The modernization of your legacy web application to harness the power and flexibility of the cloud is a process that involves considerable time, effort, resources, and cost. If done right, however, it can also save you time, resources and cost in the long term. This is why application modernization is not something to be attempted without doing the required groundwork.

Here are 3 important things to keep in mind before you take the plunge into a cloud-based application modernization project.

1. Analyze the need for modernization

Here are some good reasons to consider modernizing an application:

• Lower Lifecycle Costs

Consider modernization if the long-term costs of modernization work out to less than what you continuously spend on regular maintenance.

• Need for Integrations

If the legacy application doesn’t integrate or work well with your newer and more modern enterprise applications, you may need to consider modernizing to improve the overall speed and efficiency of your processes.

• Cross-Platform Usability

If you want your users to have access to your application remotely, then you will likely need an application that is also mobile friendly. If your legacy application can’t do this, then it is probably a good idea to modernize

2. Choose the right approach to modernization

When it comes to modernizing an application, there are a number of ways to go about it. Consider all of them and then narrow down to the approach that works best for you.

• Re-hosting

Re-hosting is a forklift approach that essentially involves moving the application without any modification.

• Re-platforming

Re-platforming involves optimizing and tweaking different elements of the application to make it operational on the cloud.

• Re-factoring

This involves redeveloping the application to ensure its capability of leveraging the cloud – in terms of features, scalability and performance.

• Re-purchasing

If a new, cloud-based version of your existing application is available, then you can simply purchase that one or a similar application.

• Retiring

If you find that the application is obsolete in your current business context, simply retiring some applications can save significant time and effort.

• Retaining

Finally, if you find no reason to modernize your application, simply don’t. Some applications are best left the way they are, where they are.

3.Know how to tackle the challenges of modernization

Modernizing an application to the cloud brings with it a number of challenges, beginning with bringing the organization’s leadership on board, and extending to finding the right solutions provider and beyond. Some of the technical challenges you face could include:

• Unbreakable Monoliths
• Entwined Applications & Infrastructure
• Tool Fatigue
• Security Challenges

Although these technical challenges may seem formidable at times, with an expert solutions provider like CloudNow by your side, it is possible to overcome them. You can read more about these challenges, and how we work around them here.

Find out which of your applications needs to be modernized and how, with a free consultation from CloudNow.