Legacy computing systems can last decades, but nothing can truly last forever.
If you’re concerned about your business’s current tech stack, how can you tell when it’s time to upgrade? Although there are gains from transitioning to new and innovative platforms, is it worth abandoning your existing legacy systems if there’s still some value left?
In this article, we’ll explore some of the disadvantages of legacy systems, such as hardware issues, security patches, outdated features, and the real cost of maintaining legacy systems for your business. Read on to find out more.
The disadvantages of legacy systems to your business
Complicated tech ecosystems
The flow of digitisation, for many businesses, started as a ‘trickle’ – a little automation to help here, a subscription there –– before quickly turning into a deluge of disparate systems, hastily put in place at the beginning of 2020’s widespread Work-from-Home regulations.
Over the last two years, businesses worldwide have invested in many disjointed tech ecosystems – with not all of them working to a business’ best advantage.
As a result of these rapid investments, digital ‘information overload’ has caused complications for many employees and business leaders. For example, research by Mulesoft found firms use on average 976 individual apps in 2022 – a rise of 133 since 2021 alone. Employees may have also suffered increased errors in their workflow due to switching from one disjointed tech ecosystem to another.
Rather than paying multiple software firms for technologies that offer ‘some’ of the tools your business needs, but not all, invest in modern integrated software systems like Salesforce. You can combine numerous business tasks into one standardised workflow and ensure your processes are tailored to interact seamlessly with all levels of your organisation.
Legacy marketing systems lack new engagement features
Marketing is a business function that sees some of the most rapid and sweeping changes to its operations. Internet users migrate from existing platforms to newer ones, in line with cultural trends, and it is up to marketing teams to capture their audience’s attention from where they are.
For instance, TikTok saw an explosion in popularity during early 2020, inviting more than 100 million users to ‘inspire creativity and spark joy’ during the height of the pandemic. Marketing teams looking to target TikTok’s young user base with ads and fresh content needed to quickly pivot to establish themselves on the platform and beat out their competitors.
Adjusting paid marketing spend to niche social media channels, investing in video production, etc., were all made more accessible for marketers who had already invested in the right social media analytics tools and integrated content management platforms. Without in-depth, real-time access to data on audience metrics, like those offered in software solutions powered by Salesforce, legacy marketing systems are limited in their effectiveness in keeping up with audiences’ dynamic needs.
Cost of maintaining legacy systems on-site
Remote working has become a mainstay for millions of businesses. Safe and secure access to cloud-based data is now essential for any company looking to assure their continuity should another public health crisis arise in the years to come.
However, cloud technologies are also a core example of how firms came to understand that cloud computing can also better access new digital resources.
For instance, an organisation with a cloud-first model of IT infrastructure can significantly lower its IT operation costs and overheads. With the money saved by centralising IT demand to cloud-based systems, companies can better pool their resources into technologies managed by outsourced services such as cyber threat analysts or digital archive solution providers.
Loss of security or hardware support
Reliance on proprietary IT hardware or support providers could potentially pose a risk to your business’s security, productivity, and even possibly financial stability over the long term.
To use an illustrative example, in the case of a call centre, businesses relying on legacy landline systems will constantly have to review their need for new telephone lines to be installed and the cost of line rental. Suppliers also need time to install the new line, which, in turn, can disrupt sales teams managing their current workload.
However, with VoIP call centre technology, new phone lines can be installed instantly, without causing any disruption to productivity or reliance on an outside supplier to visit your premises.
Loss of legacy skill sources
With software capabilities within businesses constantly expanding, company bosses face long-term challenges in finding and retaining staff with adequate IT skills to keep up with the latest technologies.
Cloud-based platforms offer scalable out-of-the-box solutions to help businesses bridge their IT skills gaps. Many software as a service (SaaS) brands like Salesforce put you in touch with dedicated customer service managers who can ensure that you are using your improved IT systems to their maximum capabilities. Many SaaS tools are designed to provide a clean, no-code user experience that feels intuitive to new users. With the help of expert consulting partners and comprehensive learning ecosystems, firms can move away from hiring in-house IT experts and leverage a wide range of software tools with ease.
Modernise your business before it’s too late
Legacy computing tools have served their time, but today’s cloud platforms offer limitless potential.
Cloud-enabled platforms ensure you access cutting-edge services 24/7 while equipping your staff with the time and resources they need to perform their job at peak performance. Consider the suite of today’s cloud-enabled platforms. Ditch the cost of maintaining legacy systems and modernise your business with automated tools, no-code solutions, and AI insights.
Optimise your new software with makepositive
makepositive is a leading software implementation provider and a Platinum Salesforce Partner.
We can help your organisation identify and realise the benefits of new digital tools when transitioning from legacy systems. We’ve helped a range of industries transform their operations with scalable solutions and Salesforce best practices. We can advise on everything from IT and data standards to staff expertise with your new cloud platform.
Get in touch with us at [email protected] and learn about our expert IT consultancy services.
