Firstly, Happy New Year! Secondly, apologies for the slow down in post frequency towards the end of 2017. No excuses, it’s just tough to keep up a weekly posting schedule and I just started to hate the sound of my own typing. In 2018, we’ll be taking guest posts so if you have something to say just hit me up … Read More
Does Serverless Spell The End Of Containers?
Does one thing always mean the end of something else? In the tech world this can be the case, and the inability to innovate can become existential (just ask Netscape or Blockbuster – yeah I know about Dish, AOL and Firefox but you get my drift). According to a recent survey by the UK’s Computing magazine, more than half of … Read More
Modernizing Florida – Agency by Agency, App by App
That’s the dream, and not just for Florida. Not even just for public sector but also for private enterprises and software vendors like Ellucian too. The reality is a lot of hard work but, as you can see from the featured image on this post, we’ve made it to the Governor’s office in Florida. I’m the old guy in the … Read More
Legacy Modernization – Scarier than Halloween?
With Halloween just around the corner and ghouls and scary monsters lurking under your bed and in every dark recess of your bedroom, it seemed like a good time to ponder whether this presents a scarier proposition than the legacy systems lurking in the dark corners of your company? After all, if your trusted advisor is telling you that moving … Read More
Application Modernization – Warp Factor 6 Mr. Sulu
When faced with a legacy application in need of modernization, the range of options can appear bewildering. Replace with off-the-shelf software. Just lift-and-shift. Rewrite it. Containerization. MIcroservices are your friend, and on it goes. Most, if not all, ‘solutions’ come from those with an agenda. Ours does too, but our agenda is doing what’s right for the client and, if … Read More
Rewrite Code from Scratch? Case Studies and Conundrums
When you’re dealing with legacy code, whether it’s just old or old and difficult to work with, there’s the temptation to simply get rid of it and rewrite it. With superstar developers on board, who are up to date in the latest technologies, and with clean coding skills, it sounds like simply rewriting the application will deliver a better end … Read More
Microservices, Containers and the Best Option for Modernizing Your Legacy Application
Much has been written recently about the role of microservices in reducing technical debt and as an approach to modernizing legacy applications, not least in this excellent article by Gene Hughson. My overwhelming question is how many different ways can you put lipstick on a pig? This post explains microservices (briefly), how they relate to containers, how they can be … Read More
The Modern Stack: Evolution at Lightning Speeds
Noticed that tech companies are continually changing up the technologies used to produce their offerings? If you’re sitting on legacy code, languishing in a legacy stack with components you’re sure have passed their sell by date but don’t know what to do about it without a huge overhaul/cash/talent injection then you’re not alone. Back in software’s yesteryears (the 1980s and … Read More
Learning to Fish – What Tackle Do You Need?
In developing and maintaining applications, there’s really no such thing as stability. Up around the next bend in the river, you’ll encounter another new technique or new programming language that you’ll need to assimilate. Technology will continually evolve: many technologies that were bleeding edge only a few years ago have been entirely eclipsed today. With the continual rapid pace of … Read More
What’s All This I Hear About Containerization?
Unless you’ve been off-the-grid for a while, you’ve probably heard enthusiastic software developers talking about Docker and similar containerization technologies. As an executive or senior business leader, you may not understand containers or how they might add value to your virtual or cloud infrastructure. You may also be unaware of how containerization intersects with the modernization of legacy applications. Take … Read More
