Gartner Research

Use Continuous Modernization to Optimize Legacy Applications

Published: 20 July 2022

Summary

Legacy applications often impede continuous delivery of value, but rip-and-replace efforts are costly, risky and time-consuming. Applications and software engineering leaders should instead use continuous modernization to minimize the cost, risk and impact of legacy-application optimization.

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Overview

Key Findings
  • A rip-and-replace approach to modernizing applications can be highly disruptive to the organization in terms of cost, risk, time and impact. These factors often outweigh the potential benefits.

  • Legacy applications are not designed to support continuous delivery, as some components within these applications create obstacles — or friction points — that negatively impact business operations.

  • Poor coordination between product and platform teams — and lack of engagement with business leaders — will undermine continuous modernization efforts.

Recommendations

To effectively optimize the organizations’ legacy applications, applications and software engineering leaders should:

  • Use continuous modernization as an alternative to rip-and-replace programs by focusing

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