In a lot of industries, there are legacy software packages from providers who no longer exist or have ceased support. Which often leads to the need to continue to run an old PC that is compatible with the old computer software systems. This results in the following issues:
We recently took on a new customer with this exact problem. For them, they were holding asbestos records so had a legal responsibility to protect and store this information. The machine was plugged in on a spare desk, and if they wanted to access the information on it, they would have to get out of their seats and walk over to that part of the office. There was no backup of this machine and so had it just stopped working, it was unlikely that they would be able to recover the information. The programme storing the data was no longer available, and the providers of the software didn’t even exist anymore! Which is all too common and many people live with similar ticking time bombs not knowing what the alternatives are.
There are two aspects to any machine: the hardware and the software. The first thing we need to do is to remove the dependency between these two. Which will allow us to migrate all the software including the old version of Microsoft Windows to new PC hardware? Which is important as these types of systems like our clients asbestos software often won’t run on newer versions of Windows, and so you can’t just install them as you would normally. Add to the mix that like them, you may not have the install disc anyway and the company that produced the software doesn’t even exist anymore, you have no choice but to be more creative in your approach.
Using the latest virtualisation tools, we were able to take a copy of all the software on this computer and put it in its own self-contained ‘bubble.’ It is now possible for the customer to move this self-contained environment between different PCs/Servers with relative ease. Using virtualisation, you can open the whole of your old computer as a desktop app in the same way you open Word, Chrome or any other program. You double click on the shortcut and you see your whole old PC, desktop and software, open as another window which allowed us to place the old machine as an app on their remote desktop server.
In short, there is always a way around a problem. Their old IT support company could have done this but never even mentioned it. If your IT support company is not very forthcoming with proactive solutions to problems, then it will be a challenge to have an original answer to your questions. We take great joy in finding simple but effective solutions for our customers knowing that small changes like the one described can make a big difference.
Unlike most, we have a genuine care for the differences these small changes can make.
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