The Upside of Application Modernization

Are you struggling to keep pace with competition? Are long implementation cycles making ideas irrelevant? Does ROI of rolling out new features deter? If you are nodding to any or all of the above, it is time to modernize applications.
Cloud-native modern applications are based on containers and centered around APIs for easy integration, loosely-coupled microservices architecture which are deployed on scalable elastic Cloud infrastructure to equip organizations with extraordinary speed and flexibility. Businesses can innovate quickly, iterate frequently and fail fast while enhancing productivity and being cost-effective.
Yet software modernization initiatives are slow on the uptake because it requires a change from status quo to a fast moving, forward-looking organization—often organizations are plagued with the mindset ‘why touch an application if is working’.
But faced with the reality of accelerating digital-first strategy to differentiate technology-led customer experience organizations are rapidly adopting modernization approaches.
According to Forrester Research, while many organizations embarked on modernization strategy in 2019 organizations will become pragmatic about technology deployment—linking application refactoring and automating core systems to create customer experiences—by building ‘a model that translates tech-led innovation into customer value’.
Specifically some reasons spurring modernization initiatives include the following:

Maintenance & Support of legacy system:

• Maintenance & Support of legacy system: The cost of running and maintaining applications running in legacy environment is prohibitive driving businesses and Governments to take up modernization projects on a massive scale. The Office of Management and Budget which administers the US Federal budget has estimated spending on operations and maintenance will rise to 80 percent in 2020 and thus pushing for IT modernization. Challenges range from incompatibility with new technologies to finding manpower to operate obsolete technology, lack of support from vendors and products from companies which have ceased to exist.
• Accelerate Digital Transformation: Cloud-enabled digital transformation equips organizations with exceptional capabilities facilitating innovation at speed and scale. Agility combined with the power of comprehensive data points facilitates exponential growth by outperforming in the market with incisive insights—identify patterns and new opportunities, predict demand—and innovate effectively.
• DevOps Enablement: A truly digitally transformed organization delivers unequivocal advantages by empowering organizations with agility and easy collaboration among stakeholders. DevOps practices provide technology support to make dynamic decision-making with extreme agility built into its systems. Transformational journeys have shorter cycles with inherent agility and flexibility of DevOps practices enabling business to take risks, expand faster and launch new initiatives quicker.
• Integration & Compliance: Cloud agility is largely due to the integration capabilities with a well-developed eco system of services—including serverless that reduces operational complexities—via APIs allowing businesses to focus on optimizing performance, lowering costs and innovation. At the same time Cloud also enables businesses to achieve a high level of governance and compliance via continuous monitoring and auto-remedial measures. This is because Cloud-native applications are designed to run in highly automated environments that can inherently control granular access to resources—scripted environments that enables standardization and adhere to regulations.

Studies have found organizations are faced with two major challenges: traditional environment that work in silos and limit developers ability to help businesses achieve new goals; simplify infrastructure management to reduce cost and focus on innovation. The answer to these dilemma is modernizing applications that lend easily to scalability, elasticity, self-healing properties, and continuous improvements in a collaborative environment.
Cloud native applications are driving innovations because of the huge efficiencies it effects— increasing developer productivity by reducing time to make releases facilitating frequent iterations based on market response. Organizations looking to steer the path for exponential growth technology-led innovation is the only way forward and going Cloud-native backed by application modernization will help remain relevant, innovate and outperform in the market.