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As businesses look to increase efficiency and functionality by embracing more modern versions of technology, the question of what to do with legacy systems always rears its head.

It's a natural urge for companies to shut down legacy systems in favour of adopting modern IT systems and infrastructure. However, a 'rip and replace' exercise, or full migration from legacy systems to new, seemingly incompatible ones, can be a time-consuming and expensive procedure.

But while full migration can be fraught with pitfalls, where businesses often fall down is in not realising that their legacy systems still hold a great deal of potential value.

The desire to replace legacy systems usually comes from the need to renew the front end, introducing a more modern, efficient interface, or because there is a legal requirement driving the change. However, legislation also often stipulates that some legacy data must also be maintained, making turning out the lights completely on legacy installations a challenging task.

To circumvent these difficulties, organisations should take a closer look at their current assets, establish what the latest version of their legacy platform is and work out where they still work effectively. From this, a new, flexible front end can be created; one which is fully integrated with the legacy system at the back end. When done effectively, the data and functionality from legacy systems can be mobilised for a fraction of the cost of full migration. This is the essence of legacy integration - upgrading and enhancing, but only where it is appropriate and cost-effective to do so.

As a starting point, it's important to note that at the core of most legacy applications is a relational database: if the right steps are taken, this database can remain and continue to be accessed by a new front end, perhaps using web-based services.

To make such integration a reality, it is important for the IT department to ensure that they have the adequate expertise and experience of the inner workings of legacy systems before trying to build the solution.

The knowledge and skills surrounding the capabilities of older technology (such as IBM Notes) are rapidly dying out in favour of newer technologies such as cloud delivery and virtualisation. However, it's crucial for today's IT professionals to recognise the benefits of maintaining some legacy system functionality while at the same time, implementing a modern interface for the user.

Inevitably, maintaining legacy systems, even with a new interface, is likely to have its challenges. It could be that support for an older platform or hardware is no longer available from the supplier, or there could be scalability issues discovered during the integration process. But the benefits of attempting and succeeding in an integration-based approach are manifold and not limited to just saving money.

Part of any IT infrastructure change is winning over the hearts and minds of the staff that will be most affected. Integrating older systems can be something of a middle ground between keeping the lights on and full migration, which can be beneficial in terms of reducing the need to fully retrain all of the users. This can also make it easier to agree on the future direction of the legacy platform, and it can enable these systems to be used to prototype the next and inevitable generation.

Replacing legacy systems does not need to be a source of panic for IT managers. If time is taken to reflect on the enduring benefits of older systems and any pitfalls are actively avoided, an integration-based solution can save old technology from its silicon RIP fate, while protecting investment, saving significant amounts of time and money, and improving operational effectiveness. NC