character based applications

Legacy Applications - What Keeps Them Running?

It can be a huge leap from the highly customized legacy application (which for many have been in use double digit years), to the newer graphical point and click or web based AJAX type application.  So my question today is “What keeps them running?”,  or perhaps a better question is what is it about them that keeps them in place for so long?  My questions arise once again prompted by a vist with a new client now running their legacy character based system well into the double digit year mark. Continued »

What keeps an out-of-date application in place

I had the opportunity recently to make some minor changes to reports originally created in the late 80’s. The application is a character-based app running on an “old” version of SCO Unix, and hardware that has been kept alive by some clever mix and match combination of “old” components taken from servers long ago taken out of service.  To say this is out-of-date is being kind - let’s say it owes nothing.

My first thought when I posed the question “What keeps an out-of-date application in place?” was that of course — it’s money!  While that jumped into my mind immediately, I began also to consider what else would be keeping the app alive.  For one thing, there is the fact that it is basic, lean and mean (read that fast response), and works well for what it was designed to do.  The issue here is that it wasn’t designed to do much of what the modern business requires it to do in 2008.  It is also difficult to support, although it doesn’t require significant support.

So what else might be keeping it going if money isn’t the real issue?  How about fear?  With any new implementation there is always a fear factor that has to be overcome.  What if the wrong application has been chosen?  What if it doesn’t fit as expected?  What if, what if, what if???  You can probably think of dozens of scenarios which might cause an organization to avoid replacing an application, but none of them would exist on any of the “best practices” lists.

It just so happens that in the history of this company there was a failed implementation of software which at the time was thought to be a good “upgrade” for the company.  Many thousands of dollars were spent on equipment, software, support and consulting fees for the project which never got completed.  It seems that the business processes that needed to change in order to get the desired results from the software were just too much.  The company was sold during this time.  Go figure!

(…although I don’t remember the year that took place, I’m pretty sure it was over 10 years ago

Character Based Applications - Is it time to Update?

I am still amazed at the number of character-based applications which I see in use through any given week.  Many of these applications I know have been around since the early 80’s, I know this because I continue to support a couple of them.  Many companies have been slow to get away from their character-based applications for a number of reasons, not the least of which for many is the old adage of “If it’s not broken, why fix it?”

Every now and then I read something that I look at and say to myself “I could have written that!”.  My good friend and fellow Visual Dataflex developer Peter Donovan posted an excellent paper on his blog today entitled “DOS to Windows Conversion: a facelift?” which falls into this category.  I highly recommend it.  While I generally go about my days recently as if character-based applications no longer exist, I know better.  In his paper Peter gives his top 10 reasons for considering a DOS (character-based) application to windows conversion.  He states that “The time to invest in a DOS to windows conversion is overdue.”, and I couldn’t agree more.