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What are Legacy applications? Understanding Usability, Challenges, and Solutions

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    Articles

    Legacy applications are often misunderstood. Some hear the term and immediately think it is outdated or obsolete.

    But for IT professionals and business owners, these systems hold more complexity and importance than their name suggests. Though they were designed using classic operating systems, in most cases, they still perform business-critical tasks. In fact, 31% of the technologies used by enterprises are legacy applications or systems.

    So, what are legacy applications? Is it a good idea to keep them? Or now is the time to modernize them? Get answers to your pressing questions in this article. But before we get into the details of legacy applications, let’s look at the differences between them and modern applications.

    Criteria Legacy Applications Modern Applications
    Architecture Built on monolithic architecture Utilizes modular architecture
    Technology Stack Typically built on outdated technology and programming languages Built on contemporary technologies such as cloud-native, microservices, etc.
    Flexibility They are mostly designed for the specific platform (on-premises development) Modern apps can be run on cloud platforms
    Deployment Relies on manual deployment processes Automated deployment using CI/CD pipeline

    What are Legacy Applications?

    Put simply, old software or applications that are still used today are called legacy applications. Even though they are not modern, many companies still use them because they are important for the business to survive.

    For instance, a manufacturing company might still rely on a 20-year-old enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to manage supply chains.

    In most cases, they were built years or even decades ago. These applications fulfill their original purpose, but they are behind the times when you compare them to new tech. They often run on old hardware, use old coding languages, or rely on old systems to work.

    For example, legacy applications like OpenVMS, Tru64, MPE, and Solaris operate on vintage hardware such as VAX, Alpha, HP 3000, PDP-11, SPARC and others – and they still run mission-critical applications for some of the biggest names in government and industry.

    As they are important for critical tasks, many organizations are looking for ways to boost their efficiency and reliability by moving legacy applications to the cloud.

    What Makes an Application “Legacy”?

    Here are the key characteristics of a legacy application:

    Age and Obsolescence

    Legacy applications have been there for decades. Although they were developed using cutting-edge technology at the time, they are now becoming obsolete, that is why they are considered legacy systems.

    Dependency on Outdated Technology

    These apps often rely on legacy hardware, software, or operating systems that vendors no longer supported by vendors. This causes headaches by making them work with new tech, keeping them safe, and fixing problems.

    Performs Mission-Critical Tasks

    Despite their age, legacy applications often help mission-critical applications to run. For many organizations, these applications are deeply embedded in the workflow and processes of the business. That’s why it’s hard to get rid of them without disrupting the operations.

    Who Still Uses Legacy Applications?

    From the public sector to private enterprises, legacy applications are used in different sectors. Below are a few examples that briefly discuss its use cases.

    Top organizations using legacy systems

    • Government and Organizations: National Background Investigations Bureau, US
    • Defence: NASA’s Orion spacecraft, which launched in 2022, runs on processors from 2002.
    • Banking: The Royal Bank of Scotland are still dependent on legacy applications.
    • Retail: Retail businesses spend almost 58% of their IT budget to keep their legacy systems running.
    • Tax and Revenue: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) uses mainframe legacy systems to process millions of tax returns efficiently.

    Why Do Legacy Applications are Still in Use??

    In the era of modern technologies and AI – why are legacy applications still in use? The answer lies in a mix of practical, historical, and economic factors.

    Why businesses still use legacy applications

    Historical Context

    Many legacy operating systems were developed at a time when digital solutions were first becoming mainstream. These early efforts became deeply embedded in organizational workflows, making them indispensable for day-to-day processes.

    Economic Factors

    Transitioning away from a legacy application can be costly, risky and time-taking. Rewriting software, retraining employees, or migrating data requires significant investment. For some businesses, maintaining the status quo seems more affordable in the short term.

    Critical Business Needs

    Certain industries, such as finance and healthcare, depend on legacy applications to manage highly sensitive or specialized tasks. These systems are often tailored for specific, niche functions. This can make finding suitable replacements challenging or even unfeasible.

    Types of Legacy Applications

    Legacy applications are categorized based on several parameters, starting from the status to their relevance. Let’s quickly look at them:

    1. End of Life (EOL) Systems

    First, there’s the “End of Life” problem. Many legacy applications just get abandoned by their makers. No more updates, no more fixes, no help if things go wrong. Companies keep using these outdated systems because getting new ones is expensive or complicated.

    2. Systems that are Hard to Scale

    Then there’s the growth issue. Most of the legacy applications were built at a time when the current scale of operations was unimaginable. They weren’t built for today’s data loads or user numbers.

    3. Heavily Patched Legacy Applications

    Old programs get fixed and updated repeatedly. Each fix might solve one problem but cause another. After a while, these systems become unstable. They’re more likely to crash or get hacked.

    4. Legacy Application with Prevailing Knowledge Gap

    Another type is related to knowledge problems. Legacy applications often use outdated programming languages. The specialists who built these systems may have retired or moved on. Finding people who know how to keep old tech running is tough and expensive. When the last expert leaves, companies can be left scrambling.

    5. Applications Running Mission-Critical Workloads

    Legacy there is the most common type of legacy application. They are working fine and running critical workloads. Most legacy applications fall under this category because they are very robust. Also, these classic applications are extremely valuable in terms of the knowledge they contain about organizations’ business processes.

    Why are Legacy Applications Still in Use?

    Now that you understand the use cases of legacy applications, let’s look at the reasons for using them:

    • The legacy application performs business-specific tasks that are difficult to replace
    • The functionality of the application is still satisfactory
    • Rewriting the application is excessively costly and time-consuming
    • Users are familiar with the specific application, making it easier to train new employees
    • Fear of business disruption during modernization
    • Lack of knowledge regarding the right modernization strategy
    • Underestimation of the time needed to replace the legacy system

    The Real RISK of Keeping Legacy Applications

    When it comes to mission-critical legacy applications and modern data centers, don’t make the mistake of keeping the bad along with the good. It does not have to be an “either or” decision. Your aging hardware may be causing you problems. But the operating systems and applications in which you have invested thousands of man-hours and millions of dollars are still performing at a mission-critical level.

    On the contrary: while the value of these legacy applications is clear, the hardware they run on presents significant challenges. Legacy hardware is giving IT teams big headaches. Keeping these machines running is getting pricier by the day. It’s not just about finding spare parts – that’s hard enough. When you do find them, they often don’t work well.

    Moreover, fewer people know how to fix these old systems. The experts who used to handle them are retiring. Young professionals are learning about new technology, not this outdated hardware.

    The outdated hardware also introduces inefficiencies into data center operations. It may require specific configuration, like outdated cooling methods that don’t align with modern infrastructure standards. This misalignment leads to wasted space and increased operational costs.

    Furthermore, older hardware are less energy-efficient, which raises power bills and contributes to higher environmental impact. If vendor support is still available, it often comes at a premium, adding another layer of expense.

    Legacy Application Modernization: The Roadmap for Future

    The application modernization market is projected to reach $24.8 billion by 2025. This trend shows that organizations will extensively follow this path. Modernizing your legacy application is simple if you have a step-by-step plan. This ensures that you execute the strategies in the right order.

    Assessing Your Current System

    Take a closer look at your existing legacy system. Before making any changes, identify what’s working for you and what’s not. This will serve as the foundation for all your modernization efforts.

    Identifying the Issues

    Next, figure out what’s causing trouble. Is the system slow? Are there security holes? Does it just not do what you need any more? Make a list of these problems.

    Aligning on a Clear Vision

    Once you have identified the problems, it’s time to create a shared vision for what the modernized application should achieve. The decision-makers of your organization should be on the same page. Importantly, think about how it fits into your bigger business plans.

    Setting Priorities, Budget, and Goals

    Next, prioritize your needs and set clear goals. What’s most important? What has to be fixed right away, and what can wait? And most importantly, decide how much you are willing to spend on the project. Make these choices clear because it helps you focus on what matters most.

    Selecting the Right Modernization Strategy

    There are several ways to modernize legacy applications, such as application rewriting, buying a new application, rehosting or lift and shift, etc. But you must carefully consider the risks and benefits before making a decision.

    Planning the Timeline

    Set up a timeline but be realistic. Break the big job into smaller pieces as this will help you keep track of how things are going.

    Set Your KPIs

    How can you gauge that the legacy modernization project has yielded favorable results? This is where KPIs come into the picture. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to set KPIs. It depends on your specific needs. For some, it can be just the speed of the particular task performed; for another business, it can be the number of users.

    Finding the Right Partner

    Finally, the most important step. Choose a partner with proven experience and expertise in legacy modernization, and a deep understanding of your industry.

    Migrate Legacy Application with Stromasys

    With over 20 years of experience, Stromasys has completed more than 7000 successful projects in legacy modernization. We at Stromasys, take pride in being acclaimed by the Gartner Group as the leader in “processor emulation.”

    Stromasys provides a simpler and more budget-friendly solution: Charon® emulation software for legacy VAX, Alpha, PA-RISC, and Sun SPARC systems. With Charon, you can easily move your existing software to modern servers, whether they are on-premises or in the cloud. This transition brings significant performance gains, reduces maintenance costs, and leverages the latest security and disaster recovery practices—all within just a few days.

    Our lift-and-shift approach has already been proven in numerous use cases. Curious to know how you can boost your ROI with Charon?

    Talk to our experts

    Final Takeaway

    Legacy applications built on platforms such as Solaris, OpenVMS, HP-UX, Tru64, and MPE remain crucial for many organizations. These systems handle specific, mission-critical tasks that newer applications might not replicate easily.For many businesses, these applications fulfill their purpose reliably, and the thought of replacing them brings uncertainty, especially without a guarantee that the new solution will work as effectively.Support your legacy application stack with an emulated hardware solution to improve performance, increase reliability, save money, reduce the data center footprint, and fall in line with today’s data center transformation strategies—all in a single move.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    1. What is a legacy application?

    A legacy application is classic software created using old operating systems. Companies still use them because they can perform specific crucial tasks for businesses.

    2. What are the examples of legacy applications?

    Lotus Notes is a classic example of a legacy CRM application. Another popular example can be Microsoft Office 2007, which was designed a long time ago and is considered a legacy application.

    3. What are legacy software examples?

    Examples of legacy software include Solaris, HP-UX, OpenVMS, Tru64, and MPE.

    4. What is an example of a legacy device?An example of a legacy device could be point-of-sale (POS) systems that rely on outdated hardware and software.