When legacy systems are poorly documented and internal expertise is lacking, the question of legacy migration inevitably arises sooner or later. Specific Group takes over the operation of existing legacy applications and supports their replacement or modernization—from the initial analysis through to the rollout.
For many years, we have been involved in the maintenance, further development, and replacement of legacy applications. Our project managers are well aware of the vulnerabilities and risks associated with taking over anything from small legacy applications to large monolithic systems. Our time-tested approach ensures a smooth transition or replacement of your legacy applications, and we always strive to address and alleviate the concerns of key users that may arise during the change process.
The Challenge
Migrating an legacy CBS system—consisting of a Java EE application and COBOL modules, some of which originated from IBM’s mainframe infrastructure—to the cloud. This was carried out in two phases: splitting up the Java application and integrating it into a new fintech product to replace the COBOL components.
The solution
We broke down the monolithic Java EE application into manageable microservices and modules and implemented APIs for communication with the COBOL modules. This new API design offered better abstraction and clarity of the business process interfaces.
customer
A well-known Austrian banking group.
Whether it’s a migration or a takeover, analyzing the applications and processes and filling in the gaps in the documentation are of great importance. This involves analyzing regularly recurring processes, programs that require frequent adjustments, unused code segments and programs, as well as the database and its use within the programs, and assessing the overall complexity. The goal is to obtain a comprehensive overview of the current state of affairs to prevent future losses in functionality and to avoid a deterioration of processes. The output is an analysis report that highlights the pros and cons of the current state and identifies areas requiring action. Based on the analysis and your input, our architects will develop a concept for the target state.
The Challenge
The client needed a modern software solution for auto claims management to replace the legacy system, optimize the claims management process, and lay the groundwork for integrating new insurance products.
Solution
We developed web-based claims management tools using Java/Angular that streamline business processes through dashboards and integrate new insurance products.
Client
A modern Austrian bank that offers mobility financing
Our software developers perform technical analyses, optimize the source code and runtime performance of your applications, as well as their most critical and time-sensitive processes. In addition, we offer code conversion and the creation of code documentation, supported by our AI-based tool LegacyLift.
The Challenge
The challenge was that a bank wanted to migrate its reporting and business analytics from SAS to Python. An internal implementation was almost impossible due to high effort estimates and resource constraints.
The solution
We combined our LegacyLift tool with our IT resources and a small banking team to achieve significant savings. For low-complexity projects, we achieved a 60% improvement, for medium-complexity projects 50%, and for high-complexity projects 40%. We also achieved a 20% improvement in SAS-generated ETL processes and 50% overall savings compared to a fully human-led code migration.
The customer
A well-known banking group
Quality assurance is an integral part of our services, ensuring the highest standards in software development and delivery. We offer the creation of test plans and test reports, the execution of automated and manual tests, and the comparison of results (before and after).
We support the rollout and ongoing operation of IT systems to ensure a smooth transition and provide continuous maintenance and support. We place a strong emphasis on automating processes to reduce operational overhead, eliminate vulnerabilities, and prevent errors.
We ensure that all IT solutions meet regulatory requirements and that comprehensive documentation is provided to facilitate maintenance and compliance—we do this using AI-powered tools. Of particular note is our support for compliance with security guidelines such as NIS2 and DORA.
The challenge
The business requirement was to enable the bank to implement the EBA and DORA guidelines efficiently and appropriately for the size of the bank. The complex organizational structure and a tight timeframe had to be taken into account.
The solution
We set up efficient project management to coordinate the regulatory requirements in our complex structure. Our team consisted of subject matter experts and key resources from the areas of compliance, information security and IT.
Client
A modern Austrian bank focused on mobility financing solutions
Discover More Services
Discover More Services
Discover More Services
Legacy systems are IT systems that have evolved over many years and no longer reflect current technological standards, but still support business-critical processes. Typical examples include IBM i (AS/400), mainframe applications, or in-house core systems developed in the 1980s and 1990s. The problem is not just the age of the systems, but the increasing difficulty of maintaining, expanding, or connecting them to modern interfaces. At the same time, the pool of experts is often very small and continues to shrink.
Legacy support refers to the ongoing maintenance and stabilization of an existing legacy system—that is, keeping it operational, troubleshooting issues, and making adjustments without fundamentally changing the system. Legacy migration, on the other hand, refers to the controlled transition to a new system landscape, either through replacement, modernization, or gradual integration into modern platforms. The two approaches are not mutually exclusive: Many companies start with support to buy time for a careful migration strategy. The decision depends on the system’s business importance, budget, and available expertise.
The most common risks include data loss during the transfer, service interruptions during migration, and a lack of documentation for legacy applications. Added to this is the loss of implicit system knowledge that was never documented in writing. These risks can be mitigated through a structured preparation phase: inventory, risk analysis, test environments, and a clear rollback plan. In most cases, a phased migration is safer than a complete system overhaul all at once.
SPG has many years of experience in operating and modernizing IBM i (AS/400) environments. This includes both ongoing support and the analysis and preparation of migration projects. For companies that are not yet able or willing to replace their legacy systems, SPG also offers the use of AI-powered tools such as Ozgar.ai, which analyzes legacy systems and makes their logic more transparent for teams. This helps preserve knowledge, even if internal experts leave the company.
The process begins with a structured assessment: Which systems are affected, what dependencies exist, and what data needs to be migrated? Based on this, a migration strategy is developed that prioritizes business continuity as a key requirement. SPG supports the entire transition: from planning and technical implementation through to the stabilization phase following go-live. Customers in the DACH region are supported by local contacts in Austria and Germany.