Application modernisation is one of those terms you’ve probably heard a lot lately. But while most providers are in a frantic race to show how much they’ve embraced this ‘new’ movement, Google is glad they’ve finally caught up. Now that everybody has arrived, it’s time to talk about the future of application modernization, what that means for your business and finally how we at GC innovate fit into the picture.
Beyond the Hype
So what is application modernisation really? First of all, it’s not a single technology, but while the solution can be somewhat hard to describe, the problems that it solves are not. In short: application modernisation improves the scalability and adaptability of your applications. The end result? Applications that can deploy to production multiple times per day and scale cost effectively from zero to millions of users and back again!
The secret sauce lies in a combination of technologies. You start by breaking up large monolith applications into loosely coupled chunks (microservices) and shipping them in packages with all dependencies and even the OS included (containerization). All you need then is to smoothly deploy your applications (CI/CD, DevOps) on a pool of readily available hardware (the Cloud) and you’re set!
This approach was actually largely pioneered by Google two decades ago while looking for solutions to their own scaling challenges. Today it has seen widespread adoption and become almost the de-facto standard in enterprises with the necessary IT expertise. Take for example, Kubernetes, open sourced by Google and the heart of many companies’ cloud stack nowadays. In our opinion, an absolute must have if you want to manage your containers as efficiently (and automated) as possible.
Smaller enterprises meanwhile were largely left to fend for themselves, missing out on the very real business benefits application modernisation brings to the table. This is exactly what Google is trying to change in the future of application modernization.
Looking at the Future
The ‘democratization’ of application modernisation is also influencing its future. The future according to Google is drenched in a sense of realism: not every piece of data belongs in the cloud, systems are not self-contained but need to integrate with ‘foreign’ components and advanced technologies need to be packaged in a way that everyone can use them.
The clearest result of this approach is Anthos, an all-in-one cloud management solution that allows you to manage infrastructure and applications across on-premises, edge, and in multiple public clouds from one central location.
Simultaneously, Google is also working on making their most advanced solutions accessible to everyone. Google kickstarted the current AI revolution by open sourcing ‘tensorflow’, which allowed programmers to start building efficient neural networks. Now they are taking it a step further by integrating their advanced AI algorithms into vertical solutions like Vertex AI, tailored to non-technical users.
Google Innovation – Tailor Made
The final point has been the most silent yet perhaps most important revolution in how Google approaches the market: over the past few years Google has fully embraced the power of integration partners to bring their cutting edge technology to businesses of all sizes. Integrators, like us at GC innovate, are now here to act as your guides and facilitators to ensure everyone can reap the benefits of application modernisation.
If you’re interested in what the future could bring for your business, don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’re here to help! With the right knowledge and experience, combined with a good dose of creativity and domain knowledge we are convinced we can come up with some truly innovative solutions!
Fancy introduction aside, the important lesson is that application modernization is not some kind of magic wand technology, but rather an ongoing process requiring a diverse array of IT experience. Sounds complex? Don’t worry, that’s exactly what we’re here for: We take care of your digital infrastructure while you focus on your business.
