Getronics Application Replatforming: A Proven Methodology for Mainframe Migration
Many companies today are finding that their aging legacy mainframe solutions no longer meet their needs, nor do they allow them to compete effectively in the marketplace. Applications cannot keep pace with rapid changes in business processes. Often built on proprietary standards, they are difficult to link to partner and supplier networks. Moreover, it is costly to maintain them as the number of employees who are familiar with the legacy environment dwindles. Studies show around 80 percent of firms’ IT budgets are spent keeping existing applications and their computers operational, leaving just 20 percent to fund new development efforts.
A mainframe migration can reduce costs, improve communication with business partners, streamline portfolios, simplify environments, minimize IT risk and increase the flexibility of the business. But as Erik van Enk, global solution director, Application Services and Projects at Getronics points out, replacing legacy applications is a risky procedure, so companies must choose an experienced mainframe migration partner.
Recently awarded Microsoft Partner of the Year for 2007 for its Getronics Application Replatforming (GARP) method, Getronics focuses on the development of customized solutions, Web solutions and tools built on Microsoft technologies for clients worldwide.
How can companies migrate to a non-mainframe enterprise platform such as Windows?
Generally, there are four ways in which mainframe applications can be migrated to an enterprise platform. The first is to re-host the application with minimal change on a new platform. Getronics uses Micro Focus tools, for example, to migrate COBOL applications to a Windows environment.
The second way is to convert the application using tools that automate source changes. Getronics has partnered with several experienced companies to migrate applications from legacy languages such as COBOL, LINC or Natural to .NET.
A third alternative is to re-write the application to exploit new languages and platforms. This is the most expensive and time-consuming method because the same functionality must be re-created for a new environment.
The fourth way is to replace the application with a standard commercial package such as SAP. The potential downside to this option, however, is the commercial package has to be modified to work within the company’s environment.
What role does Getronics play in enabling financial institutions to ensure a smooth migration?
In mainframe migrations, it is critical to have an experienced lead contractor because of the high number of specialized parties involved in such projects. As the systems integrator, Getronics bears ultimate responsibility for the migration as a whole and maintains control of the solution components supplied by the other hardware and software partners. Getronics coordinates the work of the other suppliers involved. In addition, Getronics has highly secure data centers and software factories to run and maintain the new environments for customers interested in outsourcing arrangements.
What special expertise do you bring to the table?
Getronics participates in several programs with partners to optimize our approach on modernize legacy systems. Together with winning the Microsoft partner award last year for our successful mainframe migration approach this gives us a great motivation to provide customers with more successful migration projects.
In fact, we are one of the first in the Benelux countries to have carried out successful migrations from a mainframe to a Wintel environment. This experience and the lessons learned will be extremely valuable for the new migrations.
What is involved in the Getronics Application RePlatforming (GARP) method?
GARP commences with a workshop, followed by a fixed-priced, detailed assessment and a proof of concept. Once these phases are complete, we have a full understanding of how to work the migration as well as the risks and fixed costs associated with it. The whole method takes roughly a year from the workshop to the implementation with a total freeze period of less than five weeks.
Getronics does the migration after the new production hardware and the necessary software is installed. The software and the database of the mainframe applications are fully migrated from the mainframe platform to the new Wintel platform, with an SQL Server database. The end result is the complete discontinuation of the customer’s mainframe environment with a return on investment in about one year.
Can you give an example of a migration you have done in financial services?
Getronics led a replatforming project for AXA, a leading provider of wealth management and financial protection products and services. The entire mainframe Application Inventory, which amounted to 2.4 million lines of code, was collated and downloaded. The mainframe hardware was replaced and information was transferred to an Oracle database, which meant that the business data was readily available to other applications. This enabled new applications to be developed more quickly and integrated where necessary with the environments of clients or partners.
Mainframe utilities were replaced where they were not supported on the new environment. Also replaced were any mainframe application programs that had been developed in proprietary languages. To minimize the cost and complexity of the migration, the applications were retained in COBOL-CICS on the new platform using the products of Micro Focus, one of Getronics’ selected global partners.
Now AXA’s platform is considerably easier to manage and is more responsive to the demands of the business. Existing applications were retained, so employee training was minimal. Cost savings were significant given the reduction in hardware, maintenance and licensing costs, and the return on investment was less than two years.
What are the advantages of a Wintel environment?
The Wintel environment is extremely cost effective while offering top quality transaction processing and database performance. The SQL Server database is typically cheaper than its competitors while offering the same quality and performance. We also have found that application replatforming can cut running costs by as much as 50 percent using the Microsoft platform.
Another benefit is increased agility. The modern, service-based architecture uses XML and Web services as well as .NET or J2EE application environments. This development environment allows companies to respond to new business situations more quickly and flexibly.
Finally, the Visual Studio Team System (VSTS) enables development teams to collaborate to deliver higher quality and more secure applications. Getronics leverages VSTS to manage and maintain the applications during and after the migration by providing an integrated software change management platform.
What should financial institutions come away with from our conversation?
Minimizing risk and ensuring business continuity is high on everyone’s priority list today. Replatforming enables financial institutions to modernize their mainframe solutions in a manner that is tightly controlled, tested and monitored.
Many companies offer application replatforming services, but it is important to choose a partner that can demonstrate delivery expertise, cost leadership, global reach as well as experience and vision. We leverage highly skilled individuals as well as best practices gained through continuous development and 15 years of doing migrations to ensure our clients maximize their return on investment. Our goal is to help them complete a migration project quickly, successfully and cost effectively while keeping an eye on their business.
www.getronics.com