Series: What’s Stopping Businesses from Application Server Migrations: Insights From Industry Players - Part 2

Migration Hesitation: Why Fear and Stagnation May Be Costing Your Business More Than You Think

There is no doubt that moving mission-critical applications to a new runtime environment is no small task. The fear of disruption, cost overruns and unknown risks often leads businesses to avoid necessary changes, even when the current system is far from optimal.

In the blog series ‘What’s Stopping Businesses from Application Server Migrations – Insights from Industry Players’ we explore one the reasons behind this hesitation and the real costs associated with migration fears. In the first blog post, we covered the fear of the unknown and business disruptions. In this second episode, we look at the fear of migration costs. In effect, as many business leaders reveal, the perceived financial risks often can overshadow the potential long-term benefits of moving to a different application server.

The Cost of Migration: More Than Just Software

One of the biggest concerns when it comes to migration is the financial burden. Migrating to a new server often entails direct costs like licensing fees and infrastructure upgrades, but there are also hidden expenses, including staff training, consultant fees and potential downtime.

As Daniel Bunn, Managing Director at Innovate, points out, the high upfront costs of migration can deter organizations, especially smaller businesses: “Migrating to a new server often involves significant costs, including licensing fees, infrastructure investments, and potential downtime. These costs are a major barrier, especially for smaller organizations such as Innovate.”

In addition, for many organizations, there are lots of unknowns, which translate into financial risk. Without a clear roadmap, migration can lead to unexpected disruptions, and the possibility of cost overruns looms large.

Richard Morgan, CEO and Head of Research at Catalyst Fund, comments: “Beyond immediate investments in hardware and software, hidden expenses like staff training, consultant fees, and potential productivity losses during adaptation must be considered. Balancing these costs against long-term benefits can be difficult, often leading organizations to maintain current systems despite limitations. The complexity and resource intensity of server migration often deter organizations from undertaking this significant technological shift.”

George Blandford, Co-Founder of UK Linkology, agrees: “Our primary resistance to switching application servers is due to the expenses. Besides the price to buy and use a new one, we have to pay extra costs to maintain and license the server in the future, including installation support, and so on. This migration will require an external consultant or specialist to be hired.

“Also, the small number of IT personnel should be ready to implement a new system, which will require both their time and money. At the same time, the IT budget is still limited, and all expenditures must be justified. The chance of unexpected spending is also very high because of the unknown migration process, which makes this task financially risky."

Many businesses find themselves weighing the financial benefits of sticking with outdated systems against the potential costs of migrating to a more modern solution. Here’s what Emily Carlson, CIO at PBA Consulting, says: "As a CIO I can say that the largest hurdle is resources - people and finances. I would need to transition resources from working on key strategic and operational projects in order to support a new solution.

“Additionally, I feel that before purchase I should look at the suite of tools I already own and then determine how to best integrate an alternative. Again, the overspend on redundant applications is astronomical and, if I am going to invest in something new, I want to take the time to do it correctly without adding redundancy in my environment."

Balancing Cost vs. Benefits: Why Businesses Hold Off

Besides the pure costs, allocating the necessary internal resources is a critical challenge for many organizations considering application server migrations. Many CIOs face the dilemma of pulling teams away from core operations and strategic projects to handle the migration, stretching already limited IT budgets and personnel. The need for additional training and potential consultant fees only adds to the operational strain. Many businesses are left asking: Can we afford the disruption?

Furthermore, most concerns are not just about the initial price tag but also the long-term expenses and the uncertainty that comes with migration. Beyond software and hardware, many organizations struggle with balancing immediate expenses against the long-term benefits of modernization. This cost-benefit dilemma often leads organizations to maintain outdated systems even when they’re no longer the best fit. As a result, the perceived risks of migration can leave companies stuck in a cycle of maintaining an inefficient system rather than investing in a better solution.

Overcoming Migration Fears: How to Plan Cost-Effective Migrations

While the financial, operational and resource-related costs of migration are valid concerns, there are ways to mitigate these risks. The key is partnering with the right application server vendor—one that offers not just a better product but also comprehensive migration support and clear pricing.

While application server migrations can be intimidating, especially with concerns over cost, and resource allocation, staying with an outdated solution often carries more hidden risks. In a marketplace where competition is fierce, the quest for better performance, scalability and innovation should outweigh the fear of migration operations.

A spokesperson from Best Western, company that chose to migrate from JBoss to Payara Platform Enterprise, comments: "In terms of support costs Payara is 60% cheaper than JBoss. Our engineers are extremely satisfied with Payara Platform’s performance. They started using Payara Platform on a small scale and as things worked well quickly, they have increased their Payara usage exponentially."

When carefully planned and executed with the right partner, app server migration doesn’t have to involve considerable costs and be a source of fear—it can be a cost-effective launchpad for growth.

Is your current application server holding you back? At Payara, we can help you transition with confidence and in line with your budget, ensuring business continuity and delivering long-term value. Let’s tackle the cost fear together.