January 12, 2022
Talk of what to do with legacy systems often causes angst among leaders. Retiring the system means lost functionality that might be too difficult to replace. Keeping it means more time spent on maintenance rather than value-added tasks. Replacing it can be a financial and logistical nightmare. The result of these talks is often to simply keep it and make do as best as possible. This article discusses how legacy modernization gives companies the chance to keep these systems and leverage them as a competitive advantage.
Business Benefit of Legacy Modernization
“For many organizations, legacy systems are seen as holding back the business initiatives and business processes that rely on them,” says Stefan Van Der Zijden, VP Analyst, Gartner. “When a tipping point is reached, application leaders must look to application modernization to help remove the obstacles.” Rather than suffer through the challenges these systems present, companies see significant benefits by updating them.
Cost Avoidance
Outdated systems and databases are costly to maintain. Often these systems are written in older languages that require specialized skills to maintain. Keeping someone on staff who knows how to support the system is expensive. The dated functionality in legacy applications often clashes with how users need to interact with the system and causes unexpected errors. As a result, the help desk is inundated with an influx of support tickets. Diagnosing issues takes hours if not days because the code is so complex and outdated.
Agility
Legacy systems don’t lend themselves to agility. These systems are usually monoliths with a large and complex codebase. Making changes requires significant effort. Not only that, the code is so complex and tightly coupled that developers must take care to not negatively impact other areas of the system. Modernizing these applications makes them more manageable and easier to maintain. As a result, companies can remain agile and innovate with speed.
Better Team Utilization
Modernizing legacy systems makes better use of the team’s time and skills. A report from Flexera notes that modernizing legacy systems enhances developer productivity by 40 percent. This productivity is key to enabling innovation, agility and most importantly the speed that will allow companies to remain relevant. Sign up for DreamFactory to see how you can save time and money by using an all-in-one platform for API development.
Improved Security
Security is one of the main reasons companies should consider upgrading outdated systems. The lack of support leaves outdated technology vulnerable to data breaches and malware attacks. Updating legacy systems lets companies use newer technology to secure the system.
Keeps the IT Ecosystem Relevant
Modernizing applications keeps companies on the cutting-edge of the newest technology. Organizations need to stay abreast of new technologies as it keeps them adaptable to change. This is especially important as more companies embrace digital transformation and digital-first business strategies. Get started with a DreamFactory trial to see the many integration options available to bring your legacy systems up to date.
Legacy Modernization as a Competitive Advantage
According to Flexera, about 44 percent of CIOs believe that complex legacy technologies pose a significant barrier to the company’s digital transformation. Older systems don’t have to be an IT burden. There are plenty of ways to leverage these applications, especially when it comes to gaining a competitive advantage.
Improved Customer Experience
In an experience-first economy, customers demand and value personalized user experiences. Unfortunately, legacy systems don’t lend well to modern interfaces or personalization. They can also be hard to navigate and make it difficult for the user to find what they need. Such a poor user experience will frustrate customers. Rather than deal with a dated system, they are likely to take their business elsewhere.
Build New Revenue Streams
The thought of making money from a dated system may seem far-fetched. However, it is possible and can be a valuable revenue stream. Modernizing the system can reveal opportunities for new processes to enhance the customer experience. It can also reveal opportunities to integrate with other systems.
How to Leverage APIs for Legacy Modernization
APIs help companies future-proof the business. They are strategies that give companies the long-term flexibility to meet evolving customer demand. APIs must meet a variety of use cases to bring the greatest benefit. These use cases include:
Public APIs
Public APIs foster external collaboration. They are open to any developer outside the organization who wants to use them. Public APIs allow companies to enter new customer-facing ecosystems. This type of legacy modernization opens organizations up to markets that they couldn’t normally access via other means.
Partner APIs
A partner API is open to specific business partners. This type of legacy modernization can be used to exchange data between companies to improve the customer experience. An example would be vertical integration. This is where a company uses APIs to integrate third-party products and services into its system. The goal is to augment the core services the organization provides. Discover how DreamFactory helps you build both public and partner APIs to modernize your legacy systems.
Using APIs to modernize outdated systems gives companies a competitive advantage. APIs future proof the system. They open the system up to be reused in a variety of use cases to help businesses meet strategic objectives.
About DreamFactory
DreamFactory is an API management service that helps you build, convert, and manage your APIs. Using your existing database, you can build your own fully functional REST API in minutes. This means you can finish integrating your legacy systems in the better part of an afternoon, giving you more time to run the business. Modernizing your business technology has never been easier!
If you’re already working with a SOAP web service, DreamFactory can help you upgrade to a new RESTful API that is more flexible and simpler to manage. And once you have your API, DreamFactory can help you maintain it and add more functionality as needed.
Ready to bring your legacy applications to the present day? Let DreamFactory help you build your own API. Our 14 day free trial comes with a guided tour and all the information you’ll need. Get started today, no credit card required.
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As a seasoned content moderator with a keen eye for detail and a passion for upholding the highest standards of quality and integrity in all of their work, Spencer Nguyen brings a professional yet empathetic approach to every task.