LEGACY SOFTWARE
Application modernization services without a big-bang rewrite
Our application modernization services move ageing software onto current frameworks and cloud infrastructure in phased releases. Your users keep working throughout, and every phase ends with a gate you sign before the next begins.
Discovery Sprint
- Signed Problem Brief covering goals and risks
- System and dependency map of your current estate
- Frozen PRD-Lite for the first modernised slice
WHY IT MATTERS
Application modernization services that keep you running
Legacy application modernization fails when a team freezes the old system and disappears for a year. We map what your software does, replace it one slice at a time, and retire old code only once the new path has proved itself in production.
CAPABILITIES
How we bring older systems up to date
Assessment and roadmap
We map code, data, integrations and hidden business rules, then rank what to rehost, refactor, rebuild or retire first.
Breaking up monoliths
Move from monolith to microservices along clear business lines, and only where the split pays for itself in speed or scale.
Cloud re-platforming
Move applications from ageing servers to AWS or Azure with containers, managed databases and automated deployment pipelines.
Explore Cloud MigrationFront-end refresh
Replace dated screens with modern web or mobile front ends while the proven back end keeps running underneath.
Data migration
Move records from old databases to new ones with reconciliation checks, so totals match and nothing is silently dropped along the way.
Framework upgrades
Upgrade end-of-life frameworks such as older .NET, Java or PHP versions to supported releases that still receive security patches.
USE CASES
Modernisation scenarios
Desktop tool to web
A manufacturer moves a VB6 desktop add-on for its ERP to a web app, keeping plant workflows unchanged during the switch.
CA practice database
A CA practice replaces an ageing Access database with a secure web system for client records, filings and statutory deadlines.
Refactored business application
For DealCircle, a company in our Startup Factory, growth has been propelled by a refactored business application.
On-premise to cloud
A law firm's legacy system migration moves its on-premise case management tool to the cloud, with nightly data checks during cutover.
HOW WE DELIVER
Five gates. You sign each one.
Every Application Modernization engagement runs on PRISM OS. Nothing moves to the next phase until you approve the evidence.
Plan
Agree business goals, risks and what must not break
You sign: Problem BriefResearch
Map code, data and integrations, then freeze the first slice
You sign: Frozen PRD-LiteImplement
Rebuild one slice and run it beside the old system
You sign: Working prototype + eval reportStabilise
Cut over in phases with reconciliation and UAT sign-off
You sign: 3-click UAT sign-offMaintain
Retire old code and evolve the new platform
You sign: IP handover + warrantyDiscovery Sprint
A fixed-scope first step. You keep everything it produces, whether or not you build with us.
- Signed Problem Brief covering goals and risks
- System and dependency map of your current estate
- Frozen PRD-Lite for the first modernised slice
WHY SMARTX
Why SmartX for Application Modernization
Replace in slices
New code wraps and replaces old code one slice at a time, so you always have a working system and a way back.
Business rules recovered
We document rules buried in old code and confirm them with your team before anything is rewritten or retired.
Data checked every step
Reconciliation reports compare old and new records at each cutover, so finance and operations can trust the numbers they see.
One team end to end
The engineers who map your legacy system build the replacement and run it afterwards, with no hand-offs between phases.
TOOLS WE USE
The stack, chosen per problem
ENGAGEMENT MODELS
Choose how we work together
Every model keeps the same signed gates, fixed milestones and full code ownership.
Gated delivery pod
A senior pod owns the outcome from Problem Brief to production, priced per gate so you can stop at any signature.
Dedicated engineers
Engineers who join your team and sprints, with PRISM briefs and evidence reviews added on top of your process.
PRISM OPS retainer
Hosting, security and a monthly improvement budget, run by the same engineers who built the system.
SELECTED WORK
Evidence, not promises.
A field management SaaS product, built and evolved
Cloud, DevOps, application development and modernisation for a field management SaaS startup as its product matured.
Growing through product evolution.
Read the case study“I would consider SmartX the best bet for my startup in the field management SaaS space. They have a good understanding of product development and product evolution, and appreciable knowledge of cloud, DevOps, application development and modernisation.”
FAQ
Questions before you book
Not covered here? Ask on the call.
Do we have to rewrite everything?
No. Most systems need a mix: some parts are rehosted, some refactored, and only the riskiest or slowest parts rebuilt. The assessment ranks each component by business value and risk, so you spend on the changes that matter and leave stable code alone.
Will our users notice the change?
Only when you want them to. We run new and old paths side by side, move users across in groups, and reconcile data at each step. If a problem appears, traffic can return to the old path while we fix it.
What if nobody understands the old code?
That is common. We read the code, trace data flows and interview the people who use the system, then write the business rules down in plain language. You confirm them before rebuilding, so the new system keeps what works and drops what does not.
How long does modernisation take?
It depends on the size of your estate. The Discovery Sprint produces a phased roadmap with effort per slice in 2 to 3 weeks. First slices typically reach production within a 4 to 12 week build and launch window, and later phases follow the same rhythm.
START WITH CLARITY
Map your legacy system with us
Book a free discovery call and talk through what your current system does and where it holds you back.
- 1We review your context within one business day.
- 2A senior product engineer joins the call.
- 3You leave with a clear recommended next step.