Monolithic systems or microservices architecture?

Software is taking an increasingly prominent role in controlling business processes. Both internal business processes and, for example, marketing tools. The importance of properly functioning software is therefore very important. The ICT landscape is changing at a pace that organisations themselves can barely keep up with. And this acceleration is mostly exponential. It is to be expected that developments in the next decade will be much more intense than those of the past decade. However unimaginable that may seem. Nobody knows what blockchain technology, for example, will make possible in the coming years. And with the rollout of 5G, combined with the wide adoption of Internet of Things, developments are moving faster than ever before. AI (artificial intelligence) is also going to gain a foothold.

Remi Software Architect

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3 min

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Developments.

Along with the acceleration of web technology, we are also seeing an acceleration of society. Whereas the average lifespan of large companies was still around 65 years in the 1950s, this has already dropped to 15 years. This also means that companies themselves are changing much faster. Developments in business and culture are a continuous process, and never stand still. Because software should always support business operations, there are therefore increasing demands on its flexibility. And rightly so.

Betting on one horse.

Some organisations choose to have a large integrated system developed or brought in-house. A monolithic system. This is often accompanied by a large implementation, guided by a team of consultants. Due to the gigantic size of the software, these are very costly processes. To justify the investment, licences are taken out for longer periods.

Meanwhile, web technologies evolve and the organisation changes. The organisation's monolithic ICT infrastructure cannot keep up. Logical, given its complexity and size. Further developments and expansions are costly and lengthy processes. And because substantial investments have already been made, there is no way back. So bet on one horse. A very expensive and slow horse.

Pairing.

Instead of an all-encompassing enterprise application, we advise in creating a landscape of smaller applications that support each other. A microservice architecture. By cleverly designing links, these smaller applications can work together to form a seamless ICT landscape as a whole. With a Single Sign On solution, users need not even notice that they are working in a whole range of applications.

And should changing insights, or advanced technology require an application to be replaced, the costs are much more manageable.

Sneller anticiperen.

Many of these applications perform a small set of tasks. This also makes it more likely, that a standard solution can be chosen. Complemented by targeted custom-developed applications, these form a perfect suite of tools.

Your organisation can afford to stick its neck out once in a while. Initiate new developments while there is still uncertainty. A choice that carries unaccountable risk with a monolithic architecture.

"We believe in a landscape of mutually supportive applications. Applications that can be replaced relatively easily over time. Applications that can handle a limited set of tasks, but are ironclad in doing so. But above all, applications that reinforce each other. In an optimal mix of standard software combined with good customisation."

Experience.

Cube has extensive experience in deploying applications that can support the existing ICT landscape. For instance, we have helped a number of organisations with smart pluggable applications within existing web environments. This made it possible to quickly anticipate a changing market.

We regularly set up a landscape, developing multiple applications. On the front end, a range of visible applications, website or apps. In the background, supported by applications in which data is well stored; and all linked with smart APIs. An additional advantage is that data becomes much more widely usable, and personal data are better protected.

Thinking along.

Cube is happy to help think about how to set up such a landscape. We can quickly assess where profits can be made, and where we can deploy a value-added application. It often starts small. You don't have to say goodbye to your existing systems right away. A migration to a microservice architecture can be done in steps. Manageable small steps.