Modernizing Legacy Systems Via API Centric Product Models

Many businesses are still relying on legacy systems as the main technology, but these systems often cannot meet the requirements of agility, interoperability, and innovation. Among the product models based on APIs, there is one that is leading to the modernization of legacy systems in a structured manner by directing the exposure of functionality through standardized, reusable, and business-oriented APIs. This paper offers an overview of the conceptual foundation, implementation methodologies, and major effects of modernization through APIs. One of the main conclusions is that the use of API-based models leads to complexity reduction in terms of integration, quicker service exposure, and improvement in the productivity of developers, in addition to generating business value that can be shared among customers, employees, partners, and even regulators. Moreover, the paper points out some of the research questions and future paths to the modernizations of legacy systems that are scalable, secure, and enabled by ecosystems.