- November 5, 2019
- Posted by: John
- Category: Tech Solutions
Here on the Tekulus blog we often talk about legacy software and how we can help your company by bridging the gap between legacy software and newer technology. Today, though, we want to talk about this type of software in particular and why it’s important to your business.
Legacy Software: What is Legacy Software and Why is it Important?
What is Legacy Software?
The first thing we need to take a look at is the definition of legacy software.
When we talk about legacy software or a legacy application what we are referring to is a program or software application that has become obsolete or outdated. Although the program or application still works, there are stability and compatibility issues that impede the efficiency of your company and productivity.
Why is Legacy Software Important?
Often, legacy software and applications are fundamental to the functioning of a company and cannot be eliminated because they are the cornerstone upon which the company was formed. This causes problems because it limits the ability of the company to expand and improve by adopting new technology that is not compatible with the legacy software.
For Example…
It is perhaps easier to understand the concept of legacy software with a fictional example…
Frank built a medical practice providing general physician services. All of the patient records are maintained and stored using software called “Patientz”. All of the staff in the office know how to use this software to record and access medical records. As a digital system, “Patientz” works exceptionally well to save time in record encoding and retrieval.
Now, six years later, every other local physician office is using a newly released software called “Doctorz”. This new software utilizes newer coding technology and is twice as fast as Patientz. This increases the speed at which data can be encoded and retrieved so that there is less “downtime” in the office, patients wait for shorter periods for service, and more patients can be seen in a single day. In turn, this means higher efficiency and higher profit.
Unfortunately, you lack the understanding to shift your business infrastructure to the “Doctorz” system and even if you did have that knowledge, you are concerned about moving that amount of sensitive data. Losing patient data or experiencing a data breach as a result of the move would wipe out your business and leave you financially destitute.
How Tekulus Can Help With Software Compatibility Issues
Fortunately, there are professional IT experts who are experienced in this type of software shift. Here at Tekulus, we have a dedicated team of professionals who can take care of the job for you. With professional tools on hand, we are able to help you to make the transition to newer technology with no data loss or compromise. Plus, our technicians will provide on-site support and training to ensure that all employees are familiar with and proficient in the operation of the new software you have in place.
Our team can even help if you are simply wanting to bridge the gap between legacy software and new technological solutions. For example, if, in our example above, the newest software release wasn’t a complete replacement of the “Patientz” software but just a supplementary software called “Treatmentz”. The supplementary software can improve the efficiency of your company by 1.5x. The problem is, though, that “Treatmentz” wasn’t designed to be compatible with the “Patientz” software, it was built to be compatible with another software.
A professional IT expert can assist in this circumstance too by bridging the disconnect between your software and the newly released supplemental program. This means that you still get the benefit of the newer software, but you don’t have to deal with trying to fit together two pieces of a puzzle that are from two different puzzles.
A Great Business Efficiency Solution
Overall, when your business is trapped under an outdated software solution and you feel limited by compatibility issues, it’s possible to bring your company IT up to date. Whether you are looking to bridge the gap between legacy and newer software or whether you are looking to shift to newer software altogether, an experienced IT professional can help.
Do You Need to Bridge the gap Between Legacy Software and Newer Technology Solutions?
If you’re looking for a solution to bridge the gap between your company’s legacy software solutions and newer technology software and applications, Tekulus can help! Just give us a call today at 510-592-8530 and let us know how we can help you to grow your company and improve your current rate of efficiency.