Remember watching your favourite movie as a kid, and the way those special effects just blew your mind – but then you went back and watched as an adult and nothing quite held up the way it used to? It’s the same way with legacy systems.
Maybe you have a legacy system that was custom built to solve a problem, and maybe at the time it was the latest and greatest of its kind. But just like that movie from your childhood, times change, things evolve, and suddenly you’re left with something outdated, underwhelming and incomparable to the innovations of today.
“But historically our existing system has worked so well for us!” On the surface it may appear so, likely due to your IT department spending all their time solving issues caused by the software. But in fact, all it’s doing is costing you your team’s time, when they could instead be focussing on innovation and growth.
The hidden costs of legacy systems
Potential security vulnerabilities
Because legacy systems are comprised of old tech, they require more resources to maintain the required security updates and patches – which eventually might stop being rolled out for the system altogether. This means important and sensitive data can be more vulnerable to compromise and security breaches.
Inefficiency and unpredictability
Time is money, so efficiency and reliability are extremely important in a competitive business environment. In the modern era of unified communications, older systems are usually less capable of integrating with your IT environment – preventing seamless collaboration, and making it more difficult to leverage process automation. Legacy systems can take more time to achieve the same outcome as with modern technology, therefore costing your organisation more and more money over time.
Lack of insights and information
Advanced reporting metrics and deep data insights can inform major business decisions and keep an enterprise well informed with easily accessible information. In most cases, legacy systems don’t have the capacity to provide these in-depth data insights, so you don’t have a full picture of how the enterprise is functioning when making critical decisions.
Benefits of a modern technology stack
A lot of enterprises ignore the impacts of the aforementioned costs and consider a system update an unnecessary expense in time and money. In reality, it is an investment that will put your enterprise far ahead of the competition. The benefits and functions of leveraging new, innovative technology will revolutionise the way your enterprise runs, and result in massive growth. It serves to be ahead of the curve.
But what are these benefits?
Better and faster networks
The availability of reliable, fast enterprise-grade internet means that enterprises can make the most of intelligent cloud design – enabling real-time collaboration and an uninterrupted service to your clients. This means you can onboard new applications and clients faster, and promptly respond to all business and client demands. The world we live in today is very fast paced, so if you can keep up with the needs of your time-poor clients, customer satisfaction will sky rocket, and as a result, your revenue.
Increased productivity
The ability to access business data and networks across a range of devices provides employees with flexibility, especially when they are on the road. Studies have shown productivity and financial growth has increased within businesses that have invested in enterprise mobility. Furthermore, access to the cloud means easy collaboration and efficient use of time. As well as this, making use of a programable network means you can personalise its functions to suit business needs and breed more efficiency.
Reduce operational cost
The maintenance costs of modern systems are significantly lower than those of legacy models. With built-in automation, your IT department will spend more time creating and innovating, and less time on band-aid solutions. New technology also means no more costly custom-built software, allowing for the prioritisation of work based on company needs, rather than continued development costs. Furthermore, with telecommunications expense management solutions it’s much easier to track expenses, assets and inventory.
So what next?
Your legacy system has served its purpose, but everything has a shelf life. To ensure your enterprise is at the top of its game, digital evolution should be part of your ongoing business strategy.
Reviewing your legacy systems might seem like a massive undertaking, but Rubicon 8 can help. We’ll help you assess where you could save time and money, and provide you with all the information you need to make informed decisions that are best for your enterprise.
Reach out to us to today to help us help you be your best.
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