If you have an application that is more than 3 years old, it is likely your software was built to run on hardware or virtual machines hosted on-premises. With an increasing amount of competition providing subscription based cloud solutions, many Independent Software Vendors (ISV’s) are looking to modernize their application delivery model in the cloud.
There are two options to accomplish this goal:
The goal of this article is to briefly compare both options to understand better which model fits your long-term strategy best.
Option 1 – Re-write Your Application as a Web App
Approach this option in phases – Research, Planning, Design, and Execution. During the research and planning phases, be sure to undertake a risk assessment and cost analysis. Consider re-architecting specific parts of the application to phase out or partially replace specific pieces of the application. To execute, hire additional developers or re-purpose existing developers to re-write application code accordingly. For some applications, this process may take many months, and for some it may take many years to have a fully baked solution ready to deliver as a web service. Once your new web application is complete, there are clear benefits, but also some disadvantages to consider. Here are a few pros and cons of re-developing your existing application as a web-based app.
Pros:
Cons
Option 2 – Migrate the Native Application to the Cloud
Unlike rewriting your application, this approach requires very little effort as it does not require any code changes. Depending on which technology you choose (Microsoft RDS, Citrix, VMware) you can realize the best of both delivery models (Web App and Native App). Here are the Pros and Cons to consider when taking this approach.
Pros
Cons
Want to Learn How to Modernize Legacy Apps?