Enterprise Evolution: Modernization | THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS
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Enterprise Evolution: Modernization
The Transformation Process
Enterprise Evolution, a discipline in the legacy modernization domain, is a collection of tool-enabled
disciplines that facilitates the understanding, improvement, migration, reuse and/or transformation of
existing software systems. This is the third in a 3-part series of white papers that discusses the
modernization options in an Enterprise Evolution modernization initiative, which may be applied to a
variety of IT project initiatives.
While the first two white papers in the Enterprise Evolution series discussed the assessment and
remediation of existing systems, this paper discusses the third leg of modernization – transformation.
While remediation can be thought of as “modernizing systems in place”, the concept of transformation
goes further by transforming existing data and application architectures into target architectures and
environments.1
Transformation includes moving and/or migrating applications based on heritage technologies into
contemporary technologies, platforms and languages. In addition, transformation includes the capture,
reuse and redeployment of existing data and business rules in object based languages, such as Java or
C#, new data models, services oriented architectures and model driven architectures. This paper
discusses the benefits of transformation as well as related disciplines that organizations can employ to
derive the most value from existing software assets over the long-term.
Transformation Benefits
Transformation offers alternatives to development and package deployment projects and also provides
ways to augment replacement initiatives through the reuse and migration of existing data and application
architectures. Transformation:
Streamlines the time and costs associated with eliminating or migrating obsolete technologies and
platforms.
Lowers the risks associated with deploying replacement s