In the last few years, interaction with the world (on a daily basis) and IT technologies evolved in a very dynamic pace. Let’s take ‘booking a business trip’ as an example. Not long ago, this process took at least a couple of days and implied going through multiple applications including a lot of human processing. For my last business trip, it took less than half an hour. The surprising thing is that I got so used to this new fast process that it felt as natural as waking up in the morning, and, to be honest, I have no idea how I managed to cope with the old processes. If you also feel that technology improved your life, without you noticing it, then have a look at the end of the article for a nostalgic recall.
Nowadays, in order to keep your business competitive on the market, purely the goods/services you offer are not sufficient to serve the needs/expectations of end consumers anymore. Seamless customer experience has gone from an extra to a minimum requirement.
Legacy versus future
Recent research revealed that the average number of different applications used by an enterprise is around 1,000. Most of them are part of a legacy landscape and cover mission-critical data. In addition to the outdated ways of working, which often include manual intervention, legacy applications are vulnerable to security risks because the digital landscape evolved since their initial build.
At this moment you might say that the solution to solve this legacy challenge would be to replace these applications with new technologies. However, such a rip-and-replace approach involves high costs, a long transformation journey and a change in the employer’s mindset – aspects that cannot be easily dismissed.
There is a middle way between legacy and modern apps that can balance between taking advantage of the existing landscape and increasing time-to-market with new and dynamic technologies, thus evolving customer experience. API management is the solution.
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Give life back to the existing IT landscape
The key differentiator of API Management is that the IT enterprise core systems will expose data through using an API layer that will increase security, manage access and accelerate request-response time through mediating calls by exposing the information in a standard manner (e.g. REST/SOAP). The middleware reduces the load and performed orchestrations, directly in the company’s backbone, and protects the system’s integrity, offering the possibility to quickly adopt emerging technologies. An additional advantage is that APIs are more than a simple integration as they can be reused in multiple scenarios across the organization and unlock ‘speed to market’ of valuable business initiatives.
Today’s world is dominated by change and connected experiences. The key to maintaining a successful business is to design integrated applications that value the time and energy of its users.
Customers are becoming more demanding as days pass by and competition seems restless. Implementing API management is a quick-win to leverage legacy platforms and seize growth opportunities.
The (not so) good old days
As mentioned in the beginning, below you’ll find the nostalgic experience of my first business trip, explained through a process flow.
Click to enlargeToday’s customer experience
After a period, once the emerging new technologies have immersed, this company invested in designing a new process and new systems with API capabilities. They gave life to both legacy systems, internal employees and HR staff. This is how the new setup looked.
Click to enlargeFrom Legacy to Agile IT with Devoteam
Due to our strong background in integration technologies, 200+ experts in the Netherlands, and access to 7,200 Devoteam brains globally, we are the number one strategic partner for your digital transformation. Unlocking your Legacy is just the start. We’ll help you on the road to true agility, flexibility, and scalability through API management, microservices architecture, and cloud technology. Feel free to read more related articles below, or contact us and ask our advice on unlocking legacy in your organization via the contact button below.
