Application modernization is the process of modernizing already existing legacy applications by changing their features, internal architecture, and/or platform infrastructure. To get a better understanding of what application modernization is, take a look at a study by Prolifics that explains the topic in great detail.

Application modernization is possible thanks to the use of the cloud. Any business, no matter how big or small, can take advantage of this. Modernizing your applications is very important and also has a lot of benefits. Let’s take a look at some of them and why you need to implement application modernization.

The importance of application modernization

Requirements for businesses are ever-growing and ever-changing, so it’s vital to modernize applications and move them to the cloud. While moving to the cloud isn’t a necessity, it is of great importance if you want to see your business keep up with competitors.

Allowing all systems to work on the cloud

There’s no escaping the cloud. Not only is it very useful and time-saving, but 90% of companies are on it. The issue with older legacy systems is that they aren’t built to work on the cloud because of their on-premise infrastructure.

When you try to run these applications in the cloud, a lot of performance issues arise because they are forced to run in a limited capacity. All of this can only lead to long-term problems and cause a lot of time and money to be lost if you fail to modernize your systems.

Having greater functionality

If you continue to work with old applications, your employees will be frustrated and won’t be able to perform even menial tasks without issues. If you modernize applications, their functionality will improve significantly thanks to new functions and features that come with modernization.

Avoiding the possibilities of outdated applications

Even if you’re currently using a legacy application that is able to work on the cloud, when new updates and features are added the application will probably become outdated and break down.

An app that isn’t specifically made to work on the cloud has high risks of running into issues with every new release and update. This happens because legacy applications are often also monolithic, and those apps are very difficult to update because all of the components ship together.

Adding extra features is challenging and expensive due to integration challenges and the complexity of the task. The same problem arises when you try to scale these applications. If even one component of the application has performance challenges, the entire app needs to be scaled to fix that one issue.

Providing better security

Cybersecurity is a big issue for organizations all over the world. Without a good security plan to protect your company and customers from cyber threats, you can run into a lot of issues. Older applications require a lot of airtight security measures that you need to implement and monitor.

On the other hand, the cloud offers top of the line security features which makes modern applications safer without too much effort on your part.

Keeping your employees satisfied

If you choose to work with legacy applications without modernizing them, your IT team and developers will probably move on from your company in search of better opportunities. Professionals don’t want to stay with a business that insists on working with outdated technology that limits personal skill development.

You also need to think about new employees, because a company that grows and evolves also has a growing staff. However, the employees you hire won’t know how to run older systems and it will be a big waste of time to train them. -“As a marketing manager, I have seen first-hand how effective modernizing applications can be in keeping employees happy and productive. Whether we are talking about upgrading our core software systems or revamping internal processes and workflows, making these small changes helps to ensure that everyone on our team is working at peak efficiency. At the end of the day, achieving success means having motivated, satisfied employees–and modernizing our apps enables us to achieve this goal.” -Harry Johns White, Marketing Manager at NBA Blast

Meeting compliance

Meeting compliance is a necessity for every company, as non-compliance can cost you millions. With an outdated system, it’s very time-consuming to update logs and errors can occur in many legacy systems. When you modernize your systems, it will be much easier for your company to meet compliance.

With these updates, your systems will be able to meet many different compliance regulations, the most important of which is guaranteed safety. You will be well-protected from all breaches and fines that come as a result of non-compliance.

The benefits of application modernization

There are numerous benefits application modernization can bring to your company. Below are listed only the most important ones.

Reducing costs

Out of the many different ways application modernization leads to cost reduction, the most relevant one is the ability to switch to the cloud. When you transfer all of your systems to the cloud, you eliminate the need for on-site data centers that are a huge overhead cost for the company.

Another thing to keep in mind is that companies that still use older systems have to spend a large portion of the IT budget just on maintenance. By switching to the cloud, these costs will also be lowered.

Improving agility

When you go through system-wide improvement, you can also expect improvement in your employees as well as an increase in agility. This causes team members to be more efficient, consistent, and reliable because they don’t have the problems of legacy applications hanging over their heads.

Opportunities that open up after modernization are remarkable. For instance, with a cloud-based system, your team will be able to work remotely from anywhere in the world and have a greater web-based presence.

Agility is very important for satisfying customers because, in this competitive world, agility and productivity are what will decide whether your business succeeds or not. With a modernized system, you will be able to develop and launch new products quicker than your competitors.

Providing better customer support

Good customer support is vital to the success of any business. As much as 89% of consumers have switched to doing business with a competitor due to poor customer service. With old systems that haven’t been modernized, providing customer support can be a big hassle.

This is mostly true for legacy applications. If a customer requires help with this type of application, it’s almost impossible to provide them with fast and efficient service. However, when you keep all applications on the cloud, it’s easy to retrieve all records and information as soon as they are needed.

Not only will the customer support and customer relationships be improved, but so will the customer experience. A more modern system will make it easier for customers to navigate through your system with ease.

Final thoughts

If your organization hasn’t gone through application modernization yet, that’s something that will probably cost you a lot in the near future. Failing to modernize will cause you to lose employees, customers, and a lot of business to competitors who have moved from outdated applications to modern ones.

So, do the smart thing for your business, modernize your applications, and enjoy all of its benefits.