Still running legacy Oracle applications? There is a compelling case for upgrading to more modern technology, not only to future-proof your enterprise computing environment, but to streamline application management and, thus, reduce costs. Read on to learn how.
Main reasons to upgrade legacy Oracle applications
Modernizing technology is always a positive thing from the standpoint of gaining higher efficiency, expanding functionality, and supporting innovation, so employees can work faster and smarter. When it comes to upgrading legacy Oracle applications, this is true, as well. And if you are interested in transitioning your enterprise Oracle data and workloads to the cloud, it is even more critical to have the latest capabilities for the sake of security and system compatibility. The newer applications are also designed to support flexibility and scalability as business and data complexity grow in the future. And if the past few years are any indication of digital transformation trends, profitably and performance will grow, too, as you shed those old legacy applications.
Obstacles to overcome
Easier said than done, you may be thinking. But software does become obsolete over time and, therefore, must eventually be upgraded. Admittedly, there are some risks and even resistance to moving on from legacy applications. But that can be dealt with by having an adequate transition plan and change management process in place ahead of time.
Whether maintaining or upgrading legacy Oracle applications, ensuring performance, security, reliability, and functionality is the primary challenge. The following are some common concerns faced by organizations when thinking about modernizing their Oracle application stack:
- Management and employee buy-in – getting upper management to embrace new technology benefits and preparing employees with any necessary skills training
- Business continuity – limiting interruption of daily business operations during an upgrade to minimize lost productivity
- Data migration – planning how files, database records, etc. will be migrated to the new applications and to the cloud
- Scope and budget – allocating sufficient resources and funds to ensure a successful upgrade
Further obstacles may be encountered, depending on you’re the current state and maturity of your IT infrastructure:
- Integration with new platforms/business processes
- Skill-set gaps
- Mapping to new architectures
- Data loss mitigation & compliance
- Monolithic application decomposition
- Managing incremental updates
- Managing cost efficiency
- Functionality and user experience
- Mitigating downtime
- Maximizing existing investments
The Four C’s of enterprise application management
We address the “Four C’s” (representing customer pain points) when assisting customers in developing an enterprise application management plan: 1) Capability, 2) Capacity, 3) Coverage, and 4) Cost. These also apply to application upgrade projects. If duly considered when modernizing your Oracle application stack, you will be better able to achieve these desired outcomes:
- Faster time to value
- Faster time to scale
- Faster time to adoption
- Faster time to deliver
Simplify the process with custom solutions
Data Intensity can help integrate new/upgraded Oracle applications into your standard operating procedures and customize an application management solution that is tailor-made for your organization. Our enterprise application management services simplify the transition process by performing all tasks associated with Oracle upgrade requirements, so you don’t have to. In fact, we have supported more than 6,200 such upgrade projects.
We also offer Oracle cloud application services to specifically assist with the secure migration of complex data to the cloud should that be part of your digital transformation journey.