Sunday 14 March 2010
Application modernization can enable the transition. Modernization, a compelling alternative to rewriting or replacing critical applications, fosters communication between historical systems and contemporary solutions while preserving the unique value encompassed in existing information technology systems. Modernizing critical applications through a service-oriented architecture provides agencies otherwise bound to the mainframe environment with the ability to leverage modern technologies. Using these solutions, Cobol-based applications can now operate in a Web 2.0 environment, providing a responsive Rich Internet Application without altering a single line of code. These now-Web-based applications work the same – because they are the same. They may have been moved to a Web environment, but development time is ultimately reduced because the application business logic remains unchanged. Modernization can also provide a significant cost advantage and reduce the time it takes to deploy an application; a modernized application is fully functional in a fraction of the time it would typically take to rewrite or replace critical applications. In these economic times, it is important to realize every cost saving as long as security and privacy are not compromised.
While the private sector reaps the benefits of software-as-a-service (SaaS) and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) technologies – benefits such as cost savings, capital expenditure-to-operational expenditure conversion, elasticity and more efficient compliance procedures – the fact remains: We live in a Cobol world, and many government agencies still rely on Cobol-based applications. ears of code modified to meet the specific demands of individual government agencies can make it difficult for those agencies to move toward the cloud to operate in a Web-based environment. The good news is that Cobol-based government agencies looking to realize the benefits of cloud computing can make practical progress towards leveraging these benefits without jumping straight into the cloud – Cobol applications and all.
A proper enterprise cloud platform provides security of all data in motion (between the desktop and the cloud over HTTPS) and at rest (when stored in persistent cloud storage). Data is secured with encryption certificates owned by the organization – not the underlying utility infrastructure. Government agencies looking to take practical steps toward cloud computing without making the full commitment can also opt to transition to a private cloud – leveraging the advantages of cloud computing, such as pay-as-you-go licensing and elasticity, in their own data center.
It’s true. Cloud services — generally divided into software-as-a-service applications, on-demand infrastructure, and Web-based dev platforms — may soon form the greatest threat to IT since offshoring. Businesses are increasingly frustrated at the cost and pace of internal IT operations even as fluffy cloud options multiply like rabbits. The buzz is overwhelming. Last week I went to the GigaOm Structure ‘09 event in San Francisco, subtitled “put cloud computing to work,” and it was packed even in this awful economy. Most IT pros I know think cloud computing is a joke. There are some good reasons for that. But lately I’ve noticed the laughter is ringing a little hollow, as if tempered by a secret fear: Is it possible the business side might go behind my back and replace chunks of IT at lower cost? Or maybe get some big projects done faster than I can?
Left to their own devices, the business guys will inevitably pick an unwieldy cloud service or jettison an internal system of unique value. You may be philosophically opposed to cloud computing, but the last thing you want is for the business side to adopt cloud services without involving IT. So point one: Engage with management on this topic preemptively and create your own hierarchical list of applications, environments, and/or infrastructure that could be replaced by commodity cloud services with the least pain and risk and the greatest cost savings. Point two: Sketch out an architecture that would allow you to get the maximum benefit from those services. On that latter point, Miko Matsumura, vice president and chief strategist at Software AG, offered some interesting advice when we spoke at Structure ‘09. “The critical skill in the cloud age is the ability to integrate and combine on- and off-premise infrastructure and applications,” he said. “This skill is supported by a service-oriented architecture.”
