SOFTWARE APPLICATION REPLATFORMING

The need for application replatforming is very important. Oftentimes, some of the best innovations in organizations come from small groups acting independently to create solutions rapidly. These are often stitched together without consideration for scale and security. The need for speed often trumps the the thinking behind a production ready system. 

In startups, the pursuit of a minimum viable product and product-market fit drives founders to often skip steps in properly constructing a product.

In these cases, parts of applications can often be salvaged and replatformed. In other cases, these applications need to be completely rewritten.

Cloud migration is the process of moving applications, data and/or other business elements to a cloud computing environment. There are a few different types of cloud migrations an organization can pursue. One common model is the transfer of data and applications from an on-premises or external data center to a public cloud, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, Digital Ocean or other.

The steps an organization follows during a replatforming vary based on factors such as the type of migration it wants to perform and the specific resources it wants to move. Common elements of a replatforming strategy can include:

• Evaluation of performance and security requirements;
• Selection of a cloud provider;
• Application re-architecturing and/or refactoring.
• Calculation of costs; and
• Any reorganization or gaps in skills deemed necessary.
  

Organization should also be prepared to address several common challenges during a cloud migration:

• Data and application portability;
• Systems interoperability;
• Data integrity and security; and
• Business continuity.

There are many considerations for choosing a platform to migrate to. Modern public cloud providers offer many benefits and capabilities. The specific needs of your organization, the applications you are migrating and the skills and competencies of your team all factor into the decision. 

Platforms such as AWS and Google Cloud offer a large number of options but require specialized personnel to navigate and implement these complex components. Backend abstraction providers like 8base offer the power of AWS but delivered in a way that individuals possessing mostly frontend and/or mobile development skills can use it.

The main factors for selecting a platform include:

• Ability to support your existing application requirements.
• Ease of use.
• Cost of ongoing operation including the cloud infrastructure costs, networking and human costs.
• Available skill sets within your organization.
• Security and reliability.
• Completeness of vision.