In the era of technology making a headway, businesses require to remain on the top of almost everything, especially in terms of the legacy application modernization. The legacy application, while once serving its purpose well, can often become a bottleneck, hindering innovation and efficiency. In fact, the global application modernization services market size was estimated at USD 17.80 billion in 2023 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.7% from 2024 to 2030.Â
This blog will delve into the key indicators that suggest when is the best time for legacy modernization. We’ll explore the differences and benefits of app modernization approaches, the challenges involved, and best practices to ensure a smooth transition.
Migrate First? Or Modernize As You Migrate?
When embarking on a cloud migration journey, organizations often face a critical decision: whether to adopt a ‘migrate then modernize’ or ‘modernize as you migrate’ approach. Both strategies have their merits and drawbacks, and the optimal choice depends on various factors, including organizational maturity, technical expertise, and risk tolerance. Let’s evaluate both.
Migrate, Then Modernize
In this two-step approach, organizations first migrate their existing workloads to the cloud environment without significant modifications. Once the migration is complete, they can then focus on legacy application modernization to leverage the full potential of the cloud.
Perks of Migrate then Modernize:Â
- Reduced Complexity: By separating migration and modernization, organizations can simplify the process and manage risks more effectively.
- Phased Approach: This approach allows for a gradual transition to the cloud, minimizing disruption to business operations.
- Lower Initial Investment: The initial investment is typically lower as the focus is on migrating existing workloads.
What to keep in mind:Â
- Slower Time to Value: Modernization efforts are delayed, potentially impacting the realization of benefits.
- Increased Operational Costs: Maintaining legacy applications in the cloud can incur additional costs.
Modernize As You Migrate
In this one-step approach, organizations modernize their applications and infrastructure before migrating them to the cloud. This approach can lead to significant benefits, such as improved performance, scalability, and security.
Perks of Modernize to Migrate:Â
- Faster Time to Value: By modernizing applications before migration, organizations can quickly realize the benefits of the cloud.
- Optimized Cloud Utilization: Modernized applications are better suited to the cloud environment, leading to efficient resource utilization.
- Enhanced Security and Compliance: Modernization can address security vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with industry standards.
What to keep in mind:Â
- Increased Complexity: This approach requires a higher level of technical expertise and can be more challenging to implement.
- Higher Initial Investment: Modernization efforts can involve significant upfront costs.
- Potential for Disruption: If not managed carefully, modernization can disrupt business operations.
Modernization-Led Migration: Unique Approach by SourceFuse
While most businesses might look for cloud migration solutions first and modernization in the second phase, we bring a unique legacy modernization approach to cover them both at the same time. The term first coined by SourceFuse, modernization-led migration ensures customers get to take advantage of the most advanced cloud technology and services available for their unique requirements. Through modernizing existing infrastructures, applications, and workloads, our customers achieve:
- Migrating from end-of-life to state-of-the-art technology
- Eliminating high licensing costs & vendor lock-ins
- Reducing technical debt of legacy systems
- Guaranteed compliance & security
- Enabling on-demand business scaling capabilities
- Increasing operational visibility
Conclusion
Whichever method you choose, it’s essential to assess your organization’s specific needs and capabilities. By carefully planning and executing your modernization efforts, you can unlock the full potential of cloud technologies and gain a competitive edge.
SourceFuse, with its unique “Modernization-Led Migration” approach, offers a compelling solution for organizations seeking to modernize their legacy applications and accelerate their digital transformation journey. With this approach, we’ve helped customers unlock new business capabilities, scale to meet increasing demands, and eliminate their legacy licensing costs, enhance security, and improve overall business performance.
