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CIOs
at midsize businesses (MSBs) who are focusing on application
portfolio management must often accept legacy applications
as the cost of doing business and balance them against
other initiatives to keep expenditures in line. In
fact, Gartner predicts that through 2006, economic
constraints will drive MSBs to extend the life of
60 percent of their legacy applications, rather than
replace them with new packaged solutions.
When
reviewing your application portfolio, we recommend
that you continually ask the following types of questions
in relation to legacy applications:
• |
Should
they be minimally maintained while new systems
are developed? |
• |
Should they be retired? |
• |
Should they be replaced by packaged software solutions? |
• |
Should they be integrated with other systems or
packaged applications? |
• |
Should they be migrating from outmoded architectures
to new application paradigms? |
• |
Should they be Web-enabled? |
The objective should be to preserve and protect useful
software investments, while avoiding the disruption
of being forced to swap out, repurchase or incur the
immediate expense associated with redevelopment based
on lack of foresight or planning. If you can’t
find or afford to replace legacy applications, consider
extending them by using one of three common approaches:
• |
Host-to-Web
Interfacing
This approach may enable you to bring
legacy-based applications to a broader audience
of users while enabling them to be more productive
at a lower cost than outdated and less user-friendly
interfaces. “Webfacing” involves turning
the browser into a terminal emulator or building
new browser-based screens that access the application.
There are no changes to the flow of the original
application, and traditional green screens assume
the look and feel of an HTML-based Web page. |
• |
Legacy Integration
With this approach, users work through
newly developed or packaged applications and therefore
never realize that critical data or processing
has occurred on the legacy system. It involves
the use of middleware – software, hardware
or both – to integrate legacy applications
with other newer ones resulting in the processing
flow of the newer application taking over and
providing logic that can result in enhanced use
of legacy system data. |
• |
Legacy Componentization
This will involve “componentizing”
legacy functionality so it can be used to construct
new applications that can be leveraged alongside
other “componentware”. It can also
serve as a means for adding new functionality
to legacy applications. Once developed, the components
can be used again and again without having any
knowledge of the underlying legacy application
or system. Newly developed composite applications
may adapt automatically to changes in the legacy
application, eliminating the need to constantly
recreate the components. |
MSBs should consider extending their
legacy applications as a valid portfolio management
option when they can’t afford or can’t
find replacement technology. Keeping an open mind
and a willingness to accept that there are still ways
to enhance the business value associated with legacy
applications will help to ensure that application
portfolios are effectively managed and used.
What
approaches are your peers taking to extend legacy
applications at their MSBs? Join us for Midsize
Enterprise Summit to find out– click
here to qualify to attend as our guest now.
Reference
Research Note
Attention MSBs: How to Get the Most From Legacy
Applications
Published: July 14, 2003
Author: R. Anderson, Gartner, Inc.
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