Why You Should Modernize Your Legacy Applications

Developers, who are at the center of today’s technological environment, understand that embracing application modernization is an imperative need.

In a scenario where work dynamics call for productivity, efficiency, automation, and cybersecurity, modernization not only translates into saving time and resources but also into data integrity and maintaining a solid reputation.

But the current context is not just a challenge for IT professionals; it is also an opportunity to enhance operational excellence for organizations.

Therefore, in this article, we will explore five reasons why modernizing your applications is a task that should no longer be postponed and how edge computing solutions can assist you in this transition.

1. Streamlining Developer’s Work

According to Deloitte, recruiting technology talents is a strategic priority that can impact the capacity of companies, and today, 41% of IT workers cite a lack of progress and learning as reasons to consider leaving their jobs.

In this regard, to attract and retain high-level developers, companies must provide modern environments that support contemporary architectures, as no highly skilled talent desires to work in an outdated company.

Nowadays, there are numerous resources and functionalities that are part of the modernization of applications and help developers to simplify their tasks, which every company should consider, such as:

JavaScript: A language that allows the creation of modern applications processing data locally and in real-time when used on an edge computing platform.
WebAssembly: Capable of compiling code from legacy applications and running it on technologies like an edge platform.
Terraform: Defines and automatically provisions additional resources, such as server instances and database capabilities in response to traffic increases.
Edge Functions: Allows for the creation of serverless functions that are triggered whenever a new request is made, like during online sales events, automatically processing the payment, updating inventory, and sending order confirmations.

2. Providing a Smooth and Intuitive User Experience

Modern applications are designed based on user-centered approaches, ensuring that professionals can navigate and interact easily with the software.

The use of modern architectures such as microservices or Jamstack allows for an improved user experience, as:

Microservices enable scalability improvements, as individual services can be scaled independently according to demand. Furthermore, they enhance the resilience and stability of applications by promoting better fault isolation. Failures are contained within individual services and do not affect the entire application, as was the case in monolithic architectures.
Jamstack allows the creation of applications capable of handling large volumes of data efficiently and securely without impacting latency and, consequently, the user experience. Additionally, Jamstack enables dynamic interactions through APIs and pre-renders pages and content, significantly reducing loading times and ensuring a smoother experience for end users.

3. Security in an Era of Cyberthreats

According to an IBM^[1] report, the average global cost of a data breach in 2023 was of $ 4.45 million, representing a 15% increase over 3 years.

Modernizing legacy applications ensures that your systems are equipped with the latest security features, protecting them against constantly evolving cyber threats.

Often, legacy applications lack a security-focused architecture. Therefore, relying on modern applications, such as those designed with the Security by Design approach, is an excellent option for safeguarding data, as they allow:

Reducing vulnerabilities: By adopting “Security by Design,” development teams proactively identify and mitigate potential vulnerabilities during the design and implementation phases, resulting in a significantly lower number of security breaches.
Cost-effectiveness in the long run: Integrating security from the beginning of the application development process avoids long-term costs associated with fixing security flaws after launch, saving time and resources for organizations.

Zero Trust

Another security solution for application modernization is the “Zero Trust” approach, which challenges the traditional security approach that automatically trusted internal users and systems.

By adopting Zero Trust, on the contrary, there is no inherent trust; each request and transaction undergoes rigorous checks, regardless of its origin, ensuring that trust is earned with every interaction. This not only strengthens the security posture but also allows for continuous modernization, integrating new features and services without compromising the integrity of the system.

With Zero Trust, applications become more resilient to cyber threats, providing a solid foundation for innovation and constant adaptation to evolving technological demands.

4. Adaptability to Device Proliferation

One of the key benefits of modernizing legacy applications is the ability to adapt to the rapid increase in devices’ diversity and respond to their specificities.

Architectures such as serverless and headless can provide the flexibility, scalability, and efficiency that applications need to meet these demands. By decoupling backend functionality through serverless design, applications can scale seamlessly based on demand, optimizing resource utilization.

On the other hand, the headless architecture empowers front-end developers with the freedom to innovate without the constraints of a tightly integrated system.

Together, these approaches enhance agility, simplify development processes, and responsiveness to device models, preparing applications for the challenges of evolving technological landscapes. The benefits include:

Serverless

Scalability: Serverless design enables automatic scaling, effortlessly handling variable workloads.
Resource Efficiency: Serverless computing ensures efficient resource utilization by executing code only when needed.

Headless

Innovation in Front-End: Headless architectures empower front-end developers with independence and flexibility.
Simplified Maintenance: Decoupling components simplifies updates and maintenance tasks, reducing downtime.
Adaptability to New Technologies: Facilitates integration with new technologies, ensuring long-term relevance.

5. Integration with Emerging Technologies

Modernizing applications gives organizations the opportunity to leverage innovative technologies and trends to enhance the user experience.

Legacy applications may not be compatible with newer technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, or augmented reality.

For example, ChatGPT can be used for almost all tasks that involve understanding or generating natural language or code. In the development environment, it serves as a tool that boosts productivity by aiding with tasks such as code generation or the refactoring of already existing code, among other things.

By modernizing applications, organizations can incorporate such technologies, enabling the implementation of advanced functions and features capable of completely transforming the user experience.

Conclusion

Evolution is inevitable, and the modernization of applications is an urgent necessity. Organizations willing to embrace this change will not only improve user satisfaction, but also unlock unlimited potential for continuous innovation.

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