June 28, 2018- Stromasys, the world’s leading provider of business class multiplatform emulation and virtualization, provides an analysis of how emulation and virtualization are key to the digital transformation process of any company.
Emulation and virtualization are regarded today as technologies that drive important transformations in industries by allowing something rigid and obsolete to become more flexible and capable of offering companies numerous benefits; but what does it mean? According to Eduardo Serrat, CTO of Stromasys, “Legacy systems include legacy software and hardware. Actually, it is software that has been in operation for a long time and that still satisfies a need of the company.”
Legacy technology has a critical mission and is subject to a version of an operating system or hardware model (subject to an exclusive provider) that has already reached the end of its existence. Often, the life of the hardware is shorter than that of the software. Over the years, the hardware becomes more difficult to maintain, but it is retained because it is installed and (for the moment) working and it is too complex or expensive to replace it. Further, the applications themselves are excellent: they work, they address a business need, and they don’t need to be replaced. It is the hardware—not the software—that presents a business risk and added expense. Stromasys virtualizes the legacy hardware and thus extends the system’s useful life.
In this scenario, legacy systems are everywhere: banks, energy companies (including nuclear plants), production of all kinds (process control), the defense industry, transportation, hospitals, government and educational entities, insurance, and more. “At Stromasys we work with organizations of all sizes and in almost all areas in critical business or production environments,” Serrat explained. “Companies that use critical applications on aging hardware platforms would benefit from hardware emulation, since depending on the supply of spare parts for the replacement of faulty components is both unreliable and a short-term solution. System performance declines over time, due to greater frequency of hardware failures, low reliability of reconditioned spare parts, and higher cost.”
Companies that in the 80s, 90s and early 2000s implemented VAX, Alpha, HP 3000, HP 9000 and SPARC machines are ideal candidates to consider emulation and virtualization of their systems. In Latin America, these legacy systems are mostly operating in government entities, educational institutions, financial institutions, and oil and hospital organizations, among others. Serrat concludes, “Stromasys helps to preserve critical applications by emulating previous hardware architectures, preserving the functionality and operating environment, contributing to the extension of their useful life and reducing costs associated with the maintenance of obsolete equipment.”
7 business benefits of emulation and virtualization:
Spanish Article Coverage: http://computerworldmexico.com.mx/como-la-emulacion-puede-ayudarlo-a-alcanzar-la-transformacion-digital/
