Application Modernization Services

Leverage our expertise to modernize your applications with the perfect cloud rationalization solution.

Application Modernization Services

Application modernization is crucial for your business to grow, scale, and evolve. To achieve greater efficiency and fully benefit from modernization, it's important to start with the right business-focused approach and strategy.

Application modernization involves updating legacy applications by improving their platform infrastructure, internal architecture, or features.

Today, modernization often focuses on outdated, monolithic on-premises applications, which are typically managed through slow, traditional development methods like waterfall. The key challenge is transitioning these applications to cloud architecture and using modern release methods, such as microservices and DevOps.

By breaking down the monolithic structure into a microservices DevOps framework, you can speed up feature deployment, improve efficiency, and rethink existing workflows.

Why Modernize - Limitations of Legacy Applications

Legacy applications have several limitations, including:

  • Built with older programming languages that have been replaced by newer versions.
  • Designed for on-premise setups, often running on outdated operating systems.
  • Skilled professionals to maintain these applications are difficult to find.
  • Supporting legacy applications can be expensive.
  • Integrating legacy applications with modern, cloud-based systems can be difficult without extra coding or APIs.
  • On-premise applications lack the cloud's benefits like scalability, flexibility, and cost efficiency.

Application Modernization Strategies

Businesses can use various strategies to move their legacy apps to the cloud. The best approach depends on your specific needs. Here’s an overview of common cloud modernization strategies:

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Cloud Infrastructure-based Applications: This strategy, also known as "Lift and Shift," involves moving your on-premise apps to an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) platform. The apps remain the same but are deployed on virtual machines.

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Cloud Optimized Applications: This strategy allows you to use cloud benefits without making significant changes to your existing code. Technologies like containers and cloud services facilitate this approach.

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Cloud-Native Applications: For complete modernization, this strategy involves rewriting and re-coding apps to fully leverage cloud benefits and services. This is the most comprehensive approach to cloud migration.

Cloud Rationalization Models

The 5R model outlines five strategies for application modernization:

Rehost: Move applications to the cloud without changes ("lift and shift"), suitable for COTS applications.

Refactor: Break down monolithic applications into microservices with minor adjustments for cloud readiness.

Rearchitect: Redesign outdated applications to be modular and cloud-compatible, utilizing cloud features like scalability and security.

Rebuild/Rewrite: Develop the application from scratch with modern technologies while retaining original specifications, using Agile and DevOps for flexibility.

Replace: Swap legacy applications for new, cloud-native ones, often quicker and more cost-effective than other strategies.

A Snapshot of Application Modernization Solutions


  • Advise & Consult
  • Digital Strategy
  • Software License Management
  • IBM Cloud Paks
  • Build & Innovate
  • Business Automation Design & Development
  • Software Testing
  • Cloud Hosting & Consultancy Services
  • IBM Websphere Managed Support
  • Cloud Hosting & Consultancy Services
  • IBM WebSphere Application Server End of Support
  • IBM ACE End of Support
  • IBM MQ End of Support
  • IBM – Watsonx.ai
  • IBM WebSphere Application Server (WAS)
  • IBM Cloud Pak for Apps
  • Real Time Payment

Why is Application Modernization Essential for Your Business?

Monolithic applications often face two main issues that drive the need for modernization:

  • Difficulty Updating: Monolithic applications bundle all components together, making it hard and costly to add new features. The complexity and integration challenges involved can make updates cumbersome.
  • Scaling Problems: Scaling monolithic applications is inefficient. If only one part of the application needs more resources, you may have to scale the entire app. This approach wastes time and resources, and can be expensive.
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Key Application Modernization Challenges

While updating monolithic applications can be costly and complex, these same factors can also pose challenges for your modernization approach.

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Considering a Simple Lift and Shift?

Just moving all legacy applications to the cloud without changes may not be the best strategy, especially if you’ve invested heavily in on-premises infrastructure. The real value in modernization comes from restructuring applications to fully leverage cloud benefits.

Why Lift and Shift Might Not Be Enough

To succeed in application modernization:

  • Assess Your Current IT Infrastructure: Understand what you have and identify where modernization will bring the most value.
  • Evaluate Application Importance: Determine how critical each application is to customer experience and your business’s future.
  • Prioritize Based on Value and Effort: Start with high-value, low-effort applications. For those that are challenging but valuable, plan strategically and consider a phased approach.

Choosing the Right Approach

After auditing your existing applications and understanding the potential benefits of modernization

Selecting the right approach is crucial. Consider these strategies:

  • Monolith to Microservices: Refactor and break down a monolithic application into smaller, loosely coupled microservices for better scalability and flexibility.
  • Cloud Migration: Restructure the application to fully utilize cloud benefits, which may involve using private, public, or hybrid cloud environments with containers.
  • Exposing Functionality via APIs: Keep the existing application but make its functions available through APIs. This allows new cloud-native applications to integrate with and benefit from the capabilities of current systems.
  • As experts in the field, Techzert offers a comprehensive consultative approach to guide your application modernization journey. We provide access to a wide range of cloud environments to suit your specific needs. Contact us today to learn more.

Understanding Key Technologies

A strategic approach to application modernization involves selecting the right technologies to support your move to the cloud.

Private, Hybrid, and Multi-Cloud Strategies:

  • Public Cloud: A key component of any modernization strategy, offering scalability and flexibility.
  • Private Cloud: Provides enhanced security and control for sensitive data or critical applications that require a dedicated environment.
  • Hybrid Cloud: Combines public and private clouds, allowing you to manage and integrate workloads across different environments based on their needs.
  • Multi-Cloud: Utilizes multiple cloud services from different providers to avoid vendor lock-in and enhance redundancy.

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