IT

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Application modernization without stopping the business

We take the monolith to cloud native microservices, with containers and Kubernetes. We use Strangler Fig, blue-green deployment and feature flags to migrate one piece at a time.

Tell us about your project

Legacy applications are modernized one component at a time.

Application modernization renews legacy applications (architecture, infrastructure and code) so they are easy to change, release and connect to other systems again. SparkFabrik is an AI Native Engineering company that has modernized applications for clients such as CNP Vita, Il Giornale and La Scuola.

Every application has its own strategy: sometimes moving it to the cloud is enough, sometimes it has to be redesigned, rewritten or replaced. We choose it among the 5 Rs (rehosting, refactoring, rearchitecting, rebuilding, replacing) and validate it with a Proof of Concept on a critical component. The work covers containers orchestrated on Kubernetes, CI/CD pipelines and Platform Engineering, microservices with domain-driven design, and APIs that connect other systems and new channels.

Results

What changes for your team

  • Small, reversible releases

    With modular architectures and DevOps pipelines each component is released on its own, and you can roll back when needed.

  • Integrations through APIs

    With an API-first approach the modernized application connects to your other systems and to new channels.

  • Costs that follow the real load

    A modernized component scales on its own, without sizing the whole monolith for the peak.

The 5 Rs of modernization.

From a simple move to the cloud to a rewrite, we choose the best balance between risk, time and return.

  1. Rehosting

    Lift and shift to the cloud

    We move the application to a cloud infrastructure with minimal code changes: suited to systems that cannot stop.

  2. Refactoring

    Code optimization for the cloud

    We rework the code from the inside for the cloud, with containers and DevOps practices, keeping the functionality.

    See also: DevOps and Platform Engineering

  3. Rearchitecting

    Redesign towards microservices

    We turn the monolith into microservices on Kubernetes, with service meshes and event-driven architectures.

    See also: Kubernetes consulting

  4. Rebuilding

    Complete cloud native rewrite

    We rewrite the application as cloud native, API-first and stateless, when it is too complex or outdated to adapt.

    See also: Web Application

  5. Replacing

    Replacement with SaaS or PaaS

    We replace it with a SaaS or PaaS service, integrated with existing systems through APIs.

    See also: the CIO guide to cloud native applications
Success Stories

Applications we modernized for our clients.

All success stories

  • Kubernetes Certified Service ProviderCloud Native Computing Foundation
  • CNCF
    CNCF memberCloud Native Computing Foundation
  • OpenSSF
    OpenSSF memberOpen Source Security Foundation
  • ISO/IEC 27001
    ISO/IEC 27001, 27017, 27018Information security

Assessment, strategy, implementation.

From the initial assessment to the release in production.

  1. 01

    Assessment

    Assessment workshops and risk analysis; we choose the strategy (5 Rs) and a roadmap with priorities, timelines and costs.

  2. 02

    Strategy

    Target architecture and migration path, validated with a Proof of Concept on a critical component.

  3. 03

    Implementation

    Containers, CI/CD pipelines and cloud native architectures, with Strangler Fig and blue-green deployment so the service never stops.

The guarantees of AI Native Engineering

Resources

Further reading

Whitepaper · PDF

The CIO guide to cloud native applications

The business impact and the three main approaches.

Download the guide

Frequently asked questions.

About application modernization.

What is Application Modernization?

It is the work that moves a legacy application to a modern architecture, usually containers and Kubernetes, without throwing away what works. For each application you pick one of the 5 Rs, from a simple move to the cloud to replacement, based on risk, time and return.

Who provides Application Modernization services in Europe?

SparkFabrik is a Kubernetes Certified Service Provider and a member of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF). It modernizes the legacy applications of Italian and European organizations from assessment to production: migration strategy, containerization, microservices architectures and DevOps automation, with an incremental migration that keeps the service running.

Do you use AI on our projects? With what guarantees?

Yes. AI helps us read and analyze the legacy code, but we decide the modernization strategy with you, one component at a time. Every change goes through tests and review, and a person on the team approves it before release. Specifications, rules and pipelines stay in your repository.

How long does application modernization take?

It depends on the chosen strategy (rehosting, refactoring, rearchitecting or rebuilding), on the complexity of the application and its integrations, and on how involved your team is in the work. We discuss it in a first conversation, with no commitment.

We work incrementally: the first modernized components go live while the rest of the work continues.

Does modernization require stopping the existing application?

No. The old system stays in service while the new one takes its place:

  • Strangler Fig Pattern: gradual component replacement
  • Blue-green deployment: switch to the new system without downtime
  • Feature flags: new features are switched on step by step
  • Parallel migration: new and old systems coexist

Automated tests in the pipeline, rollbacks and monitoring make every step reversible.

What technologies do you use for modernization?
  • Containers: Docker for containerization
  • Orchestration: Kubernetes for management and scaling
  • Infrastructure as Code: Terraform, Helm
  • CI/CD: GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, ArgoCD
  • Cloud: AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, multi-cloud
  • Architectures: microservices, event-driven, API-first

Where to go next.

Talk to the CEO or the CTO.

Tell us which applications you want to modernize and which systems they must keep working with. We will tell you which component we would start with.

Tell us about your project
CEO Stefano MainardiBook 30 minutes CTO Paolo MainardiBook 30 minutes

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