Custom software development

Elevate Your Business with Legacy Software Modernization

In a rapidly evolving technological landscape there’s an often underestimated and yet crucial aspect of the software realm – legacy software systems. These systems, built on foundations of your business and have played an instrumental role in shaping your digital infrastructure. As we navigate the intricate interplay between the old and the new, this page is dedicated to exploring the nuances, challenges, and strategies associated with legacy software modernization.

Let’s explore your application’s performance! Take our survey to uncover any challenges with your current application maybe facing and explore ways to make your software even better.

Start the Survey

Trusted by these satisfied Clients

What is legacy software modernization?

  • Software modernization is the process of analyzing pain points, evaluating improvement options and modernizing legacy software to meet expectations of current technology and industry standards – whether it is productivity, efficiency, user experience, modern technology stack or supporting integrations. 
  • Software becomes obsolete due to various factors, such as the discontinuation of support for one or more programming languages, failure to align with current user or business process needs, or non-compliance with industry standards.

When should you consider legacy software modernization?

If the existing legacy application is imposing specific limitations or hindering progress,
it could be valuable to evaluate the application. The 8 common areas to review are:

Robustness

Robustness is a software’s ability to function correctly and reliably even in the event of erroneous inputs, network issues, and other unexpected user interactions.

Security & Compliance

There are various aspects of Enterprise application security, some best practices and a few compliance requirements that must be adhered to. How well are you placed with respect to Security and compliance?

Scalability

How well can your application scale from current capacity to 2x or 3x and what are your future needs?

Functionality

Application functionality benchmarks are measurements used to evaluate and compare the performance and capabilities of software applications. These benchmarks assess various aspects of an application’s functionality, such as speed, responsiveness, accuracy, scalability, and reliability.

Performance

How well your application performs in various aspects and under various conditions.

Technology

How well is your application’s tech stack holding up in terms of support, resource availability, reliability and market trends?

Factors to Consider When Modernizing

Ensure the justification for the modernization is thought through.

Business strategy and goals

Legacy application modernization will require leadership to be engaged in the process: from design to implementation to change management. Application modernization is the right time to optimize functionality to the desired future state and even structure it for growth. This requires leadership to have the vision figured out and have the bandwidth to support the modernization. 

If software modernization is not critical to the business goals then it is likely that resources will be spread thin between priorities.

Justify the value of the application modernization: whether it be expense reduction or return on investment from future revenue generation.

Resource Allocation

Change Management

Structure for growth and integration 

Incorporate technology requirements of your supply chain

Customer journey at the center of design 

Assess approach and timeline for modernization: Optimize vs. Rebuild

Assess relevant: could smart, data smart 

Optimize only if the technology framework is supported and is expected to remain viable over the next 5-10 years. There are several indicators of long-term support. Here are some of the more obvious ones: 

New versions of the software/stack you’re working with a reasonable assurance of backward compatibility. 

You can find a lot of fresh local latent who are willing to work on your platform 

You can find a lot of community support online (for example, on Stack Overflow) 

Some of the less obvious indicators: 

Big Tech (likes of Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon etc.) uses key elements of your stack. For example, if you’re working with Node JS, you can find a lot of those companies use and support Node JS. PHP? Not so much. 

The number of commits on Github (if open source) is regular and substantial 

You can find a lot of community support online (for example, on Stack Overflow) 

If you could not place a checkmark beside 2 or more of the above indicators, then you’re probably better off rebuilding your system in a modern and well-supported technology stack.

Start the Survey

Technical Paths to Legacy Application Modernization

Options to consider when considering legacy software modernization.

Mantrax Flow Chart

1. Encapsulate

Wrap up legacy software in an isolated environment and manage access and communication with newer systems and technologies through APIs. This is often followed by a plan for a gradual phasing out by reducing access and putting timelines in place.

2. Re-platform

Choose a modern technology stack that can keep up with your unique challenges and structure your application to handle growth and functionality expansion.

3. Rehost (Lift-and-Shift)

Leverage economies of scale and experience unprecedented scalability and reliability by migrating your business-critical applications to the cloud

4. Re-architect

Don’t let archaic software architecture slow you down. Be it a tiered monolith or microservices, we can make the best recommendations for your use cases.

5. Rebuild

Rebuilding is sometimes the most sensible way out of technical debt, and we can make it an affordable choice. Rebuilding involves re-writing the application from scratch using modern technologies and re-architecting.

6. Reassess

It is always worth your while to get a second opinion before embarking on a major software project. We will examine your situation and provide unbiased options for your app modernization project.

7. Replace

If off-the-shelf software or SaaS offerings meet your requirements,  then we can help facilitate a comprehensive selection process. We look at various things like technical and functional requirements, as well as external indicators such as market share, Gartner’s Magic Quadrant placement and adoption rate to make these recommendations.

8. Reimagine

Are you thinking out of the box or are you stuck in legacy processes and old-fashioned delivery methods? Rejuvenate your users’ experience through fresh thinking and modern offerings.

Start the Survey

Our Approach to Software Modernization

Our development process goes beyond software development, providing you with daily updates and real product demos with our developers where you can see our progress and provides feedback at a regular cadence. You’ll be confident in the success of the project as you have an opportunity to provide early feedback on designs, wireframes, and prototypes.

Discovery

An initial discussion with one of our seasoned Solution Architects to understand your requirements, urgency of the problem and long term goals.

Assessment

We perform a detailed assessment of your current system to understand the pain points and your dependency on them. This will enable us to come up with an optimal project plan for the application modernization process. During our assessment phase we will identify and document mission-critical business processes.

Statement of Work

When you’re confident with the high level recommendation, we create a detailed statement of work outlining the granular and prioritized functional requirements, solution design and technology stack recommendations, project plan and other critical components of the project.

Project Setup

At the start of the project, a dedicated team is assigned to your project, including a single point of contact that will work with you to coordinate all discussions, questions and deliverables. We provide you with access to project management tools, code repository and all the other tools we use so you have full visibility.

Agile Development

Our software development process strictly follows the Agile Methodology. We believe that a good software system is a result of excellent development practices coupled with continuous collaboration between us and the client. We thrive to deliver working software every two weeks (we call these two weeks a ‘sprint’). You have full visibility to the progress

Launch

We work hand-in-hand with you to launch your new digital product, including a pilot launch before the full application is released to ensure all critical bugs are identified and fixed.

Transition

With our Build, Operate and Transition model, our goal is to fully transition the system to the client’s team. If required, our team is available to provide the necessary post-launch support.

Kickstart Your Project Right

Significance of a Comprehensive Technical and Functional Analysis Before Initiating Modernization

Embarking on the journey of modernizing legacy applications necessitates a pivotal first step—the imperative Discovery Phase. This foundational stage serves as the bedrock upon which the entire transformational journey is built. Through meticulous exploration and inclusive practices, we unveil the power of discovery, creating a dynamic platform that captures user perspectives and envisions the desired future state.

Our approach to functional analysis is guided by industry prowess, seamlessly integrating market research to uncover best-in-class functionality within your sector. We delve into user expectations, analyze competitor strategies, and decode industry megatrends. This informed exploration becomes the compass guiding your modernization journey, sculpting a narrative of innovation and excellence.

In the Technical Legacy System Review, we navigate the intricate landscape of your existing systems. Our seasoned experts conduct a thorough examination, identifying areas for enhancement and optimization. This review serves as a crucial step in aligning your legacy systems with contemporary needs and technological advancements.

Our methodology goes beyond the surface, incorporating market research to uncover the best functionality within your sector. We analyze user expectations, competitor strategies, and industry megatrends to guide your modernization journey. Together, let’s sculpt a narrative of innovation and excellence that propels your organization forward.

The culmination of the Redesign Functional and Technical Discovery Phase yields tangible results. These may include a refined set of User Personas, detailed Technical Specifications/Recommendations, and ideas from market research. These outcomes become the blueprint for the subsequent stages, shaping the scope and direction of your application modernization. These outputs also serve as the foundation for informed decision-making, enabling you to navigate priorities, budget constraints, and establish a vision statement for your modernization endeavor.

Take Our Legacy Software Modernization Assessment

Start the Survey

Engineering Blog

traditional development methods

Breaking Free from Traditional Methods: Why Agile is the Future of Software Development  

Filed in Business, Custom Software Development, Software Solutions
In today’s fast-paced and dynamic business environment, traditional software development methods, such as waterfall, often fall short of meeting the ever-changing needs and expectations of customers. This is where agile methodology shines. Agile development offers a transformative approach to software development that prioritizes iterative feedback cadence, flexibility, collaboration, and end-user engagement in the full project cycle.  Explore the core principles and challenges of agile development and discover how Mantrax is using Agile Methodology to revolutionize software solutions. Core Principals of Agile Methodology Iterative and Incremental Approach Traditional software development methods typically follow a linear, waterfall approach. Instead, agile development adopts…
Read More Breaking Free from Traditional Methods: Why Agile is the Future of Software Development  

Decoding Expenses: Senior Software Developer vs. Development Partner  

Filed in Business, Custom Software Development, Software Solutions
In the rapidly evolving world of technology, businesses and organizations face a pivotal decision when seeking to bring their software dreams to life or to help optimize critical business processes. Should they invest in hiring a senior software developer to join their in-house team, or explore the alternative of engaging a development partner to steer their projects towards success? Both avenues offer unique advantages and challenges, making it essential to gain a comprehensive understanding of the costs associated with each option. When it comes to making the crucial choice between hiring a Senior Software Developer and engaging a Development Partner,…
Read More Decoding Expenses: Senior Software Developer vs. Development Partner  
Cloud migration

How to Ensure Efficient Cloud Migration

Filed in Cloud Migration, Software Solutions
In early 2020, when government-imposed lockdowns were being implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19, the retail industry took a heavy hit. The impact was felt more by retailers whose revenue depended primarily on foot traffic rather than online sales channels. One of the popular retail chains in Canada had to face the embarrassment of their website being non-functional for more than a day due to the inability of their system to scale with increasing demand. As clichéd as it may sound, “hindsight is always 20/20!” So, what’s next? Enter public clouds. Using the same infrastructure and network backbone used…
Read More How to Ensure Efficient Cloud Migration
legacy app modernization

Maximizing Business Growth: The Power of Productizing Your Service Offering with Software Solutions  

Filed in Business, Custom Software Development, Software Solutions
In today’s highly competitive business landscape, organizations are constantly seeking strategies to achieve sustainable growth and success. One such strategy that has gained significant importance is productization. By transforming services into scalable, profitable, and marketable products, businesses can unlock new opportunities, increase efficiency, and meet evolving customer demands.  Understanding Productization Productization is not limited to making a product marketable; it involves transforming services or ideas into well-defined, standardized, and repeatable offerings that can be easily consumed by a wider audience. The objective is to enable scalability and profitability by standardizing and streamlining the delivery by leveraging software solutions. By treating…
Read More Maximizing Business Growth: The Power of Productizing Your Service Offering with Software Solutions  

Modernizing Your Legacy CMS/AMS: Unraveling Key Questions  

Filed in Business, Custom Software Development, Software Solutions
Membership-based organizations such as professional associations, trade associations, foundations, regulatory bodies, non-profits, unions, clubs, voluntary associations, chamber of commerce, board of trades, and guilds face the challenge of adapting to changing member expectations and technological advancements. Customized Association Management Software (AMS) is increasingly becoming a necessity for organizations with unique requirements and a substantial member base. Read further to discover insights about modernizing your Legacy CMS/AMS successfully while learning valuable solutions. Why Consider Custom Applications? Membership-based organizations are responsible for managing complex agreements and contracts that directly impact their members’ benefits and opportunities. For instance, in the film production industry,…
Read More Modernizing Your Legacy CMS/AMS: Unraveling Key Questions  

The Crucial Role of Wireframes in Software Solutions  

Filed in Business, Custom Software Development, Software Solutions
In the ever-evolving landscape of software development, wireframes stand as foundational pillars that give life to the abstract and bring structure to the visionary. These conceptual blueprints are the initial stepping stones, guiding the intricate journey of transforming ideas into functional digital interfaces. Wireframes as Visual Translators Wireframes act as a translator, bridging the language gaps that often exist between designers, developers, and stakeholders. In a world where understanding can make or break a project, wireframes provide the visual context that words might struggle to articulate. They capture the vision and intent, transforming abstract discussions into tangible representations and helping…
Read More The Crucial Role of Wireframes in Software Solutions  
legacy software

Updating Legacy Systems: Continuous Optimization vs Replacement

Filed in Custom Software Development, Software Solutions
Legacy software refers to outdated applications based on obsolete technology and standards. Avoiding legacy software is typically very difficult; it’s the result of past technology choices. Outdated applications do pose a growing problem for many companies. Applications should be able to last for decades, but in practice, they are only modern for three years and can then be considered legacy for the rest of their lifespan. This while the application often support a business-critical processes. Definition: A legacy system is outdated computing software and/or hardware that is still in use. The system still meets the needs it was originally designed for, but doesn’t…
Read More Updating Legacy Systems: Continuous Optimization vs Replacement
Intuitive Design

UX/UI Design: Understanding User-Centered Software Development

Filed in Custom Software Development, Software Solutions
User Interface (UI) is what the software team designs for the end users to perform actions. However, the design of the UI may not align with what the End Users may think is logical or optimal. This is where User Experience (UX) design comes into play. UX design considers how the End User will logically and intuitively navigate through the application. The goal of the UX design is to align the UI with what most Users will find logical and intuitive. What Should Your UX Design Process Entail? 1. Be Clear on Business Objectives: Start by having a clear understanding…
Read More UX/UI Design: Understanding User-Centered Software Development