While working on a piece about the talent crunch in cybersecurity, I was a tad surprised when legacy systems popped up as a common challenge that IT administrators struggle with today.
I expected organizations would have figured out by now that IT sprawl is costly and their adoption of new technology in search of operational efficiencies is unlikely to be fruitful if their migration plan does not include phasing out legacy systems.
With resources already scarce, clinging on to legacy infrastructure increases the workload for cybersecurity teams that have to safeguard newly acquired systems while still dealing with old tools that may no longer be supported by the manufacturer.
A recent botched transition to a new transport e-payment platform in Singapore might offer some answers.
On Jan. 9, the Land Transport Authority announced that two legacy stored value cards, EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay, would no longer be used to pay for public transport fares starting from June.
The move is part of the country's transition to the SimplyGo system that LTA said had commenced in 2019.
Apart from its use as payment for public bus and train fares, the contactless EZ-Link cards are also accepted as a payment option at various locations island-wide, including convenience stores, fast-food outlets, and taxis.
In its statement, LTA said most commuters would not be affected by the transition because they already are using SimplyGo EZ-Link or contactless bank cards.
The transport authority probably wasn't expecting the public outcry that swiftly followed.
In touting the benefits of SimplyGo, LTA said the platform's mobile app allows commuters to top up their cards anytime via credit or debit card and receive notification when the balance on their SimplyGo card is low.
They can also block further transactions if they lose their card.
Top on the list of grievances is the omission of one key feature that is available on the existing EZ-Link ecosystem: the ability to view fare deductions and card balances as commuters pass through train station gates and bus card readers.
This capability quickly emerged as a basic function that many had come to expect - and already had access to - on their public transport infrastructure, and were promptly appalled the feature would no longer be available on a supposedly newer and better system.
Chee said the existing infrastructure will remain in place until at least 2030 and SG$40 million will be set aside to purchase new hardware and maintain the existing system to allow commuters to continue using EZ-Link and NETS FlashPay cards.
Chee added that he had tasked LTA to assess ways to enhance the features and improve user experiences for account-based ticketing cards.
In particular, the priority will be finding ways for these cards to provide what commuters want - to view fare deductions and card balances as they enter and exit trains and buses.
To convince users to adopt new technology, you need to first give them a reason to do so.
Start by identifying how the new technology can benefit them and the organization.
Underestimating the importance of user buy-in will more likely lead to a resistance to change and is a key reason why businesses end up having to retain legacy systems.
As Singapore has seen, it only takes one underestimated user feature to halt an entire migration plan and add years to a system otherwise headed for sunset.
This Cyber News was published on www.zdnet.com. Publication date: Mon, 12 Feb 2024 10:13:03 +0000