In today’s fast-paced world, business success hinges on agility, efficiency, and innovation. But many organizations are still running on outdated legacy systems—rigid, expensive to maintain, and ill-equipped to handle the demands of modern digital ecosystems. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone.
That’s where replatforming comes in. As part of broader legacy system modernization efforts, legacy application replatforming is helping businesses unlock agility and performance without rewriting their entire codebase from scratch. And thanks to Generative AI and automation, the process is now smarter, faster, and more accurate than ever before.
What is Replatforming?
Replatforming is the process of migrating an application to a new platform—typically cloud-native—while making minimal changes to its core architecture. It’s the middle ground between “lift-and-shift” (rehosting) and full-blown refactoring or rewriting.
In simple terms, it’s like upgrading from a flip phone to a smartphone: the core purpose remains the same, but you gain access to better features, integrations, and scalability.
Unlike a full rebuild, application replatforming doesn’t involve ripping the system apart. Instead, it enables organizations to modernize key aspects—such as performance, user interface, and scalability—without disrupting everything that works.
When and Why Should You Replatform?
Not every application needs a dramatic overhaul. But there are clear signals that it’s time to consider replatforming applications, such as:
- Performance bottlenecks: Systems slow down under high user loads or data volumes.
- High maintenance costs: Outdated infrastructure demands more manual intervention and vendor-specific expertise.
- Lack of cloud readiness: Legacy systems aren’t designed for modern, elastic infrastructure.
- Integration headaches: New-age tools like analytics, APIs, and automation platforms can’t plug into old systems easily.
- Security and compliance concerns: Legacy platforms are often more vulnerable and harder to secure.
According to Gartner, by the end of 2025, over 85% of enterprises will embrace a cloud-first principle.
Clearly, staying on outdated tech is a competitive disadvantage.
The Role of AI in Replatforming Legacy Applications
Gone are the days of manual code reviews and trial-and-error migrations. AI has transformed legacy application replatforming by:
- Automating dependency mapping: AI tools analyze legacy code and map out how components interact—no guesswork required.
- Smart code conversion: AI-assisted tools (including Generative AI) can translate legacy codebases into modern languages or platforms with astonishing accuracy.
- Testing and validation: AI can auto-generate test cases, simulate performance under load, and spot potential bugs faster than traditional QA methods.
- Continuous improvement: Machine learning models track system performance post-migration and recommend optimizations.
Steps to Replatform Legacy Applications
Replatforming is a strategic endeavor. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown:
- Assessment & Discovery
Identify the legacy applications that are ripe for modernization. Consider business value, technical debt, current pain points, and integration challenges.
- Define the Target Architecture
Choose the right platform (cloud, hybrid, container-based) based on scalability, cost, compliance, and business goals.
- Dependency Mapping
Use AI-driven tools to uncover hidden dependencies, shared libraries, or integrations that could impact migration.
- Migration Planning
Define timelines, scope, success metrics, risk mitigation plans, and rollback strategies.
- Replatforming Execution
Move the application to the new platform, tweaking configurations and replacing deprecated components or services.
- Testing & Validation
Run functional, regression, performance, and security tests—many of which can now be automated using AI.
- Optimization & Monitoring
Post-deployment, monitor performance, user experience, and cost metrics. AI can suggest improvements in real time.
Best Practices for Successful Legacy Application Replatforming
To maximize your success:
- Start small. Choose a low-risk, high-impact application for your first replatforming effort.
- Involve stakeholders early. Business, dev, and ops teams should be aligned on objectives and timelines.
- Focus on automation. Leverage AI/ML tools wherever possible for testing, code conversion, and monitoring.
- Document everything. From architecture diagrams to error logs, detailed documentation pays off.
- Stay compliant. Ensure your new platform meets regulatory, security, and data residency requirements.
A phased approach with clear checkpoints and success metrics will keep your replatforming initiative on track.
See how a leading employee benefits company achieved 57% cost savings by replatforming their legacy mainframe applications to Azure Cloud.
Overcoming Legacy System Challenges with AI-Driven Replatforming
Many enterprises hesitate to modernize because their systems are “too critical,” “too complicated,” or “too custom.” But these concerns can be tackled head-on with AI-driven solutions:
- Legacy code clarity: Generative AI can analyze decades-old COBOL or assembly code, translating it into readable and maintainable formats.
- Minimized downtime: AI can simulate real-world performance under load before switching live traffic.
- Knowledge gaps: AI tools can auto-generate documentation for systems whose creators may have long left the company.
This is especially valuable in mainframe modernization, where critical applications often run on decades-old infrastructure.
Hexaware’s Agentic AI Platform: RapidX™
At Hexaware, we believe the future of modernization lies in Agentic AI—AI systems that act like autonomous agents capable of driving end-to-end tasks with contextual intelligence. And that’s exactly what powers RapidX™.
RapidX™, our proprietary Agentic AI Platform, accelerates modernization by:
- Helping create modernization blueprints after analyzing legacy apps
- Using agents or AI SMEs that assist in code conversion, refactoring, testing, and deployment
With RapidX™, replatforming becomes less about brute force and more about precision, predictability, and progress.
Final Thoughts
Replatforming isn’t just a tech initiative—it’s a business transformation lever. By moving legacy applications to modern platforms, organizations can boost agility, unlock innovation, and create better digital experiences for customers and employees alike.
With the advent of AI, especially Generative AI and Agentic AI, legacy application replatforming is no longer a high-risk gamble. It’s a smart, streamlined path to digital transformation.
At Hexaware, we’re here to help. Whether you’re exploring mainframe modernization, cloud replatforming, or full-scale legacy system modernization, our AI-first approach, powered by RapidX™, puts you in control of your digital future.
Let’s modernize smarter—together.
