{"id":1943,"date":"2010-11-26T16:15:14","date_gmt":"2010-11-26T21:15:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/analystik.ca\/?p=1943"},"modified":"2017-02-07T17:42:54","modified_gmt":"2017-02-07T22:42:54","slug":"obsolete-it-applications-issues","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analystik.ca\/blogue\/language\/en\/obsolete-it-applications-issues\/","title":{"rendered":"Obsolete IT applications \u2013 issues for entrepreneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

So let\u2019s jump merrily into the depths of the nightmare of every entrepreneur: IT investment. I say nightmare because it\u2019s a field of expertise for which the vast majority of entrepreneurs have absolutely no basis for appreciation or evaluation.\u00a0 There is little or no reassurance for a decision-maker faced with a 100, 200, or even $500,000 decision, which choice will likely have a major impact on productivity, thus profitability and the future of the business.<\/p>\n

So\u2026 to help the entrepreneur in this situation, and I believe there will be more and more who need help in the years to come, because the stakes are the same and are just as important as ever: Business Process<\/strong> Automation<\/em>, increasing<\/em> productivity<\/strong>, mobile<\/strong> workforce,<\/strong> accessible<\/strong> information<\/strong>, increased<\/em> quality of Business Intelligence<\/strong>, improved<\/em> decision-making processes<\/strong>, integrity<\/em> and security<\/em> of company data<\/strong>, etc., all of course with the ultimate goal; increase<\/em> Profitability<\/strong> and improve<\/em> Customer Satisfaction<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Problem<\/h3>\n

I meet more and more entrepreneurs who own one or multiple IT applications that are increasingly outdated (old versions of old technologies) and which are fast approaching the threshold of non-profitability because they receive a growing number of user complaints. Then comes the fateful day when they ask for a review, and assessment of the situation from their IT department, their experts.<\/p>\n

The Context<\/h3>\n

The entrepreneur hears the IT folk singing the praises of Web<\/strong> 2.0<\/strong> applications that promise heaven and earth; these will solve ALL their problems, in particular the thorny issue of updates and interoperability.<\/p>\n

The entrepreneur is presented with marketing strategies that place mobility at the heart of their business development plans for the company, which involves the mobilization of parts of obsolete\u00a0applications and or their functionalities: like CRM, Business Intelligence<\/strong>, etc.<\/p>\n

Finally, many other entrepreneurs are faced with a situation whereby the IT department indicates that if nothing is done, the applications will no longer be supported by suppliers or the manufactures of the development tools and therefore, they should move the obsolete\u00a0application toward a new technology. Microsoft\u2019s Visual FoxPro<\/strong> is a prime example.<\/p>\n

The harsh reality!<\/h3>\n

For years, companies have invested in systems in place and to update them; it would require a considerable investment to replace them, which would be difficult to justify at the organizational level. What department will be so dependent on the obsolete\u00a0application that they\u2019d want to assume the costs of replacement or upgrade???<\/p>\n

Potential Solutions<\/h3>\n

What are they and how do you choose?<\/p>\n

Find a commercial product (available on the market) that can replace your existing applications:<\/p>\n