Legacy Systems Examples and Why To Upgrade

Keeping legacy systems running takes $36 billion in taxpayer dollars every year. Legacy systems that are tied to old technology, old devices, or old software can be a burden on any company without the resources the government has. If you’re keeping legacy systems running in your office for just one rare usage, consider replacing them. Having legacy systems around is important for specific use cases. With the help of virtual machines and partitioned servers, it’s becoming less relevant for most companies. Legacy systems can be the digital equivalent of hoarding.
If you’re looking to unclutter your offices or your company, here are three legacy systems to make you cringe. Let’s just hope you don’t have these in your company.

1. Old Versions of Windows
Old versions of Windows are secretly everywhere. There are ATMs still in existence that are running Windows XP or earlier. These systems aren’t even supported in modern times, and yet, they still persist. If you’ve got a piece of technology in your office or one program that you’re still keeping an old version of Windows on, you need to update. Not only are there massive security risks that have been revealed in the 15+ years since you had a modern system, but there’s also new technology. While it might take a little bit of time to retrain your team on what they need to do with a new system, having a more secure and more flexible system is worth it.

2. Voicemail
If you’re still using traditional voicemail, it’s time to replace your system. Lots of businesses still have to update their answering machines or voicemail every time someone is out of town.
When customers call up whether to order, complain, or praise, they want to speak to a human being. Sending them to voicemail says that not only don’t you care but that you’re behind the times.
Modern companies in every industry are hiring answering services now. Rather than unload their frustrations on an answering machine, they can speak to a human being who might be able to help them with basic information.

3. Military Computers Tied to Nuclear Missles

Believe it or not, some of the computers that are used to monitor our defense systems are over 50 years old. They’re tied to old technology and necessary to run the old systems that monitor nuclear devices. Because the people who developed them more or less backed themselves into a corner, we’re forced to deal with them for the indefinite future. These systems are not only old and clunky but they cost us $50 million a year just to keep afloat.

Legacy Systems Make Things Messy

Having legacy systems around is an inefficient way to do business. It requires more training for tasks that only need to be done rarely, and requires extra labor and maintenance.
No matter what the system is, there’s likely a modern alternative that could replace it. If you’re planning on doing some data migration to get rid of your old legacy equipment, check out our guide!