Published on the 01/12/2015 | Written by Newsdesk

Many organisations still rely on legacy systems and but are considering a transition to the cloud…

Companies that still have legacy applications need to look at the risks and benefits of moving to the cloud. That’s according to GM operations at Empired Darren Christopherson who added that it is necessary to plan the future IT state carefully, taking into account business strategy, immediate and future needs.

The company has identified seven key considerations for companies looking to move legacy applications to the cloud:

1. Business drivers. It is important to understand the business drivers of a shift to cloud. If it’s about price, carefully investigate the real costs of a move versus staying on-premise: in some cases it may be cheaper to remain on-premise.

If there is a strategic plan to move away from physical infrastructure or provide better access to applications from multiple locations, then it’s important to understand the technical capabilities, challenges, and limitations of the cloud provider.

2. Infrastructure availability. Some legacy applications rely on specific platforms and infrastructures. If those aren’t available in the cloud, then it will be impossible to transition effectively. Older ERP systems rely on database versions, clustered solutions, or network speeds. Once in the cloud, the business may no longer have the necessary control…

3. The pricing model. Cloud pricing models don’t always align with every application. For example, if an application is constantly uploading from a datacentre, this can create extra costs and/or the need for extra computing, making a shift potentially costly.

4. Policy requirements. Some legacy applications require authentication from inside the infrastructure. Cloud solutions might not meet these policies.

5. Performance issues. Moving into the cloud could reveal latency issues which weren’t experienced in on-premise systems. Additionally, if a cloud-based legacy application is integrated with on-premise infrastructure, it can create potential for failure.

6. The need to create a clear roadmap. Moving legacy applications to the cloud can be complex; a clear roadmap is necessary to avoid getting lost. It may be necessary to de-couple systems and build a bridge into the cloud deployment platform, move workloads onto the cloud, and consider whether moving middleware will compromise existing integrations and dependencies.

7. Security. The cloud is not necessarily less secure than on-premise solutions but it does require a slightly different approach due to the different nature of the threats faced.

Christopherson said, “Those who have never moved legacy applications into the cloud before will probably come across the unexpected. It’s important to move to production early and as often as possible so you don’t get to the end of the process and find a major roadblock.”

Be that as it may, he added that shifting legacy applications to the cloud is possible – and even occasionally highly recommended. “Legacy applications can’t stay around forever. Moving into the cloud can reduce the risks of hardware failure, security, and authentication, potentially making the legacy application more useful. It can also be the first step in transitioning from the legacy application to a new solution for the future.”