Decades of systems development on distributed systems have resulted in firms amassing a considerable amount of legacy debt. Distributed environments encompass a large array of technologies. Operating systems include Linux, Unix, Wintel, VM etc., with applications running under a variety of languages and across different databases and middleware. Since the 1990s, frameworks such as CMM, TOGAF, and more recently, CISQ, have emerged to help firms deliver systems to a consistent and repeatable format. However, the legacy debt remains, and new developments are often implemented with minimal consideration of optimisation strategies within the design, code and database.

 

In parallel, firms have long pursued strategies of cost efficiency. Business Process Engineering, Six Sigma and Lean, which, though admirable in their aims, ferment a culture of cost reduction in firms through headcount reduction.

 

The expenditure of code and architecture maintenance is seen as an opportunity for annual Opex reduction rather than an investment that will be paid via better system performance, stability and pre-emptive risk mitigation for years to come. When skilled resources are diverted to new developments, the capability to reduce the debt from within diminishes and as systems development is outsourced, the risk increases and the necessary motivation to change disappears.

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Often, distributed platforms are over-allocated for their hardware needs, and a lack of transparency exists in the consumption and software license usage. This can lead to a large overspend on both hardware and software, as well as consequential risks inherent from software audits. 

 

ECMP have witnessed these problems time and time again. We know what it takes to address the issues by collaboratively working with you to resolve the challenges you face and, where required, structure process driven change to ensure they do not happen again. Our ability to bring greater transparency coupled with technical and contractual optimisation provides the backbone for substantial ongoing cost savings to be achieved.