Incremental strangle-fig rewrite
Replace the old system piece by piece behind a routing layer. Every sprint retires a chunk of legacy code without a big-bang cutover. The business keeps working the whole way through.
Service
Legacy software modernisation for Australian businesses
Vendor support ending in 90 days. The developer who built it has left. The framework has been end-of-life for two years and every plugin update breaks something. That is the moment most people land on this page.
We handle PHP support and upgrades, AngularJS to modern Angular or React, .NET Framework rescue and .NET Core migration, WordPress hack recovery and rebuilds, and database migration across SQL Server, MySQL, and Access. Plus the custom modernisation projects that do not fit a neat category.
- AU-owned Perth-based · servicing Australia
- 18+ yrs Rescuing legacy business systems
- Fixed Price scopes, no surprises
- 100% Code ownership handed back
Rescue, not resell
A legacy software modernisation company that reads the code first
Most people who need legacy system rescue services have already been told to rip everything out and start again. That is rarely the right answer. The business logic in a system that has been running for a decade is worth something. The problem is usually the framework version, the hosting, the abandoned dependencies, or the fact that the last developer left.
We do not walk in with a rewrite quote. We read the codebase, run the tests that exist and add the ones that do not, and give you an honest read on what is worth keeping and what is not. Sometimes the answer is a framework upgrade and a security pass. Sometimes it is a phased rebuild. Either way you own the code, and the plan is written before any invoices go out.
Australian businesses across manufacturing, healthcare, professional services, and field operations run their operation on software older than most of the internet. Enterprise application modernisation is not about chasing the newest stack. It is about landing on something supported, patched, and something the next person on your team can actually maintain.
How it runs
A legacy rescue project, end to end
Three stages. Read the code first, stabilise before touching anything, then modernise on your timeline.
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Week 0–2
Triage & code audit
I read the codebase end to end, map the dependencies, and inventory the risks. You get a written audit covering framework versions, known CVEs, dead code, missing tests, and the pieces genuinely worth keeping. Fixed-price plan inside two weeks.
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Weeks 2–6
Stabilise before upgrading
Security patches applied, hosting hardened, monitoring added, and enough tests written to make the next step safe. The system stops leaking before anything gets rewritten. If the vendor cutoff is close, this is the fire we put out first.
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Cutover phase
Migrate & modernise in phased cutover
New version built in parallel, users moved across in stages, rollback flag ready if anything breaks. No big-bang weekend. When the last user is on the new system, the old one is decommissioned and the documentation and source code are handed back to you in full.
Our Services
Legacy software modernisation services we deliver
Vendor cutoff coming
Framework EOL in 90 days? Talk to someone who has seen this before.
If your host is emailing about PHP 5.6 hitting end-of-life, if the AngularJS site nobody has touched in three years is finally showing cracks, or if the developer who built the .NET WebForms app just handed in their resignation — that is the call we take every week. We stabilise first, then plan the modernisation on a timeline that works for the business.
How we modernise
Six approaches to a legacy modernisation project
No two legacy systems are the same. The plan we bring depends on what the audit finds — sometimes a version upgrade, sometimes a phased rebuild, sometimes just a modern API wrapper so the old system can talk to new tools.
Phased cutover
New system built in parallel, both systems running side by side, users moved across a team or region at a time. Rollback is a single flag if something breaks.
Framework version upgrade
The architecture stays, the framework moves forward. PHP 5 to 8, .NET Framework to .NET, AngularJS to Angular. Same features, supported runtime, patched security.
Legacy-to-cloud lift
On-prem server or hosted VM moved to AWS or Azure. Same app, better uptime, no more physical hardware to worry about. Data stays in Australia.
Data migration + rebuild
When the code is beyond saving but the data is critical. We rebuild the application on modern architecture and migrate every record, workflow, and permission into the new system.
Temporary bridge / API wrapper
Legacy database or system that has to keep running for now. We wrap it in a modern API so new tools and integrations can talk to it while the long-term rebuild happens in the background.
Real rescue scenarios
Six situations we handle every month
Every legacy rescue looks different from the outside but tends to fall into a handful of patterns. Here are the ones we see most, with the shape of what an engagement usually looks like.
PHP 5.x or 7.x app that needs to reach PHP 8
Your host has emailed to say PHP 5.6 or 7.4 support ends soon. The codebase is a mix of custom controllers, ageing frameworks, and libraries that have not been updated in years. Direct 8.x compatibility is nowhere near clean.
We audit every deprecated function, missing type hint, and dead dependency, then bring the app forward one supported version at a time. Tests added along the way so the upgrade is verifiable, not hopeful.
See PHP support & upgradesAngularJS front-end that needs to move to a supported framework
AngularJS 1.x hit end-of-life in 2022. Google will not patch it, hiring for it is difficult, and every new browser release risks breaking something. But a full rewrite is a big commit.
We run a hybrid migration: modern Angular or React shell wrapping the AngularJS app, then one route at a time gets ported across. Users keep the same URLs and the same login. The rewrite is invisible.
See AngularJS migrationMicrosoft Access database used by the whole team
The .mdb or .accdb file is on a shared drive. Everyone opens it. Someone locks a record and the office grinds to a halt. Only one person actually understands the forms and queries, and they left, or are about to.
We rebuild it as a proper multi-user web app hosted in Australia. Same business logic, same reports, same workflows. Add role-based access, audit history, and integrations Access could never do.
See Access database replacementWordPress site that has been hacked or won't update
Google is flagging the site. Admin logins are failing. Half the plugins are showing update prompts you cannot run because the theme is a decade old and will crash if you do. The last agency has ghosted you.
We take the site over cleanly. Malware removed, hosting hardened, plugins and theme audited, and the codebase brought back to something your team or ours can maintain. Rebuild the theme if it is beyond saving.
See WordPress rescueASP.NET Framework app that needs to move to modern .NET
WebForms, MVC 4/5, WCF services, or a Windows-only .NET Framework 4.x codebase. It runs, but Microsoft has moved on and every year the hosting bill and security exposure gets worse.
We upgrade to modern .NET (6, 7, or 8) so the app becomes cross-platform, cloud-ready, and eligible for long-term support. WebForms replaced with Razor Pages or Blazor as appropriate. Data model preserved.
See .NET support & upgradesOld SQL Server, MySQL 5, or proprietary database that has to move
SQL Server 2008 or 2012 out of support. MySQL 5 that a hosted app is stuck on. Or a niche legacy database (Btrieve, dBase, Pervasive) that runs one part of the business and nobody wants to touch.
We map the schema, migrate the data with validation, port stored procedures and reporting, and cutover to a modern engine. Business intelligence and downstream integrations preserved.
See database migration Where legacy hides
Legacy modernisation by industry
Some industries carry more legacy code than others. Here are the ones we walk into most often.
Manufacturing & Industrial
Production tracking apps, plant floor systems, batch reporting tools built in Access or old .NET. Often the only person who understood them retired last year. We modernise without stopping the line.
Mining & Field Operations
Site apps that still run on Windows Server 2012, legacy compliance databases, contractor tracking built on abandoned frameworks. We upgrade the stack, add mobile support, and keep the field workflows intact.
Professional Services
Client management, time tracking, and invoicing tools built by the previous IT person a decade ago. Still critical, still fragile. We rebuild on a supported platform without disrupting billing cycles.
Healthcare
Patient databases in Access, referral tracking in old .NET WebForms, clinic management on unsupported PHP. Sensitive data that has to keep flowing while the platform underneath gets modernised.
Education & Training
Student management systems, course platforms, and enrolment tools built on ageing WordPress, custom PHP, or Silverlight. We stabilise, upgrade, and connect to the LMS or CRM your institution actually uses today.
Trades & Services
Job management, quoting, and scheduling apps built years ago on Access, VB6, or early PHP. Field workers on paper because the mobile side never got built. We modernise the whole stack and add proper mobile access.
Our PHP 5.6 host was cutting off support and we could not find the original developer. HELLO PEOPLE took the codebase over, stabilised it on a supported version inside three weeks, and then rebuilt the front-end on modern Angular over the next four months. The team never lost a day of work.
FAQs
Common questions about legacy software modernisation
Our vendor is dropping support in 90 days — how fast can you help?
Fast. A triage call inside a week, a written stabilisation plan inside two. If the risk is security patches or a hosting cutoff, we can usually keep the system running on a supported version well before the vendor deadline, and then plan the longer modernisation work behind that.
Do we need to rewrite everything?
Usually no. Most legacy rescue projects start with an audit, and the audit almost always finds parts of the codebase worth keeping. A framework upgrade, a data-layer refactor, and some patching often gets you three or four more years of life. Full rewrites are the exception, not the default.
What if the original developers are gone?
That is the most common situation we walk into. We treat the codebase as the source of truth, read it end to end, and rebuild the mental model from what is there. Documentation gets written as we go, so the next person, ours or yours, has something to work from.
How do you plan a phased cutover?
New system built in parallel to the old one. Users, or teams, or regions moved across in stages. Both systems run side by side for the transition window, with a single rollback flag if something breaks. No big-bang weekend where the whole business holds its breath.
Can we keep the data and workflows during migration?
Yes. Data migration is a standard part of every legacy project. Schema mapped, records validated, business rules preserved. Workflow handovers are tested in a staging environment before anything touches production, and reporting continuity is verified so historical comparisons still work.
What if our framework version is 5+ years old?
Common. PHP 5.6, .NET Framework 4.x, AngularJS 1.x, WordPress on unsupported hosting, MySQL 5. We have upgraded from all of them. The path is usually staged: patch the immediate security exposure first, then upgrade one supported version at a time until you land on something with a long-term support window.
How do you handle security patches during modernisation?
Security first. Before any modernisation work starts, known CVEs against your current stack get triaged and patched, or the system gets moved behind a hardened proxy if the underlying framework cannot be patched safely. Modernisation runs on top of a stabilised base, not a leaking one.
What is the typical timeline for a legacy rescue project?
About 4 to 8 weeks for triage and stabilisation. Framework version upgrades typically run 8 to 16 weeks. Full modernisation with phased cutover is usually 4 to 9 months, depending on codebase size and how many integrations feed into the system. You get a fixed-price plan after the audit, not before.
Sending your details…
You can stay on this page while we send it.
Tell us what needs rescuing
Framework end-of-life, a codebase nobody understands, a vendor cutoff on the calendar, or a database that has to move. Describe the situation and we will come back with a written triage and a realistic path forward.
Prefer a quick chat? Call 0425 531 127. We answer the phone in Perth.
