Legacy Systems Management is an often overlooked, yet crucial aspect of the IT infrastructure of many organisations. For those somewhat unfamiliar with the term, a legacy system is any computer system, software, or technology that, while still functional and critical to operations, is outdated in comparison to its up-to-date counterparts. These can be anything from a decades-old mainframe running COBOL, a critical business application written in the 90s, or even a more recent system that, for one reason or another, has not been updated or replaced. It’s basically anything that hinders an organisation from fully integrating into contemporary technologies.
The complexity lies not in managing the system as much as in managing the associated risks, maintainability and integration to newer systems. This is compounded by shrinking resources, namely the dwindling workforce with skills to maintain legacy software like COBOL, and a rising inclination towards the adoption of new technologies like the Cloud.
The modernisation of legacy systems is not merely a cost issue. It’s about agility and creating a durable, adaptive business model that can hold its own in this age of technological disruption. With the cost of application failure ranging from $500K to $1M per hour, as reported by a study by DevOps, it is essential that organisations take legacy system management seriously.
Statistics from Gartner depict that organisations typically spend about 60-80 percent of their IT budget maintaining legacy systems – indicating how managing and updating these systems can occupy a huge chunk of an organization’s focus. As per a survey of global CIOs by IDG, over 40 percent reported legacy systems as one of their top barriers to IT modernisation.
The constant evolution of technology offers exciting new tools to improve operations, customer experience, and overall productivity. However, legacy systems can stifle this progress as they often don’t interact seamlessly with newer technologies or require considerable resources to do so.
Organisations need to strategically plan their approach to legacy system management, encompassing all aspects – from risk mitigation to the potential use of emerging technologies such as AI and Machine Learning for automation. Given the wide-ranging impact, legacy system management truly requires a multidimensional outlook focusing not just on technology, but also on the people and processes involved.
Delving deep into the topics, strategies, and best practices related to Legacy System Management, the Legacy Systems Management section of our blog serves as a rich resource pool. We invite you to explore and contribute to the ongoing discussions in these areas, broadening your views and understanding of the subject. Should you wish to discuss any points further or have any queries, feel free to contact us at Cobol Migration Services. We’re always eager to share our insights and collaborate to find bespoke solutions to your unique challenges.
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