Modernizing legacy systems with remote connectivity

Legacy systems are outdated technologies or systems. They’re often clunky and time-consuming to use or repair. But because they're critical to daily operations, many companies are still using them. One recent survey found that over 66% of companies use them for core business and over 60% for customer-facing functions.

Our customers often tell us that legacy systems are a huge hurdle for digital transformation. Among other things, outdated systems and applications also slow down processes and leave you vulnerable to security breaches. They often offer poor user experience and contribute to considerable unnecessary stress.

Because they're often so expensive to replace, they prevent companies from getting the many benefits of modern technologies. Here we'll discuss their main issues, along with some practical tips for modernizing with the help of remote connectivity.

In this article:

• The cost of sticking with legacy systems
• Benefits of remote connectivity for modernization
• Key strategies for modernizing legacy systems
• How TeamViewer supports system modernization
• Summary: Update your operations today

The cost of sticking with legacy systems

If it ain't broke, don't fix it—right? Or at least, that's how the saying goes. And this kind of thinking often means that people are reluctant to update their systems or applications until they don't work at all. But there are plenty of reasons to update them long before they stop working.

Legacy systems can have a huge negative impact on the efficiency of your business operations. And you're probably all too aware—using outdated processes makes life difficult for everyone. It takes longer to communicate and to troubleshoot. They also often break down, leading to headaches and costly downtime.

Legacy applications and systems can also obstruct scalability and reduce the possibility of business growth. For one thing, they often create bottlenecks that stop systems from working as they should. Legacy systems are also usually expensive to maintain, meaning many customers are now facing make-or-buy decisions.

Lastly, we have the considerable security risks and compliance challenges that they bring. Legacy systems are static; security challenges, by contrast, are growing more sophisticated all the time. Without rolling patch and security updates, they’re easy prey for would-be hackers.

The recent attacks on US water and wastewater systems are a prime example. Over the past two years, there have been repeated attacks against Internet-exposed OT equipment within these systems. Cybercriminals are eager to impact real-world infrastructures through hacking.

Benefits of remote connectivity for modernization

Reduced downtime and more reliable systems

One problem with legacy systems is that there's often little visibility into how they're working (or, indeed, not). Fixing them often means tracking down an expert who's familiar with them—often at considerable hassle and cost.

With remote connectivity, you can detect and fix system issues much more quickly. Technicians can access operational technology (OT) devices from anywhere and connect with operators on site to see what is causing the trouble. This proactive approach can go a long way in reducing downtime and improving the reliability of your operating systems—even legacy ones.

Read more: Managing downtime: How to minimize disruption and maximize efficiency

Real-time monitoring and diagnostics

Remote connectivity doesn't just help you to fix issues more quickly. It can also help you to prevent issues altogether. One important way it does this is by delivering real-time data and insights from OT systems. This lets you monitor equipment performance, identify anomalies, and predict potential failures before they occur.

Real-time diagnostics can help you to take a predictive maintenance approach across your system. Among other things, this can reduce disruptions and extend the lifespan of your assets. Meaning reduced costs, happier users, and a reduced carbon footprint.

Smooth updates and integrations

As you probably know, legacy systems often have a hard time integrating with new software or hardware. But with remote connectivity, you can enable the centralized management of updates and integrations. This means OT environments can stay up to date without on-site interventions.

With remote centralized management, the process of adopting new technologies becomes a lot more straightforward. You get improved interoperability, and growth becomes much easier. This in turn helps support further modernization initiatives.

Read more: Smart factories: A digital native’s guide

Key strategies for modernizing legacy systems

Review your current infrastructure

First things first, see exactly what you're working with—and that means identifying bottlenecks and security vulnerabilities.

By examining your current setup, you'll see the inefficiencies and the risks caused by your legacy system. You'll also be able to pinpoint the bottlenecks that are impeding business growth. As well as grasp the loopholes for security breaches.

It's crucial to align your modernization goals with business objectives. In effect, to make sure that the planned upgrades will address gaps between what you want to do now, and in the future.

Your goals need to support strategic priorities like customer satisfaction, revenue growth, and environmental goals. Whatever investment you're making needs to deliver real—and, measurable—value for your organization.

Embracing hybrid solutions

Another smart strategy is to integrate more modern technology with legacy systems. This partial approach can mean the best of both worlds—combining what you already know with new tech for greater efficiency.

One huge benefit here is the reduced cost. By avoiding a full system replacement, you can extend the lifespan of your outdated system. All the while, you can take a more sustainable approach to modernization, adding new tech over a longer period. Plus, you avoid the risks associated with doing a full system overhaul.

These hybrid solutions can take many forms. Like integrating IoT sensors with older systems for real-time monitoring. Or using cloud-based systems to improve data accessibility while maintaining on-premises control.

Another use case helps to modernize maintenance without replacing existing systems. Take Frontline Inspect, for example, which provides a smart solution for those looking to digitalize physical manuals and processes. When paired with smart glasses, your team gets step-by-step maintenance and repair instructions, diagrams, all of which is collected in an automatic, digital report.

Read more: With paperless inspection, Airbus Helicopters is taking digitalization to the next level

Provide training and support

It’s clearly not enough to just modernize and leave it at that. Instead, you will need to provide comprehensive training for users to familiarize them with the new system and its features. In the long term, this should also include robust support mechanisms to support them during and after the transition.

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