Bespoke software

Legacy system modernisation

Your old system still works. Until it doesn't. We move you off it in stages, without losing what works and without stopping the business.

Signs it is time

  • Only one person really knows how it works, and they are thinking about retiring.
  • It will not run on new computers, or needs an old version of Windows or Office to work.
  • It cannot connect to anything, so data is typed in and out by hand.
  • The company that wrote it has gone, or no longer supports it.
  • Every small change takes weeks, if it can be done at all.

How we move you

  1. 1Understand what it does

    Old systems do more than anyone remembers. We map what yours actually does, including the rules nobody wrote down, before deciding what to replace.

  2. 2Keep what works

    Not everything needs replacing. Sometimes the right first step is building a new front end on top of the old system, or connecting it to something modern.

  3. 3Move in stages

    We move a piece at a time, running old and new side by side where it helps, so the business keeps running throughout.

  4. 4Match it exactly where it matters

    When the output has to be identical, like the BBFC’s Black Cards, we reproduce it exactly and check it against the original.

  5. 5Host and look after it

    Once it has moved, we host it, support it and keep it current, so it does not become the next legacy system.

Old systems we have moved on from

The BBFC Black Card Generator

BBFC: from Excel and PHP to .NET

The BBFC's Black Card process ran on Excel and a PHP site that could no longer keep up. We rebuilt it in .NET on Amazon Web Services, matching the old cards exactly, and added bulk upload of up to 1,000 at a time.

Read the BBFC case study
The NCI recording app

NCI: building on Domino

NCI needed a modern iPad app for over 150 field staff that worked with their existing IBM Domino platform. We built it to sit alongside and extend what they had, with a path to .NET.

Read the NCI case study

We know the old systems because we built on them

Lotus Notes and Domino are still running businesses up and down the country. We have built on Domino for years, including field marketing platforms that are still in daily use, so we understand what a Domino system is doing before we suggest moving it anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

Which old systems do you work with?

Lotus Notes and HCL (formerly IBM) Domino, Microsoft Access, Excel-based systems, older PHP sites and older .NET applications, among others. If you are not sure what yours is built on, we can find out.

Do we have to replace everything at once?

No. We usually recommend moving in stages, and sometimes keeping part of the old system where it still does its job well.

What happens to our data?

It comes with you. Moving the data across, and checking it, is part of the project.

Other things we do

Web applications

Systems built around how your team works, from ordering platforms to client portals.

More on web applications

App development

Apps for staff and customers on iPhone, Android, Windows and Mac, from one codebase.

More on app development

Book a free 30 minute discovery call

Tell us what's slowing your team down and we'll tell you honestly whether IceBubble CRM, a bespoke build or something off the shelf is the right answer. No hard sell.

Book a call