February 28, 2018 • Richard Neisz

The Importance of Balancing New Technology and Legacy Technology

It’s called the “cutting-edge” for a reason. Those pushing the limits of technology face big rewards, but when they falter, the landing is not forgiving. Massive data migrations and new tech implementations are significant commitments across the board, and they don’t always go well. For this reason alone, it’s important to be selective when it comes to new tech initiatives. When your legacy technology is still fulfilling your needs, it’s crucial to fully understand your options and path to success before diving head first into new tech.

Evaluating Your Legacy System

How do you know if it’s time for an implementation? When your legacy technologies are slow or crash unexpectedly, it’s time for an upgrade. Furthermore, it’s critical to adapt as company and consumer expectations change. If your legacy technology cannot support additions or changes to adjust to evolving user needs, it’s time to consider something new.

Commonly, organizations resist implementing new technologies because of the cost. True, it can be expensive; but in the long run, it could be more than worthwhile. Hours your team spends troubleshooting or dealing with sluggish, clunky tech is lost time they could be using more productively for your business. Particularly if your technologies have front-end user interfaces, a legacy platform may be discouraging potential consumers. As 77% of Americans now own smartphones, the ability to provide a seamless mobile experience has also become critical. Legacy technology that prevents employees from doing their jobs or hinders your company’s sales is not worth keeping.

On the other hand, many legacy systems are a part of their companies’ competitive advantages. A system that’s modified for your particular organization and industry may be a big part of why customers choose you. If you are able to continue improving and updating your current system, blending new interfaces or functionalities with the technology that your employees and customers know how to use, keep it. Continued improvements and adaptations can help your organization balance the old and the new, maintaining your core operations while evolving with the world around you.

Aligning with Tech Trends

As new technologies are constantly developing, it’s hard to know which ones are most important to integrate and which ones are passing fads. For legacy systems, it is crucial to be able to work alongside the tech that consumers and workers are coming to expect. As you assess the capabilities of your legacy technology, consider how it works along these five key tech trends.

Machine Learning: Closely tied to the rise of Artificial Intelligence, the ability for computers to take in information, quickly learn from it, and generate new and original conclusions nearly instantly can have far-reaching implications for a number of industries.
Cloud Technology: Now in the mainstream, the cloud has increased efficiency for countless businesses by providing quick and easy access to information across devices and locations.
Agile Project Management: Increasing the speed of product development through sprints, Agile organizations grow revenue 37% faster and generate 30% higher profits than non-Agile companies.
Big Data Analysis: Information holds tremendous power, and companies that take the initiative to analyze and make use of the mountain of data pouring into their servers each day are the ones that gleam deeper insights and can better target their prospective customers.
Mobile Optimization: With 2% of internet access coming from mobile devices, it is imperative for any organization to tailor their website, communications, and any applicable operations to mobile customers and clients.

Implementing New Technology

When your legacy system can’t keep up, new technologies must be considered. A full system migration requires deep knowledge of legacy technology in order to avoid data loss during a critical conversion of software, databases, and more. A complete understanding of what your old technology is doing for you will also guide and inform the exact specifications of how a new tech initiative can help you and how it should be installed.

The key to a seamless migration is really the technical talent that drives it. From a singular consultant to a team of experts, the people who are working on the ground to maintain the integrity of your data, keep your day-to-day processes running smoothly, and ensure that your information is secure are critical to success. The right IT consulting and staffing partner will help you see through the smoke to not only determine which new technologies are applicable to your business but also walk with you through that transition.

Balancing New Technology and Legacy Technology

Your organization’s choice of technologies can change everything from your internal efficiency to your end user experience. It is crucial to ensure that your tech systems are helping you accomplish more rather than hindering your processes and productivity. Start by carefully assessing your technology needs and what your current systems are providing. If it’s time to modernize, an effective IT partner should be able to help you select and transition into new programs or systems as necessary for success.