Outdated technology? Modernize now

Who hasn't spent hours or even days dealing with computer, software, network, or update problems? Technological progress requires constant attention and sometimes costs valuable hours that are better spent elsewhere. In technical jargon, we refer to this as "legacy" systems—old systems that are still running and "doing their job" but are no longer up to date. Changes are hardly possible, and in the worst case, the outdated infrastructure even prevents the necessary move to the cloud. Many of my clients are struggling with the question of whether to renovate, add to, or build something from scratch.

Data is the new currency, and businesses need to be able to access their data instantly and securely in order to quickly make decisions that are critical to their strategy. By moving business applications to a cloud environment, IT departments can improve business responsiveness. This is one of the most important steps in future-proofing enterprise software. In most companies, the move to the cloud has already occurred. Yet they have often been done half-heartedly and are limited to simply transferring existing systems to new hardware in the cloud.

Moving to the cloud should not be done half-heartedly.‍

Reap the benefits of the cloud

The greatest advantages of a cloud system are often not exploited. These include efficient storage or search functions, content delivery networks (CDNs) or AI algorithms, and machine learning pipelines. For this, the code must also be updated and the tools raised to a "cloud native" level, where cloud capabilities are cleverly combined and used. This involves balancing functionality and dependencies. One of the best solution systems I've seen is Amazon's Stephen Orban's "6 R Approach." Although this simply describes moving to the cloud, many companies have opted for the first strategy, rehosting ("lift-and-shift"). This bypasses the often necessary but costly step of refactoring or re-architecting. This may seem practical at first, but in the long run, it prevents the use of the many possibilities offered by a cloud system.

Are you taking full advantage of cloud systems?

Build cloud expertise

Cloud software is much more complex to use than on-premises solutions. Therefore, beware of poorly configured systems! As a result, they limit business growth or make it unnecessarily expensive. They also lead to security gaps and inefficiency among users and the support team. To avoid this, internal cloud expertise should be built up at an early stage. External consulting is also useful to plan through all the contingencies of a migration in advance.

Expertise determines growth.

Conclusion: Growth needs a well thought-out cloud

If you want to grow technologically, you should take a cloud-native approach to scaling and not rely on old paradigms in the cloud. Very large, tech-focused organizations may weigh whether to implement some parts of the application themselves rather than leaving them to cloud functions. In the vast majority of cases, however, the large cloud providers will provide better functionality than you can develop and maintain in-house. Small companies also benefit from the advantages of the cloud and can use external expertise at the beginning and later their own know-how to push the development and expansion of it.