Legacy Application Modernisation Services
What we can do for you.
Your web application used to be an asset. Now it's a liability. We help you turn it back into something that supports your business.
Who are we?
Old software powers your business, but it's holding you back.
Whether you're dealing with a departed developer or a fragile system that feels too risky to change, our legacy system modernisation services can help. We specialise in rescuing JavaScript and Ruby applications for UK SMEs, stabilising them first, then modernising incrementally without risky rebuilds.
What is web application rescue?
Stabilising a codebase that’s risky and expensive to change.
Maybe your original developer disappeared. Maybe the documentation is non-existent. Maybe every change breaks something else. Whatever the cause, your application has become a bottleneck to growth instead of an enabler. Rescue means solving that problem for you.
What is legacy modernisation?
Incremental transformation of a liability back into an asset.
Modernisation doesn't mean rebuilding from scratch. It means systematically addressing the problems that matter most: updating outdated dependencies, improving architecture where it's failing you, enabling the features your business needs. The goal is an application that works for you again, not a risky multi-year rewrite.
When do you need it?
When your legacy software is preventing growth.
You're afraid to make changes. New features take forever. Performance has degraded. Bugs are everywhere. Security vulnerabilities are mounting. You know something needs to change, but you're not sure where to start or who to trust with it.
Calm, measured and pragmatic
“BitBrawn have been brilliant for RIFT; they have led numerous successful web application development projects, and their calm, measured and pragmatic approach immediately instils confidence. They understand the business issues we’re trying to solve and develop practical solutions to drive us forwards.”
Technologies
What we work with.
We focus on JavaScript and Ruby ecosystems. Being explicit about our focus helps you decide if we're the right fit for you.
We do work with
Ruby / Rails web apps- Ruby / Rails APIs
- JavaScript / Node.js APIs
- JavaScript / React frontends
- Other JavaScript UI libraries
- TypeScript
Whether your application runs on Rails or React, Express or Next.js, we've worked with the full spectrum of Ruby and JavaScript ecosystems. Our deep focus on these technologies means we can step into unfamiliar codebases and deliver legacy software modernisation with confidence.
We don't work with
PHP / Laravel / WordPress- Python / Django
- .NET / Java / C#
- Mobile apps (iOS/Android)
- Shopify / Magento
We've chosen to specialise. Spreading thin across every stack would mean knowing a little about everything and mastering nothing. By staying focused, we can step into your codebase with real depth.
How Legacy System Modernisation Works
Our legacy modernisation process follows a natural progression, delivering value at every step with room to adjust as we learn more about your application.
Assessment & Prioritisation
We'll examine your codebase, document what exists, and identify critical risks, quick wins, and what it will take to stabilise. We'll produce a prioritised plan that addresses critical stability and security issues, then modernisation opportunities, with clear milestones.
A calm, measured and pragmatic approach that instils confidence.
Stabilisation
We'll prioritise the most important issues with your application in accordance with your priorities as a business, so you get back to feeling in control of your software as soon as possible. Typically this means addressing critical bugs, improving documentation and tests, and fixing security issues.
Experience, pragmatism and humility. Immediately gained the team's trust.
Modernisation
We'll incrementally upgrade application architecture, dependencies, performance, and features to bring your product in line with customer expectations, and enable efficient ongoing development.
Significantly reduced both our time and costs across multiple intricate web application development projects.
Handover & Ongoing Support
We'll document all our work, share some suggestions for the future, and hand everything back to you. Don't worry though, we offer generous ongoing support options that mean we're available whenever you need us.
Without assistance they methodically unravelled older applications in order to understand their setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
Your questions answered.
Common questions about rescuing and modernising aging web applications.
Can you charge a fixed price?
Yes. We prefer to charge a fixed price for project milestones, because our clients prefer certainty. We usually invoice on a 50% up-front, 50% prior to go-live basis.
What should we expect to pay?
Most rescue and modernisation projects fall in the £10,000–£50,000 range, depending on complexity. We'll be honest with you about how much we can help given your budget.
Do you offer support?
Our work comes with 30 days of complimentary bug fixes and support from the point it goes live. Outside of this, support can be negotiated on a per-engagement basis.
What if our plans change?
Our milestone-based approach means we can adjust the scope of the project as needed. We can negotiate something new or cancel milestones. Cancellations will mean no deliverables from us, and no 50% final payment for you.
Will you come to our offices?
Yes — We primarily work remotely, but we're happy to be with you in-person when it makes sense to do so. This can be factored into the scope of your project, or billed for at an hourly rate.
Are you the right size for us?
Where necessary, we can pull in additional resource from a network of trusted associates (skilled designers, developers, and subject matter experts) to keep things running smoothly.
What if our codebase is a mess?
This is our speciality. We've inherited plenty of undocumented, fragile codebases. We'll assess what you have and give you an honest picture of the work required.
Do we need a full rebuild?
Usually not. We modernise incrementally, addressing the worst problems first while preserving what works. Full rebuilds are rarely necessary.
What if our previous developer disappeared?
This is common. Our assessment process is designed for exactly this situation. We'll document what exists and get you back in control.
How do you learn our system?
We follow a systematic assessment methodology: reviewing architecture, dependencies, deployment, tests, and documentation. We've done this many times.
Contact
Ready to get back on track?.
Book a free consultation call to discuss your aging JavaScript or Ruby application, or email us directly.
Book a consultation call
We offer a free 15 minute call to discuss rescuing your aging application, so you can ask questions while getting to know us.
Book a consultationEmail us
If you have any questions, want to send us a message, or simply prefer communicating digitally, you're more than welcome to email us instead.
hello@bitbrawn.com