The question was, “What is the topic most important to address in the next meeting?” It didn’t take long for the members of the Midwest IBM Business Automation User Group to easily agree that they wanted to discuss Modernization.
In the past few years, IBM Automation products have evolved from strictly on-premises client-server architectures to complex microservices architectures running on “containerized” public, private or hybrid cloud platforms. As a result, there are many in our user communities that are facing challenges moving their solutions forward to take advantage of all the new capabilities.
Legacy modernization, also called software modernization, refers to the conversion, rewriting or migration of legacy systems to more current computer programming languages, architectures, protocols or platforms. The justification is easy: to retain and extend the value of their original investment and take advantage of the new technologies. But in practice, the topic is complex.
The new technologies may require new programmers familiar with AI operations, for example, or cloud architects and specialized experts fluent in “containerization.” In addition to new skills, there may be some applications built on the old technology that need to be rebuilt or reconfigured to run on the new technology. Furthermore, installing a new system gives an organization a chance to rethink their original concepts around taxonomy, security, governance, and a slew of other concerns.
You can see why Modernization would be a common concern and a rich topic for discussion. Over the next few weeks, we’ll feature segments from the Fall User Group Event, sponsored by the Midwest User Group, that took place on September 22 and provided some valuable guidance and recommendations for Modernization.
The meeting featured a round table discussion on Modernization by three experts at Innovative Discovery, who between them have decades of experience with enterprise ECM and Process applications. The conversation was moderated by Scott Burt, founder of Integro, an Inc. 500 company providing IT consulting and training services across U.S., which recently was acquired by Innovative Discovery. Scott was joined by Mike Prentice, a seasoned IBM architect and now Director of Automation and Modernization for Innovative Discovery, and Martin Willingham, who also has logged lots of time at IBM and is now Senior IT Architect at Innovative Discovery.
The discussion is lively, informative and explores many aspects of Modernization, which is helpful in itself, but it also contains lots of prescriptive recommendations for anyone planning a Modernization journey. Enjoy the conversation!
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