Traditionally, developers used to build applications using monolithic architectures, which were tightly coupled, complex, and difficult to scale. These applications often ran on legacy programming languages and outdated technologies, making them difficult to maintain and upgrade.
But as businesses evolved and became more digital, the need for faster, more agile, and scalable systems increased, prompting the development of new software development methodologies and tools.
Eventually, the emergence of cloud computing, containers, service-oriented architecture (SOA), microservices, and other technologies led to a shift in application development practices, enabling developers to create applications that were more modular, scalable, and easier to maintain.
And this shift gave rise to the concept of application modernization, which involves transforming legacy applications and systems to leverage these new technologies and practices.
Today, application modernization has become an essential process for organizations looking to improve their agility, reduce costs, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. By modernizing their applications, businesses can improve their efficiency, enhance their customer experience, and boost growth and innovation.
With that being said, we have jotted down a list of the latest application modernization and migration trends that organizations should pay attention to. By the end of this article, you will be able to know the current landscape of legacy modernization and how you can make the best out of this strategy.
A Quick Overview of Application Modernization and Migration
According to reports, the global application modernization market is estimated to generate $24.8 billion by the end of 2025.
The key driving force behind the demand for application modernization is the need for businesses to keep pace with rapidly changing technology and evolving business needs. Application modernization involves modifying and improving legacy applications to make them more secure, reliable, and suitable for modern technological environments.
There are several reasons why organizations may choose to modernize their applications. For example, legacy applications may be challenging to maintain or integrate with new systems, which can result in decreased productivity and increased costs. They may also lack the scalability, flexibility, and security features necessary to support modern business requirements net worth.
Here are some interesting stats and facts revealed by the 2022 State of Application Modernization Report:
- Over 50% of organizations are planning to modernize half of their custom apps within 2023.
- Increased reliability (48%) and increased scalability (46%) are the two main objectives of companies planning to adopt application modernization.
In terms of regions, whereas the UK and APAC described app modernization as “Improving CI/CD,” the US describes it as “Using microservices architecture in the cloud.” This indicates that app modernization is progressing more quickly in the US. And the cornerstone of microservices and other cloud-native technology methods is having a well-developed CI/CD pipeline.
Top Application Modernization and Migration Trends in 2023
Over the past few years, several trends have gained a strong footing in application modernization. As of 2023, the following are the ones CIOs and CTOs should keep an eye on:
1. Integrating the DevOps Methodology
DevOps will continue to play a crucial role in application modernization and migration in 2023 and beyond.
In 2023, DevOps will likely become even more integrated into the application modernization process, as organizations look to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives. This may involve leveraging new technologies and tools to automate and optimize the application development and deployment process, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and containerization.
Additionally, as more organizations move their applications to the cloud, DevOps will play an important role in ensuring the reliability and scalability of these applications. This may involve using cloud-native tools and services, such as Kubernetes and serverless computing, to manage and orchestrate the application infrastructure.
In simple words, DevOps will continue to be a critical factor in successful application modernization in 2023, as organizations strive to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape. And by 2020, the global DevOps market is going to reach $57.90 billion at a CAGR of 24.2%.
2. Migrating to the Cloud
Cloud migration is another popular trend in application modernization as more and more organizations are recognizing the benefits of moving their applications to the cloud.
Some of the key reasons why organizations are considering cloud migration for application modernization are:
Scalability: Cloud platforms offer scalability that allows you to scale up or down their resources according to the changing demands of their applications.
Cost savings: Cloud migration can help organizations reduce their infrastructure and operational costs as they no longer have to maintain and manage their own on-premises infrastructure.
Agility: Cloud services offer agility that allows businesses to rapidly deploy and scale their applications, making them more responsive to changing business needs.
Accessibility: Cloud platforms offer greater accessibility and flexibility, allowing users to access their systems and data from anywhere and on any device.
Security: By migrating to the cloud, organizations can leverage high-end security measures and enhance the overall security posture of their applications.
3. Creating AI Chatbots
AI chatbots are becoming an increasingly important part of application modernization solutions, as they provide a more intelligent and efficient way for organizations to interact with their customers. As AI technology continues to evolve, chatbots are likely to become even more advanced, providing even greater value to businesses and their customers.
Chatbots use machine learning (ML) algorithms and natural language processing (NLP) to analyze user queries and provide accurate and personalized responses. One of the primary benefits of AI chatbots is their ability to automate repetitive tasks, which can help to reduce costs and increase efficiency for businesses. They can handle a wide variety of tasks, such as answering customer inquiries, booking appointments, processing orders, and providing technical support.
Another benefit of AI chatbots is their ability to provide 24/7 support, which can improve customer satisfaction and retention. Chatbots can handle multiple queries simultaneously, ensuring that customers get fast and accurate responses to their questions.
Moreover, chatbots can also help you collect real-time data about their customers so that you can improve their products and services. By analyzing customer interactions with chatbots, organizations can gain valuable insights into customer behaviors, preferences, and demands.
4. Using Containerization Technologies
The use of containers has become a popular trend in application modernization due to their ability to optimize the software development and deployment cycle. Containerization technologies, like Docker and Kubernetes, offer a lightweight and portable way to package and deploy applications, making it easier for development teams to build, test, and deploy apps quickly and efficiently.
One of the primary benefits of using containers for application modernization is the ability to improve scalability and flexibility. Containers can be easily scaled up or down, depending on the demand for the application, making it easier to meet the needs of users without overprovisioning resources.
Another advantage of using containers for application modernization is the ability to improve consistency and reliability. Containers provide a consistent environment for application deployment, reducing the risk of issues caused by variations in the underlying infrastructure.
In a nutshell, any established legacy modernization company uses containers to improve scalability, flexibility, consistency, and reliability, and simplify the deployment and management of applications. As a result, more and more organizations are adopting containerization as part of their application modernization strategy.
As revealed by a 2022 Kubernetes adoption survey, the majority of organizations use Kubernetes in production, and 60% of them are using more than five applications in Kubernetes.
5. Increasing Adopting of AI/ML
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are playing an increasingly important role in application modernization.
According to the Konveyor research, during the next two years, there will be a 20% increase in high-performance computing, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and data caching. For example, high-performance computing will be useful in AI and ML because it needs a lot of processing capacity to handle a lot of data and accelerate machine learning.
Here are some ways in which AI/ML can be applied in application modernization:
Automating testing: AI/ML can create intelligent testing frameworks that can automatically test applications and provide feedback on bugs, performance issues, and other potential problems.
Predictive maintenance: AI/ML algorithms can analyze data from sensors and other sources to predict when your application components are in need of maintenance checks.
Legacy code optimization: To analyze legacy code and identify areas for optimization, such as removing redundant code or improving algorithms, AI/ML are highly effective.
Intelligent application monitoring: Organizations utilize AI/ML processes to monitor application performance in real time and detect anomalies, such as sudden spikes in traffic or unusual user behavior.
Natural language processing (NLP): AI/ML algorithms can analyze unstructured data, such as text, to extract insights and inform application development decisions.
Intelligent user interfaces: AI/ML helps in creating more intuitive user interfaces that adapt to user preferences and behaviors, improving the overall user experience.
To Conclude
Legacy modernization will always be relevant if you pay close attention to the above-mentioned trends.
We must expect changes. Yet that doesn’t imply businesses must always create new software from the start. That takes too much time, money, and effort, and occasionally it is just next to impossible. Hence, to deliver certain new features, you must modernize their outdated software.
Hence, application modernization solutions come with an exciting opportunity for growth and hold up the promise of a new age of cutting-edge systems that can satisfy the always-shifting needs of your business. All of this makes modernization and migration an imperative practice to stay in the race to the future, and any company that ignores its significance runs the risk of falling behind.