How Cloud Technology Drives Modernization Initiatives
Though “Systems Modernization” has become a trite term, few truly understand what it means.
In fact, a query of the technology industry would find many different descriptions of what it means to modernize a line of business. Without a doubt, all would agree that the term should result in a marketable improvement of the legacy system(s) that exist.
This improvement should go beyond simply making the user interface more attractive and easier to use. Additionally, to modernize, you should improve upon the business processes themselves and allow for better customer service and interaction.
The following short list provides additional items that should fall into an organization’s modernization plans. The modernized system should:
- Be easier to maintain.
- Be cheaper to maintain.
- Be evergreen and allow for the inclusion of emerging technologies
- Be integrated with contemporary tools such as AI, ML, and Low Code No Code tools?...to name a few.
- Be supportive of Open Source tools.
- Be inclusive of Conditional Access, Multi-factor Authentication and Single Sign-On methods.
As mentioned, the above is simply a short list of attributes that every modernization initiative should strive for. While the list of attributes can be agreed upon, the “how” is a bit more flexible. Most clients and integrators agree that an Agile methodology is far superior to the "big bang" approach resulting from traditional Waterfall methods.
The fact is, however, that while Agile has been around for years, few organizations have mature practices in place which may result in awkwardness and confusion when working with the client base.
As a result, many contractors are using hybrid models or front-loading robust agile training on the outset of their projects. What has become somewhat universal, however, is the use of Cloud Platforms within which to conduct and maintain the modernized footprint. Using the cloud for such initiatives provides a multitude of benefits, such as:
(a) self-contained tools
(b) Global Security
(c) performance monitoring across the platform
(d) metering-pay for use
(e) elasticity
One such offering comes from Microsoft. Industry currently provides a number of robust Cloud Platforms within which to develop and maintain your modernized application(s). Microsoft’s Azure cloud is one such offering. With Microsoft's backing, it represents a best-of-breed alternative that truly optimizes modernization initiatives.
How Azure Drives Modernization
What is Microsoft Azure?
Azure is Microsoft's public cloud platform. Azure offers a large collection of services, which includes platform as a service (PaaS), infrastructure as a service (IaaS), and managed database service capabilities. However, what exactly is Azure, and how does it work?
Essentially, the cloud is a set of physical servers in one or more datacenters. The datacenters execute virtualized hardware for customers. Azure is a huge collection of servers and networking hardware, which runs a complex set of distributed applications.
These applications orchestrate the configuration and operation of virtualized hardware and software on those servers. The orchestration of these servers is what makes Azure so powerful. With Azure, users don't have to maintain and upgrade their hardware as Azure does this behind the scenes.
Cloud adoption provides numerous business, technical, and organizational benefits. Whatever your organization wants to accomplish along its cloud adoption journey, there are certain initial decisions that every team involved in the journey needs to understand. That is when a Microsoft Partner, like us, can be instrumental in planning the cloud adoption strategy.
- Microsoft fundamental concepts documentation helps stakeholders understand key Azure topics before embarking on a cloud adoption journey.
- Microsoft operations management workbook and business alignment approach help understand the workloads and assets that transition to your cloud operations team.
- The cloud adoption plan provides a backlog of workloads and assets slated for cloud adoption.
- The Digital Estate Analysis approach helps you document existing workloads and assets slated for cloud adoption. In Azure, the digital estate is best represented in the Azure Migrate tool.
- You can use the Azure Migrate service to assess and migrate servers to the Microsoft Azure cloud.
Conclusion
The Azure cloud offering checks all the boxes when it comes to offering power, flexibility, elasticity and a home for all the tools necessary to transform your old and tired business applications.
Additionally, it provides strong platform-wide security and performance monitoring. Invite BINARC in to discuss how Azure might be the answer to modernizing your enterprise application assets.