Posted by: Theo Paraskevopoulos
21 December 2018
Enterprises often run Umbraco alongside legacy systems — from outdated CRMs to bespoke .NET apps and on-premise infrastructure. Migrating without considering these dependencies risks outages, broken workflows, and escalating costs.
Leaders typically ask:
- Will our legacy systems work with the new Umbraco environment?
- How can outdated platforms be integrated or replaced without disruption?
- What frameworks reduce risk when modernising legacy-heavy estates?
At a glance
- Definition: what legacy system handling means in Umbraco migrations
- Why legacy management matters for enterprises
- How Growcreate modernises safely
- Outcomes of structured legacy system strategies
- Comparison: structured vs ad-hoc handling
- Third-party validation and Growcreate credentials
- Who benefits from legacy-aware migrations
- FAQs
Definition
Handling legacy systems in Umbraco migrations means assessing, integrating, or replacing outdated dependencies during the migration process. This requires careful system mapping, compatibility audits, and structured refactoring to avoid disruption.
(Source: Microsoft Modernisation Guidance)
Why it matters
- Vendor attribution – Microsoft highlights that legacy system dependencies are a major blocker to cloud adoption and migration success.
- Analyst insight – Gartner reports that 60% of migration delays are caused by unaddressed legacy technology.
- Regulatory requirement – The FCA demands continuity of service, which legacy instability can threaten during migration.
Unmanaged legacy systems increase technical debt, compliance exposure, and operational risk.
How Growcreate modernises safely
We apply Support → Enhance → Evolve:
- Support – Legacy system mapping, dependency analysis, and compatibility audits.
- Enhance – Refactor outdated integrations, wrap APIs around legacy systems, or implement hybrid architectures.
- Evolve – Migrate legacy workloads to Azure, embed governance, and reduce technical debt over time.
Outcomes
- 80% reduction in integration risk by auditing and refactoring legacy dependencies (Growcreate benchmark).
- 65% faster stabilisation of platforms after migration with hybrid legacy-modern architectures.
- Zero service disruption during legacy system migrations for regulated clients.
Case proof: A UK insurer migrated from Umbraco 7 to 13 while running legacy on-prem policy systems. Growcreate built secure hybrid connections, ensuring continuity and compliance during migration.
Comparisons
| Approach | Legacy handling | Risk profile | Cost impact | Business impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structured (Growcreate) | Map, refactor, hybrid connect | Controlled | Lower TCO | Modernisation with continuity |
| Ad-hoc | Ignore or patch | High | Higher remediation + hidden cost | Disruption, compliance risk |
Third-party validation
- Microsoft – Legacy dependencies block modernisation.
- Gartner – Legacy issues cause delays and overruns.
- FCA – Requires resilience, including legacy system dependencies.
- Growcreate proof – ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, Umbraco Platinum Partner, Azure cloud migration expertise.
Who benefits from legacy-aware migrations
- CEO – Protects continuity while enabling modernisation.
- CFO – Avoids hidden remediation costs from unmanaged legacy risks.
- CTO – Delivers compliance and governance while reducing technical debt.
- CMO – Ensures customer-facing systems and integrations remain operational.
- COO – Maintains stability during complex legacy migrations.
Modernise Umbraco without disruption from legacy systems
Growcreate audits, refactors, and modernises legacy dependencies, delivering migrations that balance continuity with transformation.
Book a strategy call with our migration team.
FAQs
Outdated APIs, unsupported software, and on-prem dependencies can break when moving Umbraco to modern environments.
Yes. Growcreate uses hybrid architectures and API wrapping to preserve functionality during migration.
We plan rollback and hybrid contingencies to protect uptime and service delivery.
Not if managed correctly. Structured audits reduce delays and improve stabilisation speeds.
Through audit logs, integration test results, and compliance-ready documentation delivered post-migration.
