Don’t make the biggest mistake in application modernization projects

Application modernization isn’t simply a trend; it’s the mandate for every IT organization.  The cost of running old applications and the infrastructure that supports them is problematic.  They also lack new features and capabilities, making them a competitive liability. 

Simply lifting and shifting current code to the cloud doesn’t help and can cost much more.  To make a difference, applications must be fundamentally “rebuilt” to gain the desired benefits.  This is the path that our attendees at CIO roundtables consistently identify. 

However, most of these applications aren’t just important to the business; they are mission critical, and any failures or downtime is far worse than doing nothing at all.  Stability and availability are non-negotiable.  So, while application modernization is required, it must be done carefully.

Based on the discussions and opinions shared at these CIO events, there is a palpable fear of trying to modernize these large applications in one shot.  The old analogy of eating an elephant in one bite is spot on. 

So, what to do?

The approach that gets the discussion going and gains substantial traction is to take a modular approach to modernizing these business-critical applications.  The idea of upgrading individual components or services within the application and then linking them back to the legacy application via a message bus or API is not only attractive; it is “doable.”  In fact, the benefits of taking the modular approach to application modernization get a lot of approval among senior technical professionals who attend these events.  Some of the benefits they cite include: