In a global economy where innovators increasingly win big, too many enterprises are stymied by legacy application systems.
As a consequence, these businesses experience increased operational costs and find it difficult to scale or integrate modern technologies.
According to research from NTT DATA, 90% of organisations acknowledge that outdated infrastructure severely curtails their capacity to integrate cutting-edge technologies, including GenAI, negatively impacts their business agility, and limits their ability to innovate.[1]
Retaining outdated technology may seem like a cautious approach but there are mounting inherent dangers. Maintaining, updating, and patching old systems is a complex challenge that increases the risk of operational downtime and security lapse.
Modernising with GenAI
Modernising the application stack is therefore critical and, increasingly, businesses see GenAI as the key to success. The solution—GenAI—is also the beneficiary. Indeed, more than 80% of organisations agree that scaling GenAI solutions for business growth is a crucial consideration in modernisation strategies.[2]
The myriad potential of GenAI enables enterprises to simplify coding and facilitate more intelligent and automated system operations.
By leveraging large language models and platforms like Azure Open AI, for example, organisations can transform outdated code into modern, customised frameworks that support advanced features.
GenAI can also harness vast datasets, insights, and documentation to provide guidance during the migration process. This allows for a more informed and precise approach to application development, ensuring that modernised applications are robust and aligned with business needs.
The business benefits of GenAI-driven modernisation
The benefits of powering application modernisation with GenAI are clear. According to Forrester, for example, the approach accelerates and simplifies onboarding for new learners and developers, powers more effective digital governance, and improves the user experience.[3]
Looking ahead, GenAI promises a quantum leap in how we develop software, democratising development and bridging the skill gaps that hold back growth.
The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) will be redefined and various job roles will merge into a unified, frictionless workbench of expert creation. The norm will shift towards real-time, concurrent, and collaborative development fast-tracking innovation and increasing operational agility.
Considerations for success
As enterprises look to integrate GenAI solutions into their application modernisation programmes, making the right technological choices is key. Some solution considerations include:
- Productivity: Does the solution deliver the level of productivity required for largescale code migrations?
- Speed: Does it deliver rapid, secure, pre-built tools and resources so developers can focus on quality outcomes for the business rather than risk and integration?
- Alignment: Is the solution customisable for -specific architectures, and therefore able to unlock additional, unique efficiency, accuracy, and scalability improvements?
- Scalability: Does it allow for enterprise-grade DevOps integration, scaling to cover the entire modernisation process, for efficiency, differentiation, and maximised business value?
The foundation of the solution is also important. Look for a platform that is based on a strong technology partnership, with proven expertise.
NTT DATA’s Coding with Azure OpenAI is a prime example of just such a solution. The platform can automate up to 80% of code generation and transformation, as well as helping reduce time-to-market by 50%.[4]
GenAI-based modernisation and coding platforms will prove fundamental to business success in the years ahead. Through these solutions, enterprises will be able to accelerate application modernisation and development, saving time and money while catalysing innovation.
For a deeper understanding of these insights and to learn more about -how your organisation can effectively implement GenAI strategies, we invite you to explore the full report.
[1] NTT DATA, Global GenAI Report, 2024 https://services.global.ntt/en-us/campaigns/global-genai-report
[2] Ibid
[3] Forrester, The Rise of Application Generation Platforms, May 2024 https://www.forrester.com/blogs/the-rise-of-application-generation-platforms/
[4] NTT DATA, Accelerating Legacy Application Modernization with NTT DATA Coding and Azure OpenAI, 2024
