What is the legacy system? Definition and examples
The biggest problem companies face today is keeping legacy systems up to date with new technologies, methods, and automation, especially since companies from different segments are, as time goes by, more dependent on technology and automated resources in this digital age.
However, companies that fail to update their systems waste time and money. Therefore, updating legacy systems is critical to maintaining competitiveness and achieving competition. You should hire experts to conduct Legacy System Assessment and ensure everything is up to date.
Therefore, given the importance of the topic, this article will define legacy system and give you a few examples or distinguishing features of the technology. Without further ado, keep reading to find out more!
What is the legacy system?
Legacy systems are outdated platforms that have been used by a company for a long time. They must withstand for many years and are built in a layered structure (socio-technical system). Therefore, due to various technological advances, this infrastructure no longer meets the needs of the organization, such as the program developed decades ago. One legacy system example is an outdated financial system in banks or financial institutions.
What are the distinguishing features of a legacy system?
It is critical for a company that its employees dedicate more attention to the core business, which is often the most strategic and profitable activity. Employees are often unable to take advantage of automated solutions on legacy systems, forcing them to continue with time-consuming and expensive manual processes.
Due to the need for human intervention in the process, the work is slow and prone to errors. In addition, check out other characteristics of outdated systems in the following subtopics.
Outdated software
If a system update is interrupted, it becomes susceptible to programming errors and cyber hazards such as malware and viruses. When you think about it like this, it’s worth noting that cybercriminals are getting more sophisticated in their attempts to break into commercial systems.
Old technology
Not all software is considered legacy just because it’s old. A new system can become obsolete due to its reliance on outdated technologies that are no longer in use. Adobe Flash and Microsoft Silverlight are software that serve as an example.
The lack of mobility
The software has lately been seen in conjunction with mobile devices. An example of this is when an external individual needs access to an organization’s report. Performing this task will become impossible if the system is only available on computers.
Not enough skilled workers
Only a few company employees may be familiar with managing a legacy system. Therefore, if this professional leaves or resigns from the company, his colleagues will have difficulty getting used to working with this system, which could harm the company.
Impossibility of scalability
Scalability is an aspect of all software. However, legacy systems were not designed with scalability in mind. As a business expands and needs to improve its internal processes, its systems need to be scalable.
Inadequate support
As time goes by, if there is inadequate support by the manufacturer for an operating system, it can lead to various causes, such as bankruptcy or the system being purchased by another organization. Windows XP is a great example of legacy system under this; it has recently been discontinued from service. Therefore, if the company uses this operating system, it must necessarily update to a current version of the software.
Incompatibility with current technology
When a software can connect with other solutions, it helps a company a lot. However, legacy systems are more prone to incompatibility issues. Therefore, when it comes to a customer communication method that requires greater agility and quality of service, this can severely affect the company.
Hosted on physical servers
Modern IT systems lack a physical server infrastructure. This is the fault of cloud computing. If a program still requires a lot of hardware resources, it is most likely legacy software. It is worth noting that operating a system in the cloud is less expensive than maintaining one on physical servers.
