Karen Brown Tyson

How to Breathe New Life into Legacy Systems with Interfaceless Apps (Word count: 1173) Out with the old and in with the new. This quote often justifies replacing something outdated with something new and improved. But what about legacy systems? Most companies hold on to them for good reasons. Why? Because legacy systems have staying power. After years of operation, legacy systems offer companies peace of mind, knowing data is safe and secure. But sometimes, legacy systems get a bad rap. Legacy systems are known for being outdated, slow, and inefficient. They rely on software that cannot handle today's mobile or cloud-based technologies. As users demand better experiences, CIOs and IT leaders are stuck with outdated systems lagging behind new software and technology. But one of the main arguments for getting rid of legacy systems is based on cost. Companies and government agencies spend a lot of money maintaining legacy systems. IT leaders are faced with the question of what to do about legacy systems. One route companies can take to breathe new life into legacy systems is building a new custom interface using monolithic architecture where the application programming interface (API) and user interaction (UI) are split to upgrade user experience. Without changing business processes, companies can keep the reliability of an existing system. By separating UX and business process concerns, companies can cut costs by slimming down team responsibilities. This post will provide insight into how Vaporware brings legacy digital systems into the modern age. Understanding Legacy Systems According to Gartner, a legacy system is “an information system that may be based on outdated technologies but is critical to day-to-day operations.” This also includes apps that have not been updated in five years. Despite this, several industries, like banking, insurance, healthcare, and transportation, rely on legacy systems. Also included in this group are some major federal organizations like the Department of Defense and the Department of Education that use legacy systems to process high volumes of data. However, some argue that the modernization of legacy systems, including those used by the federal government, is long overdue. In a report compiled by the US Government Accountability Office, 65 national legacy systems need modernization. These legacy systems ranged between 8 and 51 years old, with many of these systems using outdated language, 1 cybersecurity issues, and unsupported hardware and software. Ten of the most critical federal legacy systems are highlighted below. One of the biggest challenges with legacy systems is that what makes them outdated is only sometimes based on the age of the system. The hardware and software within legacy systems play a role as they are sometimes difficult to maintain or improve. One example is legacy systems built with older programming languages like Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL). While some may argue that COBOL is still a robust programming language, the fact remains that COBOL is 60 years old, and the number of trained programmers who know how to work with COBOL is dropping. In addition to legacy systems facing technology challenges, the cost needed for maintenance is also an issue. 2 The cost of maintaining legacy systems It’s safe to say that every company expects to pay to maintain legacy systems. A few critical areas related to cost include: 1. Maintenance. Routine tasks that IT admins must perform to keep legacy systems running. 2. User Support. Only supporting an app on old browsers costs money and takes more time. The death of Internet Explorer should be a reminder to us all. 3. Training. As previously highlighted, legacy systems using a programming language like COBOL will need experienced, knowledgeable staff to keep the systems running. New users must be trained to work with old processes. But there are other costs to consider, which include: Compliance. Legacy systems may need new interfaces to ensure compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which went into effect on January 1, 2020. Cybersecurity. Old interfaces have security risks. Companies must pay the costs associated with protecting their legacy systems from cyberattacks. The 2019 HIMSS Cybersecurity Survey points out that legacy systems raise concerns regarding vulnerability. Efficiency. Old interfaces slow down users and behavior. Due to infrastructure and software, some legacy systems may not be as agile or robust as needed. Also, legacy systems take valuable time away from areas of IT. In a CIO survey by Logicalis, more than half of the CIOs surveyed said they dedicated 40-60% of their time to managing legacy systems. Another look at the GAO report further supports the argument that legacy systems are costly. In 2019, the US Federal Government projected to spend 80% of a $90 billion IT budget on maintaining and operating legacy systems. Like it or not, enterprises, including federal agencies, must consider modernizing legacy systems. 3 Moving Towards a Digital Transformation Despite being the backbone for many organizations, it’s clear that most legacy systems could use a makeover. Every organization, including federal agencies, must see the modernization of their systems as part of their competitive advantage. When asked, only seven of the ten federal agencies highlighted in the GAO report have modernization plans. See the chart below. While creating a modernization plan for an existing legacy system may seem overwhelming, it is a valuable step in helping organizations see IT leaders as strategic thinkers moving the company toward a digital transformation. 4 Split apps offer legacy systems new life Companies interested in holding onto current legacy systems could add an interface built using a monolithic architecture where UX and API apps are split. The benefits of this approach include: • • • Separating front-end apps from back-end apps means less demand on the user. By not changing business processes, companies avoid the risk of losing legacy system reliability. Separating UX and business processes allows companies to cut costs by separating support teams into specialized areas. While separating front-end apps from back-end apps will require different developers to work on each set of apps, it does not mean each team has to work in silos. Strategic alignment is key in managing every part of IT, including modernizing a company’s legacy system. Steps companies can take to modernize legacy systems • • • • • • Analyze and document the company’s current state. Design a new interface (or no-UI experience) within the company’s current business processes framework. Determine how to connect the current business process to a new UI. Define the API (programmable interface). Run automated testing to ensure the API is standardized. Develop, Deploy, and Test the new interface as a “new app.” Vaporware focuses on developing tech-enabled solutions that disrupt outdated processes, taking a whole-systems approach to legacy systems. The company’s software solutions can automate or integrate with existing technology. Understandably, change is hard. But not impossible. As new technologies and software are developed, legacy systems can breathe new life into legacy systems by developing strategy modernization plans that explore various options like monolithic architecture. 5 Ready to get started? Please request a free consultation from one of our expert product managers to start analyzing your existing software, comparing off-the-shelf solutions, or planning what's next. 6