When and How to Determine if Your Legacy IT is Truly ‘Legacy’
Let’s talk about legacy IT. In layman’s terms, a legacy application or system is any information system based on outdated technologies yet is still vital to your company’s daily operations and functionality.
What is a Legacy System
The delicate dance CEOs and company management are constantly engaged in is making the right decision regarding replacing legacy applications and systems with systems based on new and different technologies as they emerge on the ever-changing scene. It’s an unavoidable truth that change is constant in this world, especially in the realm of IT. As companies upgrade or completely switch out their various technologies, they must also keep in step with this hypothetical dance by ensuring they are compatible with old systems and data formats that are still in use.
The current hiccup that many companies are currently facing is that they have assembled systems over the years made up of many parts. This may have worked fine initially, but those systems become outdated at a certain point in time and are therefore unable to speak with new digital applications. Eventually, when the time comes to adapt and “transform to new technologies and systems (and it will), timeframes (and the almighty budget) tend to become collateral damage—both taking massive hits.
This is something that companies across the globe are constantly grappling with—making the tough decisions on what systems to invest in and when. With this in mind, I wanted to dive into some of the top signs that can alert you that it is time to upgrade your IT system. So, if you have until now belonged to team “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” this one is especially for you. Let’s not get to that point and instead avoid the following signs when they are first seen (if not before).
Your Cybersecurity Is Scary
Online security breaches are scary. A single security issue could ruin your company in many ways, so it’s no surprise that cybersecurity is a huge concern for most businesses today. Worse news is that legacy technology has proven to be even more at risk of being hacked versus more modern systems.
You’re Experiencing Performance Issues
We are strictly talking about IT performance here. A common problem that I see with companies is that they simply get used to slow or lesser quality performance because it is (technically) working. Again, with that “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” mentality, you miss out on better, more efficient ways to work and accomplish things. This complacency of settling for slow and less than the best is a sign.
You’re Having Incompatible Issues
Again, not talking about any relationship but the one between your old technology and any new technology you may have been recently trying to integrate. The bottom line is that, often, old technology and new technology just don’t mesh. You could say they “mess”—leaving holes and gaps in protection and functionality that just don’t align for smooth and seamless operations. This is a sure sign that an upgrade should be in your very near future.
You’re Starting to Show Your Age
Yep, still only talking about IT. The good rule of thumb here is to give your technology (other than custom-developed or niche systems) roughly a four to eight-year window, then trade it in for a newer model because, in IT, age definitely isn’t just a number.
Many signs reveal your legacy system is no longer operating at the top of its game and is ready to be retired, but this is a good start with some things to look out for.
Are you seeing some of the signs mentioned above or others? If you are ready to upgrade your outdated IT or are seeking consultation and support on any other issues, we are here to help. Contact us today to discover what AMPlify can do for you.
