Since the advent and mass adoption of the iPhone, we have been trained to believe that technology should be responsive, reliable, and simple to use. Our expectations of technology have evolved so much that when something doesn’t work correctly or with ease, we become infuriated. This reaction is not limited to our smartphones; it extends to our computers at home and at work. But what happens when your business runs a crucial piece of software that’s been in use for years, and that software’s vendor either chooses not to adapt to the times or charges so much to update that you can’t afford to do so? Let’s look at some of the reasons behind these obstacles, and what you can – and should – do to overcome them.
Why won’t my software vendor adapt to today’s technology standards?
Many of these software companies have had their client base for years. They know their clients’ business processes are closely tied to their software. They also know that people hate change; you do, your employees do, your clients do, and so on. Thus, if they have run a successful company for years and they know the difficulty you will have with changing vendors, many of them see no advantage to adapting to the current times.
I can’t afford to upgrade that software – it’s just too expensive!
This is often the case with proprietary legacy software. Usually software gets extremely expensive when it’s very industry specific. Many of the software makers still bill the traditional way – thousands of dollars out of pocket for the newer versions, plus continually billed support contracts to keep everything running smoothly. In today’s marketplace, the pay-per-user model is taking over – an all-inclusive, per-user fee, charged monthly (sometimes yearly). This per-user fee generally includes implementation and maintenance, and can offset large initial charges.
IT is scrambling to make your old legacy software work in a newer environment.
Well my technology issues are not with my Legacy software – they are with other parts of technology environment!
A network or technology environment works much like the human body. Root issues often have secondary symptoms. For instance: kidney problems cause your back to hurt, however your aching back is not the primary cause. Thus in your technology environment, you may have problems with an old server, but the only reason that it’s there is because your legacy software requires outdated technology to run.
The short of it.
Your legacy software may be destroying your view of IT. Because of new consumer technology, we’ve developed the expectation that our tech should just work. If you’re still running legacy systems with today’s expectation, you will be unhappy with the end result.
What it boils down to is either upgrading your legacy software or finding a current piece of software to do its job. If those items are not accomplished, you’ll likely be constantly aggravated – even infuriated -with your IT environment!
