The operational challenges of Legacy Apps

In our previous article, we explored Legacy applications, the potentially disastrous consequences if they aren’t rectified, and makes them Legacy in the first place. But what are the operational and technical challenges that comes from using them?

The Operational Challenges

A lack of modern practice

Technology is constantly evolving, and with it the way we work is continually becoming easier and far more efficient. Using Legacy Applications is forcing you to live in the past, by not installing the updates that are available you are not equipping your team with tools that are capable of making their workday more efficient.

A lack of support

As we explored in our last article, Legacy apps are often no longer supported and therefore won’t reap the benefits of updates. Updates are often well received for their improvements to functionality and all of the new features they often bring with them, but not many realise just how important they are in regard to fixing bugs, and stability issues. Updates remedy security vulnerabilities that the app has developed over time, in the process making the app safe to use again. Updates are your barrier from cyber criminality, without them you are leaving the door open to cyber criminals whilst simultaneously providing your team with tools that aren’t as good as they could be.

Lack of integration

Legacy apps don’t allow for process automation. The modern world of work will often rely on some form of automation to be successful, the mundane manually driven tasks must be placed on the head of technology, not doing so will give your competition the edge.

Lack of compliance

Guaranteeing legal compliance is impossible on Legacy apps. Legally you must use the latest version of all software when storing and processing personal information. If you are knowingly using Legacy apps you could be breaking the law.

Lack of remote access

Remote working has grown in popularity over recent years, previously remote working was a luxury only for those at the business end of a company, executives would work from home whilst the rest of the team were in the office. Now, it has become normal service for most, business owners realised the long list of benefits that comes from working remotely if done correctly.

Your remote working team needs access to all the data and tools that your internal team do, this could cause problems if you are using Legacy apps, those apps you rely on when on-premise could be impossible to make available to your remote working team, and even if they are it, could be extortionately expensive. Legacy apps could force your remote working team back into the office.

The technical challenges

Lack of infrastructural support

The IT infrastructure in which your legacy applications reside can limit your abilities. You must renew your infrastructure for all manner of reasons, but hopefully for a positive reason like the need for more IT assets. You must ask yourself a question ‘what will I do if my IT can’t run the apps I need anymore?’ For some this is a terrifying prospect because they don’t know the answer, do you just stop working? That isn’t an option, so you need to find an alternative way of working and tools to use to make that possible, do this before you are forced to – take your time whilst you have it, prepare, choose, and seek consultation if necessary to find the right solution for your team.

Lack of security

When support is withdrawn the updates stop – it is as simple as that. Cyber security should be at the very top of your list of business concerns in today’s world, when updates are stopped the app has lost its ability to defend itself meaning it becomes an easy target for cyber criminality. A breach could have disastrous ramifications to compliance and your reputation as a business, both could jeopardise the survival of your business as a whole.

Lack of backup

You must be operational at all times, there is no room for downtime. Clients are fickle in today’s world, you must always be operational and contactable or else risk losing them altogether, this makes an effective backup plan important. You must have a plan for the restoration of data. If there is a problem that forces your team to stop working you will have no way of accessing backups of your data elsewhere, ceasing operations will cost you a lot of money and – as we just said – potentially cause you to lose your client base for when you do get things going again.

Don’t use Legacy apps, your team may want to keep them, and they may be great the way they are, but they aren’t worth your time neither financially, reputationally, or operationally, use updated versions wherever possible.

Keeping your technology functional and secure

We recognise the challenges that businesses face daily with their technology – and security is one of the most prominent of them all. Our team of experts will work together with you to find a cyber security strategy that compliments the way you do business. We will also educate your team to be sure that they understand the strategy and are prepared for whatever a cyber criminal can throw at them. With our help you can go into the future confident that your systems are secure. Please don’t hesitate to get in contact with us and find out more.