News and Insights – April 2020

Modernising Legacy IT Systems: A Strategic Imperative

In 2020, the need to modernise legacy IT systems became more urgent than ever. Businesses faced mounting pressure to adapt their infrastructure for agility, security, and compatibility with remote work strategies. The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the limitations of outdated systems, especially those lacking scalability, mobile access, or cloud integration.

Why Modernisation Matters Now

Legacy systems are often deeply embedded in core business processes, but they can pose a serious risk in a rapidly changing environment. High maintenance costs, difficulty finding skilled support, and poor integration with modern tools are common issues. As remote work surged in early 2020, companies with rigid, aging systems struggled to pivot quickly.

Modernisation Approaches

Depending on your situation, several strategies are available:

• Rehosting: Lift-and-shift migration to cloud infrastructure for better scalability.
• Replatforming: Minor code adjustments to support cloud-native features.
• Refactoring: Rethinking and redesigning the architecture for future-proofing.
• Replacing: Replacing legacy applications with modern SaaS platforms or custom solutions.

Cost Considerations

While modernisation can require a significant upfront investment, the long-term gains typically include reduced operational costs, improved performance, and enhanced business agility. During the first months of the pandemic, many companies realised their old systems were preventing efficient operations and collaboration.

Where to Start

Begin by auditing your current systems and identifying those that are:

• Out of vendor support
• Not cloud-ready
• Causing frequent outages or performance issues
• Limited in integration capabilities

From there, assess the risk and value of modernisation options. Prioritise systems that will deliver quick wins and measurable improvements.