Many Companies Run Business-Critical Applications on System Landscapes that Have Evolved over the Years.
These systems support core business processes but often make changes, integration, and further development difficult.
When customizations become increasingly time-consuming, technical dependencies grow, or new business requirements can only be implemented with significant testing and development effort, software modernization becomes a strategic priority.
Do these situations sound familiar to you?
- New requirements demand significant development and testing efforts.
- The time to market for new features is getting longer.
- Operating, maintenance, and licensing costs are rising.
- Expertise in legacy technologies and legacy systems is becoming increasingly scarce.
- It’s difficult to assess the impact of changes.
- Existing architectures and data structures make it difficult to use modern data and AI applications.
What Structured Software Modernization Enables
Software modernization creates the conditions for the controlled further development of existing systems and the gradual reduction of technical dependencies. This does not necessarily involve a complete system replacement. The key is to identify the appropriate modernization path for the existing architecture and the business requirements.
Our Services
Software Modernization Tailored to Your Specific Situation
HMS supports companies with software modernization. Depending on the initial situation, this may involve targeted software remediation, the step-by-step modernization of individual components, or migration to new technologies and platforms.
Why HMS
Modernization with Software Engineering and Data Expertise
For many years, HMS has been supporting companies in the modernization of complex software and data landscapes. Our teams combine software engineering, data science, and architectural expertise and take responsibility for the entire process - from analysis to implementation.
Our work is characterized by the following features:
- Experience from complex modernization and migration projects
- Code2X for technical support in analysis and software transformation.
- Architectural decisions based on transparent technical and business criteria.
- Phased implementation with a focus on operations, integration, and further development.
- Experience with data-intensive and regulated system environments.
Experience with Complex Modernization Projects
The following projects demonstrate how HMS analyzes existing system landscapes, reduces technical dependencies, and gradually integrates new architectural and platform structures.
The focus is not on replacing existing systems, but rather on determining which modernization path is best suited to the respective starting point from a business, technical, and economic perspective.
Application Modernization with GenAI: From SAS to Python on AWS
A leading insurance group modernised a core SAS application on AWS. HMS designed the target architecture and migration approach, implemented the modernisation, and evaluated the use of GenAI to support the migration from SAS to Python.
SAS Viya on Azure: Migration and Long-Term Platform Operations
HMS migrated the SAS 9.4 environment of a major European energy and utilities company to SAS Viya on Microsoft Azure. Since the migration, HMS has been responsible for the operation, maintenance, and further development of the platform.
SAS Viya Migration at an Automotive Bank
HMS migrated an existing on-premises SAS platform to SAS Viya on Azure and implemented a scalable cloud infrastructure based on Kubernetes.
Traditional migration projects rely on manual analysis, rigid rules, and a significant investment of expert time. Agent-based migration uses AI agents that independently analyze code, understand dependencies, make migration decisions, and iteratively validate results.
This makes migrations significantly faster, more scalable, and more consistent - while experts can focus on architecture, business logic, and quality assurance instead of manual code conversion.
No. Successful modernization often takes place in stages rather than as a “big bang.”
Functions, applications, or sections of code can be prioritized and modernized over multiple iterations. This reduces risks, involves business units early on, and delivers initial value more quickly. At the same time, the existing system remains operational throughout the transformation.
Migration makes sense when the existing technology incurs high costs, hinders innovation, skilled workers are in short supply, or strategic goals can no longer be achieved with the current platform.
A migration is not advisable if there is no clear business benefit, the system is running stably, and the costs and risks of the transition exceed the expected added value. In such cases, a targeted modernization of individual components may be the better alternative.
At HMS, the process typically begins with a structured analysis of existing applications and source code. This involves assessing complexity, dependencies, risks, and opportunities for modernization.
Based on this, we work together to develop a robust migration and modernization strategy, prioritize areas for action, and provide transparency regarding effort, costs, and the target architecture before the actual implementation begins.
Software refactoring makes sense when an existing application is still needed for business purposes, but its technical foundation makes changes, maintenance, or integration difficult. Instead of completely replacing the system, the codebase, dependencies, interfaces, or individual components are selectively revised. This allows technical vulnerabilities to be addressed and the application to be further developed in stages.
