The system works. It is also the reason a new feature takes a quarter, the one developer who understands it is retiring, and the auditors keep asking about the unsupported runtime. A rewrite is the obvious answer and the one that most often fails.
We modernize incrementally: put an API and tests around what exists, route one capability at a time to new code, retire the old path when the numbers match. Each step ships value on its own and can be stopped without leaving you worse off.
What we do
- —Assessment: code, data, integrations, risks and a prioritized modernization roadmap
- —API layer and characterization tests around the legacy system
- —Strangler-fig migration of capabilities into a modern stack, one at a time
- —Database migration and refactoring with zero-downtime patterns
- —Cloud migration (lift-and-shift first, then re-platform where it pays off)
- —Integration between legacy, SaaS and new systems with monitoring and replay
How a project runs
- 01
Assessment (2–4 weeks)
Read the code, profile the database, list every integration. Output: roadmap with risk and value per step.
- 02
Safety net
Characterization tests, observability, a staging environment that mirrors production. Nothing moves before this exists.
- 03
Strangle
Route one capability to new code behind a façade; compare outputs; cut over when they match.
- 04
Retire
Decommission old paths, close the licence, hand over documentation and a runbook.
Frequently asked questions
- Why not just rewrite it?
- Because the old system encodes years of business rules nobody remembers, and a rewrite has to rediscover all of them at once before delivering anything. Incremental migration discovers them one capability at a time, with the old system as the oracle.
- How long does legacy modernization take?
- The safety net takes weeks; the migration takes as long as the number of capabilities dictates, usually many months — but value ships from the first migrated capability, not at the end.
- Do we need to move to the cloud at the same time?
- No. We often lift-and-shift first to remove hardware risk, then modernize. Doing both at once multiplies the unknowns.
- Can you work with the original developer?
- Ideally, yes. A few hours a week of their time in the assessment phase saves months of archaeology.
Have a system in mind?
Send us a short description of the problem, the current tooling and the deadline. We reply within two business days with next steps or a frank “this is not for us”.
Start a project