Design and implementation of legacy system integration for public administration

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Designing and implementing legacy system integration in public administration is one of the key challenges for the digital transformation of the public sector. At a time when the demand for efficient, interoperable, and secure digital services is growing exponentially, many administrations are forced to deal with obsolete systems that are difficult to update and replace.

For this reason, integrating legacy systems means more than just connecting old and new software; it also involves orchestrating a complex process involving security, data governance, scalable architectures, and, above all, business continuity.

For over 35 years, we have been working alongside those who need to innovate systems and technologies every day to enhance business-critical processes.

Why legacy systems are still so widespread in public administration

Legacy systems are applications or IT infrastructures that, despite being technologically obsolete, are still essential for carrying out the most essential public functions. These include registry management, taxes, protocol, healthcare, and justice, which are managed with internally developed software that is difficult to document and often based on languages or architectures that are no longer supported.

The problem is therefore not simply technical, as many of these platforms contain historical databases, consolidated process logic, and connections to other entities. A radical replacement can be costly, risky, and complex from a regulatory and organizational standpoint. Hence the need to focus on integration as an effective solution for modernization while maintaining service continuity.

Integration Design and Implementation Phases

Designing and implementing the integration of legacy systems in public administration requires a methodical and structured approach, divided into several phases:

Current status analysis: identifying the functioning of existing systems, their architecture, data access points, and dependencies with other services, in order to map risks and identify priorities;
Definition of the integration architecture: Technical methods for connecting legacy systems and new digital environments are chosen, such as API gateways, web services, middleware, integration buses (ESBs), or low-code/no-code solutions to connect data and functions;
Data security and governance: Each step must comply with personal data protection regulations (e.g., GDPR) and guarantee the security of transmitting and accessing sensitive information;
Development and testing: Implementation takes place in controlled environments, with thorough testing to validate functionality, verify performance, and ensure interoperability between systems;
Production deployment and monitoring: Once integration is underway, it is essential to monitor performance, prevent potential bottlenecks, and intervene promptly in the event of anomalies.

Benefits for the Efficiency and Accessibility of Public Services

The primary benefit of properly integrating legacy systems is that it allows public administrations to:

Digitize services without having to completely rewrite mission-critical applications;
Improve the user experience by offering faster services, including online access, and integrated across different entities;
Reduce long-term costs by avoiding operational disruptions and leveraging existing infrastructure;
Promote interoperability, one of the key principles set forth in the national guidelines for the digitalization of public administration.

The right skills and partners make the difference

Designing and implementing legacy system integration requires a mix of vertical skills, primarily knowledge of legacy architectures, API development, cybersecurity, change management, and project management.

Therefore, the best choice is to rely on specialized technology partners like Sysnet, which, for over 30 years, has offered its customers customized solutions, avoiding service interruptions and ensuring compliance with national directives, such as the Three-Year Plan for IT in the Public Administration.

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