Application modernization is crucial for organizations to stay resilient, responsive, and relevant on an enterprise scale. Some applications are faster and better than the 5250 applications that have been used for decades, so using outdated applications can lead to problems at work.
LANSA’s modernization tools can help companies leverage state-of-the-art technologies to their benefit to remain competitive. With the help of these tools, organizations can stave off the overused and non-updated legacy code and take advantage of the new, innovative technology. Rearchitecting legacy modernization applications enables organizations to achieve the flexibility, agility, and scalability to address vital business needs and seize opportunities for future growth. LANSA not only equips 5250 applications with technologies they need to stay steady in the future but also makes your software faster and more efficient with its tools, namely aXes, RAMP, and Visual LANSA.
Needless to say, you need to take a step towards the future and modernize your applications with LANSA and be future-ready with your application. Before you jump to modernizing applications, there are some practices that you need to follow.
Best practices for modernization preparation
Before initiating the modernization of an application, assess the condition of your current 5250 applications thoroughly to understand what might need modernization. Whether it involves removing certain features or making adjustments, it’s crucial to identify these requirements in advance. To achieve this, consider the following steps:
- Thorough Assessment: An in-depth examination of your 5250 applications is a must for a better understanding of their abilities and inabilities. Even though you have been using it for a long time, some features may not have been used before, and you need to decide whether you will need them in the future.When evaluating the application, consider several factors that can improve its performance, including scalability, productivity, security, framework, and integration capability. Taking these factors into account will help make your applications more reliable and modern for future use.
- Set your goals: Having a set of predetermined goals can save you from wasting time on irrelevant tasks and make your work process more efficient. These goals can pertain to various aspects of the applications, such as the UI, the framework, or the addition of new features. It’s crucial to be clear about your objectives to ensure a smooth transformation of your applications.Once you have a clear set of goals, it will be easier for you to create a blueprint and design your application accordingly.
- Design a blueprint for your application: Creating a detailed plan of the steps you will take during the coding process can be beneficial for both novices and experienced developers alike. Writing an application code is time-consuming, and redoing it would result in wasted resources and time.This approach will also make sure your application is well-structured and tailored to your specific requirements, as it promotes orderly development and customization.
Four strategies to future-proof your applications with LANSA
Every project needs a well-defined strategy to be executed, as strategic planning helps you make goals that are in line with the vision of your organization. Crafting a strategy can be complex, but it’s essential to avoid risks during development. To aid in the modernization of your 5250 applications, we’ve outlined several strategies that will clarify and simplify the process.
When modernizing your applications, consider implementing the following strategies:
- Make your UI visually impeccable: The UI, or user interface, is the first impression users get of your product. It’s essential to make it visually impeccable. The UI encompasses more than just aesthetics; it includes ease of navigation. Legacy applications such as 5250 applications typically use green screens, which are less intuitive compared to modern web applications.This challenge can be addressed with aXes, a refacing tool from LANSA that can make your legacy application’s interface better than the new one without any hassle. You can have a web application with your desired type of UI with the minimum effort possible and match the most updated generation of applications while maintaining the essence of your legacy applications.
- Make your application feasible for different devices: The world is changing every minute, and people demand something easier day by day. People have adapted to new systems; they want the screen to be smaller and portable. On the other hand, 5250 applications do not work on most of the latest systems, as they are not compatible with each other, which is a big loss. You cannot expect people not to evolve; all you can do is make your application more versatile, but the question is, how?At its core, LANSA empowers developers to seamlessly adapt their creations to various devices, ensuring a consistent user experience across smartphones, tablets, and beyond. Central to LANSA’s offering is its strong support for responsive design principles. Developers can effortlessly tailor their applications’ layout and functionality to suit different screen sizes, resolutions, and orientations. This adaptability ensures that users receive a visually pleasing and intuitive experience, regardless of the device they’re using.Visual LANSA emerges as a powerful tool in modernizing legacy applications. With Visual LANSA, developers can breathe new life into outdated systems, transforming them into sleek, mobile-compatible versions with minimal effort and cost.LANSA’s commitment to cross-platform development further solidifies its position as a leader in the mobile application space. With LANSA, developers can create applications that seamlessly run on iOS and Android devices, reaching a wider audience without sacrificing quality or user experience. LANSA equips developers with the tools and resources they need to create responsive and mobile applications that exceed expectations.
- Web-enable your application: With time, people are slowly upgrading their systems from computers to laptops and phones. To reach your target audience, you need to be available on a variety of sources, and the Web is a prominent one, as it can be accessed more easily than an application.RAMP, a modernizing tool by LANSA, can help you achieve that with ease and efficiency, doing this will make your application more popular and handy for use.Furthermore, LANSA’s commitment to modernization extends to its support for Progressive Web Applications (PWAs). PWAs represent a paradigm shift in web development, offering features traditionally associated with native mobile applications, such as offline access, and push notifications, directly from the web browser. With LANSA’s support for PWAs, developers can leverage advanced web technologies to create immersive and engaging experiences that rival their native counterparts.
- Add cutting-edge features: Differentiating your application from competitors involves offering unique features. LANSA’s RAMP tool enables you to incorporate new functionalities and integrate third-party software seamlessly.Adding new features can be beneficial for you and your application, as it can expand your TAM (Total Addressable Market), improve efficiency, boost client retention, and keep your users engaged.
Turn your aging 5250 applications into future-ready software
Your application directly needs LANSA and its tools, which will modernize your application for every upcoming obstacle. Some of your legacy applications need to be more helpful in the current scenario due to being old and outdated. A decade from now, there will be applications way beyond our expectations and thoughts. How do you think you will perform there with your legacy applications at that time? Slow and inefficient, just because it didn’t evolve with time. The question that arises is what you should do.
Refresh your work environment with a new work application, a new design, a new style, and a new tool that can increase your productivity and get you free from the hassle of using the same old green screen legacy applications as others.
Make your application better for the future, and make it advanced for the present. So that your application is compatible with every device, can perform every task that it should, and is best at it.
Make your legacy application future-ready with LANSA
Get ready to walk on par with the modern applications with LANSA and make your legacy application like never before. Make them faster, more accessible, visually impeccable, more personalized, easier to use, and future-proof. So you can keep up with the dynamically evolving digital world and its applications with the help of LANSA’s aXes, RAMP, and Visual LANSA. Don’t let legacy systems hold you back. Be future-ready with LANSA’s modernizing tools designed to boost your 5250 applications. Contact us today for modern, efficient, and scalable applications!
