The Ticking Clock
Every year you wait, the cost and risk increase exponentially.
1. Talent Shortage Is Accelerating
The average age of a COBOL developer is 55+. Delphi, PowerBuilder, and VB6 developers are retiring faster than they can be replaced.
2. Security Vulnerabilities Compound
Legacy frameworks no longer receive security patches. A single breach can cost more than the entire migration.
3. Maintenance Costs Only Go Up
A large and durable share of IT budgets goes to keeping existing systems running rather than building anything new. The surveys that measure it disagree on the exact figure and on what counts as maintenance, so we do not print one — ask your finance team what your own number is; it is usually the most persuasive figure in the business case.
4. The Integration Tax
Modern APIs and cloud services don't speak legacy protocols. Every integration requires custom middleware.
The Bottom Line
The best time to modernize was 5 years ago. The second best time is now. With AI-powered tools, the cost has never been lower.