Legacy Platform Migration for Financial Services
The Challenge
A regional financial institution was running critical customer-facing systems on aging infrastructure that was costly to maintain and increasingly risky to operate. The platform was monolithic, tightly coupled, and lacked modern observability.
Key concerns:
- High risk of service interruption during migration
- Vendor lock-in with legacy providers
- Compliance and security requirements for financial services
- Limited internal technical expertise for cloud migration
- Need to maintain service during transition
The Approach
Richard joined as Embedded CTO, working hands-on with the delivery team throughout the migration.
Migration Strategy
Developed a phased migration approach:
- Strangler fig pattern to incrementally replace legacy components
- Feature flags for zero-downtime cutover
- Comprehensive rollback procedures at each phase
- Parallel running of old and new systems during validation
Architecture Modernization
Designed a cloud-native architecture:
- Microservices for critical business capabilities
- Event-driven integration patterns
- Modern observability and monitoring
- Infrastructure as Code for repeatability
Risk Management
Implemented robust risk controls:
- Automated testing at every integration point
- Load testing to validate performance
- Security assessments for each component
- Regular stakeholder communication on progress and risks
Vendor Management
Renegotiated vendor contracts and established clear accountability:
- Performance-based SLAs
- Transparent cost models
- Knowledge transfer requirements
- Exit strategies to avoid future lock-in
The Results
Technical Outcomes:
- 70% reduction in downtime risk through phased migration
- Cloud-native architecture ready for future scaling
- Modern observability providing real-time insights
- Infrastructure costs reduced by 35%
Business Impact:
- Zero unplanned service interruptions during migration
- Improved time-to-market for new features
- Enhanced customer experience through better performance
- Regulatory compliance maintained throughout
Team Development:
- Internal team upskilled in cloud technologies
- Established DevOps practices and culture
- Clear documentation for ongoing operations
Technologies & Approaches
- Cloud Platform: Azure
- Migration Pattern: Strangler Fig
- Architecture: Event-driven microservices
- Infrastructure: Terraform (IaC)
- Observability: Application Insights, Log Analytics
- Security: Azure Security Center, Key Vault
- Methodology: Agile with iterative releases
Client Testimonial
"Richard's hands-on approach and deep technical knowledge gave us confidence throughout this critical migration. The zero-downtime strategy worked flawlessly, and we now have a modern platform ready for growth."
— CIO, Regional Financial Institution