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Legacy software modernisation without stopping the business
Old software that still earns its keep is an asset with a risk attached. We modernise legacy applications in careful steps, so you keep what works, remove what is dangerous, and never have to stop trading to do it.
What it is
Legacy Software Modernisation: what you get
Legacy software is not simply old software. It is software that is hard to change, hard to hire for, or tied to platforms that no longer receive security updates: an application on an unsupported PHP version, a Visual Basic or Access system, a desktop program that only runs on one machine, a database on a server nobody dares to restart. It often holds decades of business rules that exist nowhere else.
Modernisation covers a range of options and we help you choose the least risky one that solves your problem. Sometimes it is an in-place upgrade to a supported runtime. Sometimes it is re-platforming: moving the application to a modern stack and a cloud or managed server. Sometimes it is wrapping the old system with an API and replacing it piece by piece. A full rewrite is the last option, not the first, because rewrites that stop the business for a year rarely end well.
We have worked across many generations of technology over 25 years, so we read old code comfortably and recognise the business rules hiding inside it. We work in your stack as it is today, and plan the path from there.
Problems we solve
Typical problems this solves
Unsupported runtimes and security risk
Old PHP, .NET or database versions that no longer receive security fixes and block hosting upgrades.
Software only one person understands
No documentation, no tests and a single developer who knows how it works. We document, stabilise and de-risk it.
Desktop applications that cannot go online
VB, Delphi or similar programs tied to one PC or office network, moved to a web or hybrid model.
Databases that have outgrown their home
Migration between engines, schema clean-up and data validation, with a tested cut-over plan.
Hosting that is expensive or fragile
Moving from ageing servers to modern virtual servers or the cloud, with backups and monitoring in place.
Deliverables
What we deliver
- An assessment of the current system: code, data, hosting and risks
- A staged modernisation plan with the option to stop after any stage
- Upgraded or re-platformed application, tested against the existing behaviour
- Data migration scripts with validation and a rehearsed cut-over
- Automated deployment, backups and monitoring on the new platform
- Documentation of the system, finally written down
Technologies we use
- PHP (legacy to current)
- C# / .NET
- VB / VB.NET
- Java
- SQL Server
- MySQL / MariaDB
- PostgreSQL
- Linux
- Docker
- AWS / Azure / GCP basics
- REST APIs
We work in any language. See all technologies.
Engagement
How the engagement works
Modernisation begins with an assessment. After a free consultation we review the code, the data and the hosting, and report what is risky, what is fine and what the options cost in effort.
We then work in stages that keep the live system running: build the new alongside the old, migrate data with checks, run both in parallel when it makes sense, and cut over at a quiet time with a rollback plan. Each stage ends with something that works, so you can pause whenever the budget or the business requires.
Questions
Common questions
Should we rewrite or modernise?
Usually modernise in stages. A rewrite throws away tested business rules and delays benefits. We recommend a rewrite only when the existing foundation genuinely cannot be saved.
Can you work with code that has no documentation?
Yes. Reading unfamiliar and undocumented code is a core skill. We document as we go, so the knowledge no longer sits in one head.
Will we have downtime?
We plan to avoid it. Work happens alongside the live system, and the final cut-over is scheduled for a quiet period with a tested rollback.
Can you move our system to the cloud?
Yes. We migrate to cloud virtual servers or managed services, set up backups and monitoring, and make sure the move actually suits your workload and budget.
Can you migrate our database?
Yes, between engines or versions, including schema clean-up, data validation and a rehearsed cut-over. We also take care of related application changes.
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Tell us what you need built
Describe the problem, the system or the idea. We offer a free initial consultation and a written estimate, and you will talk directly to the developer who would build it.