A recent survey from Retail TouchPoints showed that the average retailer spends about 58% of its IT budget to maintain legacy systems. Say nothing of the healthcare or government entities that often rely on decades-old systems built by companies that may no longer exist. These legacy systems are often the core “systems of record,” which hold the most important data for the enterprise.
Upgrading to an entirely new modernized application may seem like the obvious solution, but it is often cost prohibitive and sometimes impossible. However, failing to address a legacy system can leave organizations vulnerable to cyber attacks and ransomware that risk client and customer information exposure—which could also cause a financial strain.
Legacy systems need to be maintained with current operating systems and patching to protect against security threats and ensure uptime. Beyond that, depending solely upon legacy systems makes it challenging to respond to market forces and curtail innovation. They can become a bottleneck for growth and innovation if not correctly integrated with cloud-based systems.
Legacy system integration tackles the challenge of connecting both premises-based and cloud-based workloads, bridging the network divide. By integrating legacy systems with newer technologies, organizations can leverage the strengths of both old and new systems to drive business and improve productivity. Integration combines information from on-premises systems with newer systems to create a more seamless and efficient workflow.
Doing so can help organizations avoid expensive and time-consuming system replacements and future-proof their technology infrastructure.
Read more: How modernization legacy technology creates better developer experiences and drives business outcomes
Legacy system integration benefits
Integrating your legacy system is a wise alternative allowing you to implement new technologies faster than if you were to modernize your entire enterprise. It can save you time, money, and headaches in the long run. So if you’re looking to upgrade your technology, it’s worth considering how it will benefit your organization.
Operational efficiency
The chief reason to integrate with a legacy application is to improve operational efficiency. Manually transferring data wastes valuable time, slows down other business processes, and introduces unnecessary data errors.
Access to modern functionality
Companies looking to incorporate new services into their legacy system do so because they’re interested in the new functionality that the service provides. Legacy-integrated systems offer stability and reliability not available in more recent, untested systems.
Better user experiences
Mobile and cloud-based applications have transformed how everyone works. To create modern user experiences, you often need to connect Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications with your legacy system.
Faster to implement new solutions
Integrating your system can allow you to implement new technologies faster than if you were to modernize your entire application. This can be especially important for organizations relying on their systems to function smoothly and without interruption.
Avoidance of full-blown modernization
When you integrate with your legacy system, you can avoid modernizing the entire system. If you choose not to rebuild your core business system from scratch, you can rely on third-party tools for new functionality, better efficiency, and improved user experiences.
Learn more: How data is managed in the Cloud
Connecting legacy systems with your future
Legacy systems aren’t going anywhere, which makes integration a natural step for organizations seeking to modernize. They’re the backbone of many organizations, and they have proven to be reliable and effective. Focusing on modernization and aligning those strategies with your business goals are essential.
Adopting the legacy approach and building out an application network with it can solve the immediate challenges of systems integration. The key is to build the business plan first.
Modernization strategies are essential because they can help organizations update their legacy systems to meet the demands of the modern world. They can help organizations improve their processes, save time and money, and improve the customer experience overall.
Additionally, consider microservices architecture. This approach lets organizations break down their legacy systems into smaller, more manageable services, making it easier to modernize and update them.
Another strategy is to adopt cloud computing, which helps reduce costs, improve scalability, and increase agility. Cloud computing also offers a range of services that can help organizations modernize their legacy systems and help them stay nimble against an ever-changing threat environment.
Also read: CBTS Application Modernization services bring your company into the digital age
Integration is your first step toward modernization
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the thought of updating what feels like an ancient system. However, modernization doesn’t have to break the bank or require you to ignore potential risks to your company’s longevity. Adopting a modernization strategy can help organizations improve their processes, save time and money, and improve the overall customer experience. The key is to build the business plan and choose a modernization strategy that fits your needs. CBTS can help. Contact our experts to learn more about how legacy system integration can jumpstart your application modernization journey.
