The clock is ticking for Oracle Forms Modernization. Extended support for Oracle Forms and Reports versions 12 ends in 2025. Premier support will end in two years. Here is the Oracle Lifetime Support Policy for Forms and Reports 12c. Oracle Information-Driven support Are you still running a stack to support Forms and Reports based applications? You’re not alone, but the … Read More
Too Good To Be True?
I have a confession to make. Well, two actually. Firstly, I am new to the legacy modernization space. This is only the end of my second year pondering and wondering why so many make such a meal of something that, frankly, isn’t that difficult. There, I said it. This really isn’t that difficult. Certainly not as difficult as most people … Read More
When and Why Legacy Modernization Using COTS Solutions Fail
There have been some high profile (and costly) failures recently with companies who tried to take one or more legacy systems and “modernize” them using a “Package” approach – i.e. they replaced the functionality of those legacy systems by purchasing a COTS (commercial-off-the-shelf) solution. First up this year was the report that the Defense Department has spent tens of billions … Read More
When and Why Technology-Enabled Transformation Beats Rewriting
“I have a team of developers that I have fought to justify for the past few years so there’s no way I’m “outsourcing” this transformation project. Even suggesting it is off the table.” “We’re a software company, this is our product. Heck, there’s no way I’m having someone else modernize it.” Ring true? Both are natural responses and, in some … Read More
Still Thinking About Rewriting Your Legacy Application?
Earlier in the year I started a thread on rewriting applications. That first post highlighted some of the major barriers to successfully rewriting applications, namely: the lack of an accurate specification; the difficulty in testing given the lack of said specification; the lost customer feedback already built into the legacy application and the likely damage to customer satisfaction during the … Read More
Legacy Systems – How to Eat an Elephant
And so it continues. Those old legacy systems continue to eat 75-80% of IT budgets and prevent the business achieving its goals. Applications written in a language long forgotten, running on outdated hardware adding cost and convenient security loopholes for Hackers, Inc., continue to soak up resource and provide a formidable barrier to success. But do they? Really? If you … Read More
Linear Thinking in a Non-Linear World
I was watching BBC News last night and several, seemingly unrelated, stories were presented in the manner of mainstream news today – with heavy reliance on the soundbite: “Immigration in the UK is causing a drain on the country’s resources.” “Immigration is being used by unscrupulous employers to drive wages down.” “Forecasters are predicting lower living standards driven in part … Read More
So You’re Going To Rewrite Your App?
When the time comes to modernize a software application, one of the first options companies look at is to simply rewrite the application. What could be easier? It keeps the job in-house, the developers who first created the app may still be around unless the legacy application is truly ancient… We hear it often. Sometimes from companies exploring options when … Read More
Moore’s Law, Application Modernization and Why You Need to Learn to Fish
We all know that the pace of technological change is increasing exponentially and with it, the opportunities afforded by the internet. 20 years after founding, Amazon’s CEO, Jeff Bezos still signs off his Letter to Shareholders in the Annual Report with, “…and it’s still Day 1.” The need for businesses of all kinds (both public and private sector) to re-invent … Read More
Modernizing the Holiday Shopping Season
As we discussed in recent blog posts, the cyber retail industry has come a long way since its inception. Advances in technology are taking customers from traditional brick-and-mortar locations to a combination of online and physical storefronts, or in some cases, online-only experiences. These technological advances supply consumers with more choices, flexibility and better service than ever before. As customers … Read More
