Legacy technology still plays an important role in the operations of businesses today. In fact, on average, 31% of an organisation’s technology is made up of legacy systems, despite the documented drawbacks of relying on legacy systems for day-to-day running. Research suggests one of the biggest barriers to upgrading (or moving away from) legacy systems is the associated costs involved.
The term ‘legacy’ doesn’t always refer to age either, it can also mean a system that can’t be easily adapted to perform new roles to keep up with new demands from the organisation.
Deciding whether to stick or twist can be a tough decision, especially when faced with IT budget challenges limiting development, despite negative system feedback from staff and (potentially) customers.
Deciding the best approach between keeping or upgrading depends on various important factors, including your business needs, budget constraints and wider business objectives.
Speaking to a third-party vendor like PSP will give you impartial and practical advice on deciding your next steps.
Reasons to Maintain
There are times when an older system still fits the brief and performs the jobs you need it to. Legacy system support could be the most effective approach in any of the following instances:
Reasons to Upgrade
Have you considered legacy system modernisation? There are many longer-term benefits however, the benefits must outweigh the cost. Here are some instances where upgrading your legacy system is an effective solution:
Modernisation is the best approach when you’re not ready to completely scrap and replace what’s in place already. It’s the best of both worlds: you can keep what’s already yours but transform it into something more modern.
A key benefit of legacy system modernisation is that you are in control of how far you want to go. At PSP, we provide a range of modernisation services that are tailored to your budget and requirements:
If your legacy currently fits the brief and you see no reason to upgrade (or there is no budget to upgrade right now), then third-party maintenance for your end-of-life systems is a pragmatic route to go down for many reasons.
A main issue with relying on legacy systems is ensuring you have enough resources on-hand with knowledge of your system. We’ve spoken to many businesses whose legacy developer suddenly left and they needed to hire a legacy developer urgently. They came to PSP after soon discovering how small the talent pool for legacy developers really is.
As an experienced legacy system support provider, the two most important parts of our service to the clients are:
We pride ourselves on having decade-long partnerships with some of our clients, which are achieved through our dedication to providing a reliable and value-for-money service which goes above and beyond.
PSP is a Microsoft Gold Partner that specialises in taking over old systems, extracting all of their functionality and utilising the full extent of their capabilities.
We provide agile legacy system support for companies who want to ensure the reliable running of their critical systems, as well as application modernisation for businesses who are ready to upgrade their software or looking to move it onto the cloud.
Book a legacy system consultation. Email: letstalk@psp-it.co.uk or phone 01775 722377.
We'd love to welcome you into our office! We're only 20 miles north of Peterborough, conveniently just off the A16.
Carver House
Apex Court, Elsoms Way
Pinchbeck
Lincolnshire
PE11 3UL