Modernization: Transforming Core Legacy Systems with Low-Code Enterprise App Development

Modernization is something every organization should strive for, but what does it really mean? What’s modern today is outdated tomorrow, and every org will look different depending on where they are on their journey.

Improved IT efficiency. Increased business agility. Reduced IT costs. An optimized, growing organization.

These are things that any organization would love, and, in fact, need to thrive, but traditional software delivery methods aren’t keeping up. Legacy software, outdated software development lifecycles (SDLC), and tough macroeconomic conditions significantly hold back modernization processes.

Low-code platforms are ideally suited for modernization as they support organizations throughout the entire application development lifecycle: ideation, development, testing, deployment, and operations.

In the 2022 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Low-Code Application Platforms, Gartner has named Mendix as a Leader and placed us furthest for “Completeness of Vision.” That means we lead the pack in understanding the needs of the market as evident in our product strategy, and we continue to drive innovation in the enterprise low-code application platform (LCAP) space. Mendix is perfectly positioned to help all kinds of enterprises modernize legacy systems.

But before we get there, let’s take a broader view.

The trick to legacy modernization is that it’s tough. If it weren’t, it wouldn’t be a perpetually trending topic. But why is it so challenging?

And with more than 50% of enterprises struggling to integrate new apps into legacy tools and 57% struggling with business agility, the picture gets a little clearer.

ROI is hard to achieve and nearly impossible to attain quickly. In today’s environment, speed is a must-have. Customer expectations and regulatory needs are shifting faster than ever. That makes traditional development a huge risk factor. Those who can’t keep up, or, just as risky, those who rely on shadow IT solutions are increasing technical debt and making it more and more challenging to deliver scalable solutions.

This sort of process is baked into the fabric of traditional development. It’s not nimble enough, not good enough, and not sustainable.

The pressure to develop transformative applications continues to increase, but traditional software delivery methods aren’t keeping up.

To truly take control of modernization, organizations and leaders need to speed up development and deployment without sacrificing quality.

Organizations can build and deploy solutions at a fraction of the time of traditional development. Iterations and updates are a natural part of the process, meaning that keeping up with the pace of change is a lot less challenging.

On top of that, low-code helps orgs maximize resources by allowing IT and domain experts to come together. That combination helps to break down silos and allows talent to work collaboratively, leading to better solutions faster.

Reduced cost and decreased time-to-market mean faster ROI. Faster releases also mean much less risk of lagging behind the market, all while helping to modernize throughout the enterprise.

Further Reading
3 Low-Code Legacy Application Modernization Strategies

I might be a little biased, but after factoring everything in, Mendix is the best bet for any organization looking at short- and long-term modernization projects. The whole platform is built with increasing development speed, scalability, and driving digital transformation in mind.

We know that aging core systems can be a huge barrier. Mendix acts as an extending layer to core systems by utilizing APIs and connectors. These are easy to set up and maintain.

Further Reading
Siemens Enables Rapid Digitization in a 175-Year-Old Enterprise

In addition, Mendix is cloud-native. So it’s containerized and portable. With Mendix Cloud availability in 12 regions around the globe, access is streamlined and straightforward no matter where teams sit—no need to reengineer or rearchitect to account for resources. But, no matter if you’re using Mendix Cloud, a different provider, or even on-premises, Mendix apps work seamlessly to guarantee reliability.

On top of that, Mendix is built for scale. Components can port from one project to another throughout the enterprise, allowing organizations to get more done faster. Connections to AWS services allow for easy and optimized ways to add intelligent automation to many critical processes.

Mendix is the thread that ties previously siloed systems together, opening up endless possibilities for workflows and data. It’s one platform that can support throughout the enterprise, allowing for both short-term and long-term gains.

No matter how your organization looks at modernization, it’s imperative to consider it a long-term process instead of a short-term goal. That requires platforms that can effectively scale while keeping costs realistic. Mendix is that platform.

Take your challenges and turn them into outcomes that drive value throughout the enterprise. Every day you wait can leave you exponentially further behind.

If you’re interested in more information, do read Modernization: Transforming Core Legacy Systems with Low-Code Enterprise App Development blog from Mendix.

Posts by: Ben Hogan