Application Modernization Strategy: Executive Guide To Success

How To Monetize Your Mobile App Rightly And Make Best Profit Over Investments?

Why adopting an application modernization strategy is important for your business? Well, once the developed legacy did wonders for your business, can be the biggest trouble to your business progress later!

So it’s no surprise that about 92% of businesses are either working or planning to optimize and modernize the existing project. 

You may have adopted the top technology to customize the app, but its success always depends upon how that technology is relatable to today’s needs. There are a number of applications written quite a few years back and even decades ago. But are they performing in the same way?

Hopefully, most of you say no!

Over time, most of them start facing various issues from slow performance to outdated tech stack, low user experience, and high maintenance expenses. 

This is where looking for an efficient application modernization strategy is important to ensure that your software application stays updated and relevant to the modern market needs.

Are they looking to modernize your existing application with the best choice of strategies? Xicom offers you to hire mobile app developers to adopt advanced application modernization strategies to quickly transform their aging custom software application with global delivery capabilities, smart automation, and specialized skills. 

What is Application Modernization Strategy?

Does your legacy app start causing performing issues? Is it causing connectivity issues on the latest devices? If yes, then an application modernization strategy is for you!

An application modernization strategy is a comprehensive plan designed to transform and update legacy software systems to meet the growing business needs and technological standards. This strategy involves assessing existing code applications and determining the best approach to upgrade them using modern tools, technologies, and practices. 

Application modernization is a journey that undertakes various strategies depending upon the legacy system’s state, the organization’s challenges, and the business goals driving the app modernization. 

Application modernization isn’t just replacing the old codes, in fact, it’s a modern approach that includes various elements ranging from migrating the codes to top platforms, updating the codes, optimization of legacy systems to more modern architecture. 

The ultimate goal of implementing an application modernization strategy is to improve performance, scalability, and user experience. 

Critical Components That Underpin Your App Modernization Strategy

Before you start modernizing your app, here are the key elements of the app that you need to evaluate…

• Assessment of Legacy Solution: To start your app modernization process, it’s important to hire a mobile app development company that understands the current state of the legacy app including its architecture, dependencies, and limitations. 

• Prioritize The Updates: Identify which applications or components need to be modernized first based on the business impact, technical feasibility, and cost. 

• Choosing the Right Modernization Approach: This could involve rehosting the app, reconstructing the codes, and re-platforming, or replacing the application entirely. 

• Cloud Migration: Moving applications to the cloud to leverage scalability, flexibility, and cost-efficiency.

• Adopting Modern Architecture: Implementing microservices, containerization, and API-driven development to enhance flexibility and ease of integration. 

• Incorporating DevOps and Agile Practices: Ensure continuous integration, and improvement of applications through modern development methodologies. 

• Enhancing Security and Compliance: Updating the application to meet current security standards and regulatory requirements. 

• Monitoring and Optimization: Continuously monitoring the modernized application for performance, making necessary adjustments, and optimizing resource usage. 

A well-executed application modernization strategy can help businesses stay competitive by enabling them to adapt to changing market demands, enhance customer experience, and achieve operational efficiency. 

App Modernization can improve app security, did you agree with that?

94% of enterprises report improved security post-modernization! Let Xicom modernize the legacy app with the right strategy to improve app security and stay ahead of industry threats.

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Business Things to Consider Before Adopting to Application Modernization Strategy

Application modernization strategy is an important step, this is why it is important to start things off in the right way. All you have to do is to adopt a strategic approach that clarifies the below fundamentals:

– What you are trying to Modernize in the App?

Begin with a clear understanding of what applications are low-performing, difficult to update, or struggle to integrate with modern systems. These are the prime things that you need to take care of before start modernizing the app. 

– Why you need to Modernize Legacy Application?

You need to get into the depth of the reasons behind modernization. Are you modernizing it because of market dynamics, competition, or the impact on market share and revenue?

Legacy applications may developed with a vast choice of features and functionalities but it is not important that they work in the same way in the modern era as well. Legacy applications may hinder your progress and this is where you need to adopt the right application modernization strategy that boosts your revenue and propels you ahead of the competition. 

– How to Modernize Your Legacy App?

Modernization can be a game-changer for your business, but you need to do it right. Evaluate funding, allocate resources, choose the right tools, and foster a culture of change. Additionally, consider partnering with a modernization expert who can guide you through the journey. 

6 Steps to Successful Application Modernization Strategy

So you have to recognize the need for an application modernization strategy. But how exactly do you modernize your applications to make the right difference in your app’s success? Add to this you need to hire an Android app developer to keep your business ahead. Though this journey can be exciting, complex, and challenging, when you know the roadmap of the application modernization strategy, you can make it right. 

Let’s go through with the step-by-step guide to modernize the legacy app:

Step 1: Evaluate and Assess

Begin the process of application modernization with a thorough evaluation of your existing applications. Assess the strengths of your legacy systems and identify areas of improvement.

And to make it possible, you can ask these questions:

• What strengths does your legacy application offer?
• Are you aiming for modernization or a broader digital transformation?
• Which application should be prioritized for immediate redevelopment? 
• Are there security and compliance issues that require urgent attention?
• How many applications in your portfolio need modernization?

Step 2: Understand your Business Challenges and Know the Scope of Project

Clearly define the primary issues that you’re constantly addressing. Whether it’s the app’s performance, security concerns, or outdated features, what exactly you are trying to modernize in the legacy app? 

Outline the scope of your project by pinpointing which features, functionalities, or systems need updating. Creating a detailed project scope document to ensure that all stakeholders, will help you better understand the objectives and are aligned on the desired outcomes. 

Step 3: Prepare your App for the Modernization and Understanding the Learning Curve

Adopting the right application modernization strategy may require a learning curve. Instead of preparing your workforce by providing training and support to ease the transition, it is worth hiring a software development company that can handle the app modernization. 

While preparing the app for the modernization and hiring resources for it, you need to keep in mind:

• The company should have ample resources, that are dedicated to working on your app modernization.
• They must maintain open and transparent communication.
• Encouraging active participation.

Step 4: Plan the Technologies and Resources Framework

Whether it’s about migrating the legacy app to the modern platform or restructuring the codes, you need to select the right tools and technologies that can help you upgrade the app smoothly. 

All you need to ensure that the tools integrate seamlessly with automated modernization solutions, making processes like architecture, refactoring, or rewriting smoother. 

To make your app work with modern requirements, it is worth embracing technologies like microservices and containerization to enhance flexibility and scalability. 

Step 5: Prepare a Business Plan and Funding Schemes

Leverage the data from your assessments to develop a robust business plan. Outline the expected outcomes and benefits of the modernization project, calculate the potential ROI, and determine the right budget. 

Remember, funding modernization isn’t a typical IT budgeting exercise, it involves uncertainties that must be considered. Communicate the value of modernization to decision-makers to secure the necessary funding and executive support. 

Step 6: Plan and Pick the Modernization Approach

Before you hire React Native app developer, make sure you choose the modernization approach that best suits your needs. Using the top cross-platform framework (React Native) you can choose to :

• Rehosting the app to the latest platforms.
• Refactoring the app by simply optimizing its existing codes and writing the newer one that works best for multiple platforms.
• Rearchitecturing the app by redesigning the app for cloud hosting.
• Rebuilding the app by modernizing the app from scratch.

No matter what type of modernization strategies you would be required, all you need is the expertise and planning to maintain the security of your applications and cloud-based data.

83% of Businesses Transforming With Cloud-First Monetization!

Enhance the performance of your app by simply migrating the legacy app to the cloud platform and reduce the operational cost by 30% by simply partnering with Xicom!

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Benefits of Application Modernization for Your Organization 

App modernization is a long process, so before investing your heart and soul in upgrading the legacy app it’s important to recognize how it brings benefits to your business.

The right choice of modernization strategy can bring a multitude of benefits. So let’s get into the depth:

– Reduced Operational Toil

One of the most immediate benefits of app modernization is the reduction of toil. All those repetitive and manual tasks that drain your resources can be modernized. 

Legacy applications often required constant maintenance and updates due to dependencies on outdated software versions, leading to extensive regression testing and a tangled codebase.

This is where modernization can help streamline the process, automate repetitive tasks, and significantly cut down on manual testing efforts. 

– Aligning Application With Modern Needs

The best application modernization strategies can help you align your legacy app with broader business goals and make it compatible with modern needs. And this is really important to receive necessary funding and support. 

When modernization projects contribute to revenue generation, market expansion, or other high-level objectives, they become integral to the organization’s success. 

For example, if you are running an ecommerce app developed years back, then upgrade with it AI prediction, personalized recommendations, buy-in options, in-app payment, quick delivery, and more. 

Read More: 115+ Top Mobile App Ideas in 2025 For Startups, Entrepreneurs etc.

Conclusion

Application modernization strategy is a key step towards keeping your business competitive and ensuring agility in the future. There are several ways to modernize your apps varying from migrating the existing app to the latest platforms, rewriting the app codes, and using modern APIs to enhance the functionalities of the legacy app.

Though there are a number of ways to modernize your application, it requires you to hire a software developer that offers a strategic plan that makes your legacy app work in the same way as it has been envisioned. 

With Xicom, you can have a low-code modernization solution that you can customize as per your future needs. Our dedicated team of app developers evaluates your legacy app outlines the area that requires upgrading and suggests the best suitable application modernization strategy. For more details, you can drop a query below or contact us!

FAQs

If you are looking to modernize your app but still have some doubts and questions in your mind then consider this FAQ section to have better clarity.