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Continual Modernization Programs Are Key to IT Success

Modernization projects using an incremental and continuous improvement model achieve superior results when compared to other project-based approaches including the ripping and replacing of core business applications, according to the CHAOS2020 Report from Micro Focus and Standish Group.


The report indicates that this infinite flow method to modernizing core business applications has a number of benefits in regards to return of value, customer satisfaction, sustainable innovation and longer application lifespans.

"As we see in our latest research with Standish Group, a continuous and multi-phased modernization methodology delivers incremental value and reduces risk when compared to the alternatives of rewriting or replacing," said Neil Fowler, GM of Application Modernization and Connectivity at Micro Focus. "With application modernization typically being an important first step in an enterprise's larger digital transformation journey, an incremental flow-based model provides a methodology capable of matching the flexibility of today's business climate while ensuring continuous transformative activity."

Multi-decade Standish Group research of over 50,000 participants shows that an infinite flow model ensures ongoing modernization activity, while narrowing the gap between project management and delivery teams. This research is consistent with Micro Focus' own findings where 92 percent of core applications are strategic and 70 percent see modernization as their preferred option.

Key findings of the Endless Modernization research include:

Modernization Projects Yield Significantly Higher Success Rates

Companies replacing a software application and starting from scratch had a 26 percent success and 20 percent failure ratio as opposed to a 71 percent success and 1 percent failure ratio for teams choosing to modernize an existing application rather than fully replacing it.

Rip and Replace Projects Struggle

Only 27 percent of companies choosing a rip and replace strategy saw a high return, with 41 percent reporting a low or very low return on their investment. In comparison, a flow-based modernization methodology returned twice the value on average than other types of software development approaches.

Modernization is a Preferred Path over Ripping and Replacing

45 percent of enterprises ripping and replacing their application software were ultimately disappointed or not satisfied by their results as opposed to 55 percent of organizations choosing modernization responding as satisfied.

Incremental Flow-Based Modernization Approaches Have Numerous Benefits

Rather than running one large modernization project, research shows that enterprises incorporating a series of smaller, microservices or microprojects achieved much better outcomes.

"The demand is for more value, higher customer satisfaction, and lower costs," said Jim Johnson, founder, The Standish Group. "It is our opinion — based on our extensive research and observation of role models — that the move to infinite flow satisfies all three of these demands."

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Continual Modernization Programs Are Key to IT Success

Modernization projects using an incremental and continuous improvement model achieve superior results when compared to other project-based approaches including the ripping and replacing of core business applications, according to the CHAOS2020 Report from Micro Focus and Standish Group.


The report indicates that this infinite flow method to modernizing core business applications has a number of benefits in regards to return of value, customer satisfaction, sustainable innovation and longer application lifespans.

"As we see in our latest research with Standish Group, a continuous and multi-phased modernization methodology delivers incremental value and reduces risk when compared to the alternatives of rewriting or replacing," said Neil Fowler, GM of Application Modernization and Connectivity at Micro Focus. "With application modernization typically being an important first step in an enterprise's larger digital transformation journey, an incremental flow-based model provides a methodology capable of matching the flexibility of today's business climate while ensuring continuous transformative activity."

Multi-decade Standish Group research of over 50,000 participants shows that an infinite flow model ensures ongoing modernization activity, while narrowing the gap between project management and delivery teams. This research is consistent with Micro Focus' own findings where 92 percent of core applications are strategic and 70 percent see modernization as their preferred option.

Key findings of the Endless Modernization research include:

Modernization Projects Yield Significantly Higher Success Rates

Companies replacing a software application and starting from scratch had a 26 percent success and 20 percent failure ratio as opposed to a 71 percent success and 1 percent failure ratio for teams choosing to modernize an existing application rather than fully replacing it.

Rip and Replace Projects Struggle

Only 27 percent of companies choosing a rip and replace strategy saw a high return, with 41 percent reporting a low or very low return on their investment. In comparison, a flow-based modernization methodology returned twice the value on average than other types of software development approaches.

Modernization is a Preferred Path over Ripping and Replacing

45 percent of enterprises ripping and replacing their application software were ultimately disappointed or not satisfied by their results as opposed to 55 percent of organizations choosing modernization responding as satisfied.

Incremental Flow-Based Modernization Approaches Have Numerous Benefits

Rather than running one large modernization project, research shows that enterprises incorporating a series of smaller, microservices or microprojects achieved much better outcomes.

"The demand is for more value, higher customer satisfaction, and lower costs," said Jim Johnson, founder, The Standish Group. "It is our opinion — based on our extensive research and observation of role models — that the move to infinite flow satisfies all three of these demands."

The Latest

64% of enterprise networking teams use internally developed software or scripts for network automation, but 61% of those teams spend six or more hours per week debugging and maintaining them, according to From Scripts to Platforms: Why Homegrown Tools Dominate Network Automation and How Vendors Can Help, my latest EMA report ...

Cloud computing has transformed how we build and scale software, but it has also quietly introduced one of the most persistent challenges in modern IT: cost visibility and control ... So why, after more than a decade of cloud adoption, are cloud costs still spiraling out of control? The answer lies not in tooling but in culture ...

CEOs are committed to advancing AI solutions across their organization even as they face challenges from accelerating technology adoption, according to the IBM CEO Study. The survey revealed that executive respondents expect the growth rate of AI investments to more than double in the next two years, and 61% confirm they are actively adopting AI agents today and preparing to implement them at scale ...

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IBM

 

A major architectural shift is underway across enterprise networks, according to a new global study from Cisco. As AI assistants, agents, and data-driven workloads reshape how work gets done, they're creating faster, more dynamic, more latency-sensitive, and more complex network traffic. Combined with the ubiquity of connected devices, 24/7 uptime demands, and intensifying security threats, these shifts are driving infrastructure to adapt and evolve ...

Image
Cisco

The development of banking apps was supposed to provide users with convenience, control and piece of mind. However, for thousands of Halifax customers recently, a major mobile outage caused the exact opposite, leaving customers unable to check balances, or pay bills, sparking widespread frustration. This wasn't an isolated incident ... So why are these failures still happening? ...

Cyber threats are growing more sophisticated every day, and at their forefront are zero-day vulnerabilities. These elusive security gaps are exploited before a fix becomes available, making them among the most dangerous threats in today's digital landscape ... This guide will explore what these vulnerabilities are, how they work, why they pose such a significant threat, and how modern organizations can stay protected ...

The prevention of data center outages continues to be a strategic priority for data center owners and operators. Infrastructure equipment has improved, but the complexity of modern architectures and evolving external threats presents new risks that operators must actively manage, according to the Data Center Outage Analysis 2025 from Uptime Institute ...

As observability engineers, we navigate a sea of telemetry daily. We instrument our applications, configure collectors, and build dashboards, all in pursuit of understanding our complex distributed systems. Yet, amidst this flood of data, a critical question often remains unspoken, or at best, answered by gut feeling: "Is our telemetry actually good?" ... We're inviting you to participate in shaping a foundational element for better observability: the Instrumentation Score ...

We're inching ever closer toward a long-held goal: technology infrastructure that is so automated that it can protect itself. But as IT leaders aggressively employ automation across our enterprises, we need to continuously reassess what AI is ready to manage autonomously and what can not yet be trusted to algorithms ...

Much like a traditional factory turns raw materials into finished products, the AI factory turns vast datasets into actionable business outcomes through advanced models, inferences, and automation. From the earliest data inputs to the final token output, this process must be reliable, repeatable, and scalable. That requires industrializing the way AI is developed, deployed, and managed ...