Platform Modernization
Legacy platforms, mainframes and midrange systems such as AS/400, are robust, reliable platforms that can serve existing customers into the future, but they are not optimal for today's pressing business needs.
These legacy platforms make it hard to add new features and integrate with other applications, databases and the latest technologies. A secondary, but not inconsiderable issue, is the fact that these systems are increasingly expensive to maintain and support – both from an infrastructure and an R&D point of view. The latter issue should not be discounted. There is an ever-decreasing pool of developers who are familiar with languages such as COBOL and RPG.
For robust market growth it's critical to pursue the continuum of legacy system extension into modern platforms. Migrating to current development platforms like Microsoft .NET or Java can allow you to unlock the value of these legacy applications and combine them with the latest technologies. If you adopt a SOA or object oriented architecture you can add the new functionality customers crave or advance usability with a modern GUI that will improve customer satisfaction.
Symphony’s Platform Modernization program has four main elements:
Architecture Design Services
First, you need a plan to go forward. Symphony begins with a comprehensive assessment that incorporates the business issues and includes a review of the current technology platform and code base – providing you with a sense of where you are and where you want to go. The result is a recommendation for a technology direction, new product architecture and an engagement scoping for the next steps.
Re-platforming Services
Next, Symphony builds and tests the new product based on the proposed architecture. Symphony will quickly ramp up a custom-built, dedicated team of developers, UI experts, and quality engineers to bring your new product to market fast. Existing R&D teams don't often have the bandwidth or technical expertise to effectively develop the new product and support existing customers in tandem.
Support for Existing and/or Future Products
When you move customers to a new platform, you also have to address the challenges of supporting both platforms in parallel. This can stretch the resources of an existing support organization – both in terms of individuals and costs. Outsourcing support to Symphony, for either the existing or new product, can reduce the stress on your organization and help you achieve your objectives, all while maintaining customer satisfaction.
Migration and Upgrade Assistance
Perhaps the most critical element of a successful modernization program is a quick and easy migration of your existing customer base to the new platform. The sooner that task is done, the sooner you can remove support for the legacy platform and bring margins back into balance. But this is no easy feat. Multiple customers may have millions of lines of customized code to migrate – in addition to data and workflow. Symphony's white-labeled professional services team can scale up to meet the challenge and employ battle-tested frameworks and processes to create a custom Migration Factory.
Symphony Services Partners
Symphony is a founding member of Microsoft’s NXT and Interop Vendor Alliance programs helping ISVs migrate, cross platform, and enhance the interoperability of their products.
