Making the AI-powered case for legacy modernization

For years, legacy technology has been a problem companies knew they needed to solve, but one they often struggled to tackle. The cost, complexity, and risk of replacing business-critical systems could make modernization feel like a disruption to manage instead of an opportunity to pursue. But with…

Résumé

Legacy tech risks

Legacy technology refers to outdated software or systems that a company still relies on for critical operations.

These systems often lack vendor support, meaning the company that created them no longer provides updates, security patches, or fixes for bugs.

For Bupa, a global healthcare organization serving seven million customers in Asia-Pacific, their mobile app My Bupa was built using Xamarin, a framework whose support ended in 2024.

While Bupa extended support temporarily, they recognized this was a short-term solution.

The risks of relying on end-of-life technology include security vulnerabilities, as no new updates are released to protect against cyber threats, and a shrinking talent pool of experts who can maintain the system.

Additionally, as operating systems like iOS and Android evolve, legacy apps struggle to meet new requirements, leading to a gap between customer expectations and the app’s capabilities.

Bupa’s CIO, Asifa Sherazi, described this as a 'risk that compounds quietly, and then arrives all at once,' emphasizing that ignoring modernization can lead to sudden, severe problems.