Source: DeepCoreData.com
A legacy system is software/hardware that is outdated but still being used. While the program still works the way it was intended, it often doesn’t work with newer systems. The upside to continuing to use outdated software is that it’s technology that you’ve already paid for. But that plus comes with a lot of negatives. The following are some downsides to using legacy systems:
- It can cost a lot of money to try to maintain it
- You’ll likely run into a problem finding anyone who can maintain it
- The system becomes a security liability
- It doesn’t work with new systems/technology
Source: https://techcrunch.com/
As an example, I worked for a company that was using a 30 year old CRM program. As the years went on, there were more and more problems with the program working with new tech. As a result, they could not update their computer systems because the old program wouldn’t install on new computers. The company that designed the program had long gone out of business but the owner was still personally maintaining the program for the company. When he was no longer able, the system was no longer maintained. Eventually it failed entirely and the company lost every piece of data it had collected over the lifetime of the program. The company personally got to experience almost every con associated with legacy systems. It made working for them extremely difficult. I, personally, will avoid working for any other company using a legacy system.
Excellent infographics and analysis. It’s hard to believe how many organizations rely on legacy systems especially in today’s fast paced digital age.
Hey Sarah, I see that you said some companies still rely on legacy systems because it saves them an expense since they already bought it. Do you think that in the long run it could really cause them to lose out on money?