The Role of Cloud Computing in Legacy App Modernization

What comes to mind when you hear the term ‘legacy applications’? Perhaps dated and cumbersome? Relying on these legacy apps not only exposes your business to inefficiencies but also leads to profit loss and security risks.

While these outdated systems, once the backbone of operations, may still function, they often demand extensive maintenance and fail to meet the fast-paced needs of today’s market. The prospect of modernizing these relics can seem daunting, akin to a quest of epic proportions. 

However, amidst this technological odyssey emerges a beacon of hope: cloud computing. By embracing cloud technologies, businesses can escape the limitations of outdated software and reap numerous benefits that propel them forward.

Let's explore how cloud technologies are not just modernizing but completely transforming the landscape of legacy app modernization.

The Rise of Cloud Computing

Migrating applications to the cloud marked a pivotal moment for many businesses, enhancing access, flexibility, delivery, and more. Without the widespread adoption of cloud technology over the past five to ten years, the efficient shift to remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic would have been impossible. 

Cloud migration is a simple "lift and shift" approach, moving applications to the cloud without significant changes. It involves optimizing your apps for the cloud by making basic adjustments for better performance. However, cloud migration does not equate to full application modernization.

Cloud migration is only the beginning. To continue reaping the benefits of cloud adoption, it becomes imperative to invest in legacy application modernization using cloud computing, ensuring everything runs smoothly.

Gartner, Inc. predicts that global spending on public cloud services will increase by 20.4%, reaching $675.4 billion in 2024, up from $561 billion in 2023. This impressive growth is largely driven by advancements in GenAI and a strong focus on modernizing applications.

Modernizing Legacy Apps with Cloud Power

App modernization is like giving old software a makeover tailored for the cloud era. It's all about fine-tuning legacy applications, tweaking their features, architecture, and infrastructure to thrive in cloud environments. 

Yet, akin to cloud migration, modernization isn't a one-time task; it's an ongoing commitment to refine, monitor, and optimize cloud environments continually. 

There is no single, uniform approach to modernization. Based on specific use cases, businesses need to select a suitable strategy to modernize their apps. Let’s go through each briefly.

7 Rs of Legacy App Modernization

Retire: When an application becomes obsolete like yesterday's news, it's time to bid it farewell—especially if its retirement won't even cause a ripple in business operations.

Replace: When legacy apps no longer meet business needs, replacing them with commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) or custom solutions becomes a viable option.

Rebuild: When legacy systems reach a point of irreparability, rebuilding becomes imperative. This entails re-architecting applications from the ground up, harnessing modern development frameworks and architectures.

Refactor: It involves overhauling substantial portions of a legacy system's code to enhance efficiency within a new environment, typically cloud infrastructure. It often necessitates code rewriting and evaluating the reorganization of the existing codebase.

Rehost: Move your legacy systems to the cloud without any modifications to leverage cloud capabilities. This 'lift-and-shift' method offers swift migration and facilitates seamless integration with platforms like AWS, GCP, and Azure.

Replatforming: This ‘lift and reshape’ process involves moving legacy applications to the cloud with some modifications to take advantage of cloud capabilities. 

Retain: Some legacy applications don't need an immediate upgrade. It's strategic to keep certain systems, especially those vital for critical business operations.

Navigating Cloud-based Modernization: 3 Essential Approaches

Serverless

As the name suggests, you can focus on building incredible applications without worrying about managing servers. The serverless computing eliminates the hassle of server management, allowing your applications to scale up and down based on demand. This way, you only pay for the resources you use, maximizing efficiency and cost savings.

Containers

Containerization refers to the transformation of monolithic applications into cloud-native applications built on a microservice architecture designed to integrate into any cloud environment. It entails packaging the application in a container, particularly K8s, alongside all required dependencies so the app runs consistently across any environment. 

Replatforming

As briefly discussed above, this approach involves moving applications to the cloud while replacing or slightly modifying specific components. The benefits include improved horizontal scalability, app performance, automation, and cost optimization.

Why Opt for Cloud-driven App Modernization?

Let’s explore some key benefits modernization brings to your organization.

Scalability

Cloud solutions provide flexible resources, allowing businesses to effortlessly adjust computing power and storage. This flexibility helps manage varying workloads and supports growth without hefty investments in hardware or software. 

With cloud-driven app modernization, your business can seamlessly scale for expansion, adding users and capacity without hassle.

Cost Savings

Cloud-based solutions offer a breath of fresh air for organizations, slashing hardware, software, and maintenance costs by eliminating the need for specialized resources. Innovative cloud-native platforms like Kubernetes empower you to deploy containers or microservices as needed, minimizing resource spending.

Estimates suggest that you could slash annual operational costs by as much as 35%.

As you modernize your legacy systems, you'll gradually break free from costly in-house solutions, paving the way for a leaner IT setup. 

Agility

By modernizing your legacy apps, you achieve rapid time to market, often outpacing the competition. Transitioning to a cloud-based architecture empowers your DevOps and QA teams to test and deploy applications on demand swiftly. 

With cloud solutions, flexibility and agility soar, allowing your business to adapt quickly to evolving needs or customer demands. 

Security

Cloud-based solutions offer robust security features such as encryption, access controls, and data backups. These safeguards help organizations fortify their sensitive data against cyber threats and data breaches. 

With cloud solutions at your disposal, securing your data becomes not just a priority but a seamless process.

Begin Your Modernization Journey Today

Digital transformation isn't just about upgrading technology—it's about revolutionizing how teams collaborate and thrive.

By revamping legacy technology with cutting-edge language, protocols, platforms, and cloud innovations, Closeloop ensures your legacy data remains secure, compliant with industry regulations, and at a reduced total cost of ownership. 

When we liberate legacy data from its silos, unlocking it for all to access, a wealth of business insights emerge, empowering you to make informed, strategic decisions that fuel long-term growth.

Dive into our game-changing eBook on Legacy Application Modernization and discover the keys to turning your outdated systems into agile, cloud-ready powerhouses. We've packed it with insider tips and proven strategies to supercharge your digital transformation journey.

Conclusion

Instead of starting from scratch, modernization turbocharges your software team's efforts by optimizing existing applications for the ever-expanding realm of computing possibilities. We're talking about cloud computing—the game-changer in the world of legacy modernization. 

See, legacy systems are like a symptom of the fast-paced tech world we live in—a sign that business intelligence is evolving at warp speed. But here's the kicker: modernization isn't just about keeping up with the times; it's about building resilience in the face of constant change and disruption.

Cloud-driven legacy app modernization is your organization's roadmap to staying ahead in your sector. With it, you're not just keeping up—you're leading the pack. 

Are you ready to take the leap?