Your Legacy CF app modernization and maintenance assessment
Dear CIO,
Have you inherited a legacy ColdFusion app?
Being a CIO with an old ColdFusion app is tough. On top of putting out fires all day, you need to make critical decisions that shape the future of your App and impact the company at large.
It’s common to get conflicting opinions from your dev team:
- “This needs a complete rewrite in dotNet / cool tech du jour!“
- “No, it ain’t broke. Best to leave it alone!”
Who do you listen to?
It can be hard to know who to trust, especially when office politics make it as messy as Gollum’s schemes.
Do any of the following sound familiar?
- You’re worried about technical debt and know that modernizing is important but you need extra leverage from a third partner outside of the organization.
- One of your devs keeps saying, “This needs total rewriting!” but you don’t fully trust that it’s the best thing to do for the business.
- Your app is slow and needs fixing but your devs don’t want to touch it.
- The developer who was maintaining the legacy app isn’t available anymore and you’re unsure how to proceed.
- You’re starting to think that your legacy code was written in the Elvin language because no one seems to understand it anymore.
I’ve been a developer for over 45 years, and I’ve spent the last 12 years of my professional career dedicated to ColdFusion Modernization (I’m kinda obsessed).
This includes:
- Publishing the book: CF Alive: Making ColdFusion Modern, Vibrant, and Secure
- Hosting the CF Alive Podcast and interviewing top CF experts from around the world (100+ episodes)
- Attending and speaking at CF conferences around the world
- Moderating the ColdFusion Inner Circle private Facebook community
- Providing bespoke solutions for U.S. companies with a legacy CF app
I’ve spoken to hundreds of CIOs at medium-sized companies (50-500 employees) and seen pretty much everything. But don’t just take my word for it—here’s what others have to say:
“All deliverables were A or A+. Took the problem head on…didn't try to shoe it into something else.” – Chris Spera, Project Manager at ICF
“I went around the world trying to solve that problem and got on the phone with one of the TeraTech techs, and we had it knocked out in about 45 minutes. Sometimes you don't even know what questions to ask… trust me, they do.” – George Nicholson, CIO at Telecommunication Industry Association
“Always delivers on time and on budget. Trustworthy – they get it done and stay within budget.” – Roque Viegas, Georgetown University CIED
As a CIO, it can be hard not knowing what to do next, so I’m offering you this free assessment.
Here’s how it works:
Step 1: Sign Up
Complete the quick form to start your journey towards app modernization.
Step 2: Schedule Your Call
Book your complimentary 30-minute consultation with me (the CEO, aka the self-proclaimed Gandalf of CF).
Step 3: Share Your Screen
During the Zoom call, share your screen and I’ll give you real-time, professional feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of your CF app code and database structure.
Step 4: Receive Valuable Insights
After your session, you’ll get a recording of the call and a detailed scorecard that summarizes your app’s performance.
Step 5: Gain Clarity and Direction
You'll now know what your CF app needs and you’ll have evidence from a third-party professional to show any doubters.
One of the biggest challenges I see CIOs face is the temptation to put things off.
Sometimes we work on mission-critical apps. One client’s app was down for two days. They lost $80,000 worth of revenue because they sell $40,000 each day through the app.
Another common scenario is a CF app gets hacked and the company's reputation is now in the toilet. Both are best to avoid.
Perhaps you’ve been meaning to address these issues for years, but you're busy putting out fires or you’re not getting the green light from the executive team.
If these decisions aren’t prioritized, the likelihood of your app going down or being hacked significantly increases. By being proactive, you can avoid these possibilities altogether.
The longer you wait, the greater the risk. That said, whatever your timing is, we’re ready when you are.
Now I know it’s common for devs to go, “I don't want to touch this old spaghetti code! Just let me rewrite it.”
But if you take this assessment, I’ll likely recommend that you do NOT RUSH INTO REWRITES. 99% of the time, refactoring is the wiser choice.
A legacy CF app is like an abandoned house with no lighting. It’s pitch black inside, so you can’t see what’s in the rooms and what needs fixing.
A rewrite is to demolish the house and rebuild another house, possibly with totally different materials.
A refactor involves turning on the lights and seeing what needs to be done. Then, you can repair the walls, add a new coat of paint, replace the floors, etc.
With a rewrite, you're exposed to several major risks, including:
- Exceeding the budget and potentially having to cease the project before launch
- Delivering a final product that takes 2-3 times longer to load
- Ending up with a product that users ultimately dislike
I’ve seen medium-sized businesses spend 12-18 months and over $1.5 million on a rewrite, only to pull the plug when it became clear the project was doomed.
You’re probably not surrounded by ColdFusion experts or tech-savvy hobbits who know stuff like this, so this is your chance to speak to someone who’s been there and knows how to help.
The assessment is 100% free, and if you’re not satisfied, I’ll send a hobbit straight to your doorstep with your refund 🙂
Jokes aside, modernizing CF apps lights me up, and I’d be happy to help.
I guarantee there will be no sales pitch or pressure—just honest advice to help you get your app on track.
(PS If you’re not ready for an assessment, you can sign up for our Free Legacy ColdFusion To Modernization E-Course.)
I hope to hear from you soon and I look forward to helping you with your ColdFusion App.
Michaela Light
