What Is Application Modernization and What Are Its Benefits?
In this ever-dynamic market, a major struggle that companies go through is keeping pace with the changing technologies. Legacy software becomes outdated with time. As a result, enterprises are left with two options – either to opt for new tech solutions or update the old software with new features. The former can prove to be a little expensive and tedious to implement. That latter, however, bodes well in the current context.
Application modernization is a new approach that can help businesses build on old technology by incorporating additional functionalities. Such a practice can improve the system’s speed, functionality, reliability, and integration capabilities.
What is Application Modernization?
Application modernization enhances a company’s software delivery performance by modernizing legacy software systems rather than replacing them. This serves best to engage existing consumers and attract new ones. Additionally, it saves time and money alongside enhancing the organization’s software portfolio.
That said, modernizing applications includes a combination of interacting technologies.
Microservices
Microservices correspond to a software development methodology and architecture. Applications can be divided into their tiniest, autonomous components using microservices. Microservices are all isolated and collaborate to complete the same duties, as opposed to the old monolithic approach to apps, where everything is created into a single piece.
Containers
Containerization is a cloud-centric approach to packaging, delivering, and running workloads and applications. Greater scalability, mobility, and operational efficiency are some of the broad advantages of containerization, which make it ideal for cloud architecture, particularly multi-cloud and hybrid cloud systems.
Cloud Computing
When people talk about “application modernization,” one of the approaches is to transfer the old applications to new cloud settings. These include public cloud platforms, private clouds, and hybrid clouds (often referring to public and/or private clouds connected with on-premises systems).
What Are the Benefits of Application Modernization?
Meets the Need of Modern Customers
Every business’s first consideration when selecting a software solution is whether the program will serve their needs. If the new product doesn’t provide the requisite performance and cost-efficiency, it becomes useless. More so, if it doesn’t contribute to customer satisfaction, it cannot sustain itself in the marketplace. But satisfying current clients’ expectations is difficult for organizations when the antiquated legacy technology becomes outmoded.
Favorably, businesses can now meet their client’s needs by building on existing software systems and workflows. This entails upgrading the apps to cater to today’s technologies and providing a more streamlined experience. Additionally, businesses can customize the functionalities to guarantee that older programs keep adding value.
Boosts Organization’s Productivity
The older applications were built for a specific set of business needs. As time goes by, they become incompatible with modern-day systems and workflows. And this poses a significant challenge to companies, especially when it comes to adding new functionalities. Or put differently, it becomes difficult for businesses to adapt their software to present-day use cases owing to the technology’s outdated approach. Amid all this, employee productivity also takes a hit. Training them on how to operate a legacy IT system can prove exceedingly expensive and time-consuming.
By modernizing applications, companies can tackle this problem head-on. From automating laborious tasks to training personnel quickly and accurately, modernizing applications creates an environment where employees perform to their highest level. Besides, it manages to introduce a range of current business requirements like rapid and continuous development, collaboration, deployment, and mobile support.
Reduces Operational Costs and Eliminates the Technical Debt
Technical debts start to arise when firms are not prepared to upgrade their legacy applications. Numerous issues, including glitches, high application maintenance costs, and lack of scalability, plague the antiquated system. As a consequence, businesses are left paying more in exchange for less performance. This is a big blow to companies’ bottom lines.
However, modernizing applications goes a long way in reducing operational costs and dampening this debt. For instance, by transitioning legacy systems to a cloud-based setup, companies can take advantage of the cloud’s cost-efficient architecture and processing power. In fact, organizations can cut operational costs significantly and save $31 million by modernizing critical legacy systems.
Helps in Building Additional Revenue Streams
Modernizing applications can help firms generate more income. When businesses grow, they introduce new services or procedures that can better their offerings. Think about the ways in which businesses have offered online payment options or chat and support via social media apps.
Similarly, firms can modernize their applications by taking advantage of new technologies to create new business opportunities. For instance, over the years, businesses have put their websites on par with mobile devices. Today, most companies also offer their services and products on mobile apps. More recently, chatbot technologies have been growing in popularity; therefore, businesses are seeking ways to incorporate them into their existing systems.
Adding new features, services, or functions that improve the user experience and boost income are all possible with application modernization. A satisfied consumer is more likely to suggest a company, which increases the company’s credibility.
Enhances Cyber-Security
Legacy apps can be at risk of hackers due to outdated code and poor data security measures. Failing to have a solid security strategy in place to safeguard the business and its data might result in a cyber-attack, risking sensitive data.
However, with application modernization, businesses cannot only protect their valuable data but also enhance security levels. For instance, companies can update their legacy apps with encryption techniques and secure connections. In addition, they can also add a series of authentication checkpoints to prevent hackers from accessing information and tampering with data.
Summing Up
Application modernization is a key to enhancing a firm’s productivity, reducing operational costs, and mitigating technical debt. More so, it boosts an organization’s revenue stream and strengthens cyber-security. This makes it an important factor in modernizing IT platforms as well as applications.
At Clear Thought Solutions, we specialize in delivering high-end digital products that are incorporated with cutting-edge technologies that integrate seamlessly with modern applications, platforms, and devices.
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