Insurance Mainframe Core Modernization to Open Stack System on Cloud

SLK helps a Fortune 100 insurer to modernize their Core Mainframe application and migrate it to the cloud improving integration & customer experience, reducing total cost of ownership by 35%, and enabling 30% faster go-to-market.

Case Summary

A Fortune 100 insurer struggled with operational costs, workforce challenges, and M&A integration issues due to a legacy core mainframe application. We helped overcome these challenges by helping them move to the latest open stack technologies on the cloud: this improved business agility, customer experience, and streamlined M&A integration.

The Challenge

Although effective and capable in their time, many legacy systems face the uphill challenge of evolving, managing data, integrating with other systems, or keeping pace with the demands of end-users and modern technology. In addition, legacy systems incurred additional costs in managing them, and the client was locked in with the vendor. Finding people well-versed with mainframe skills was also a challenge, so talent availability was a risk. Finally, inability to evolve quickly meant they were not aligned with the business and couldn’t provide the agility needed in digital times, impacting the customer experience.

To overcome these challenges, live up to the digital economy’s demands, and streamline M&A integration efforts, the insurer decided to move to the cloud.

The Solution

SLK partnered with the client and created a legacy modernization strategy to aid their move to the latest open-system-based architecture on the cloud. We also leveraged products and accelerators to jump-start the modernization efforts.

The key solution tenets included:

  • Automated Code Conversion from legacy Mainframe technology to Next-Gen technologies
  • Automated solution to seamlessly lift and shift the legacy stack to a modern MS Azure cloud-based instance for cloud enablement Built Data Hub for Data Interchange as APIs utilizing Insurance Industry Standards such as LIMRA; de-risking the dependency on core and middle-tier
  • Leveraged a proven risk mitigation framework by partnering with a specialist in this area. Deployed a unique, automated application conversion solution for transition to the cloud that is faster, easier, and comes with a time and cost guarantee
  • Leveraged SLK and partner accelerators such as Data validation framework, Fast API framework, Service Virtualization, Cloud strategy builder and Application portfolio rationalization, Mainframe Transformation, etc.

Business Impact

35%

Savings

30%

Improved speed to market

1.5M

Lines of code migrated

SLK’s Efforts Showed Quick Results:

The move to the cloud supported the business vision of the client. It enabled:

  • Successful M&A integration of systems between the insurer and its acquired entity
  • Talent risk reduction and freed-up talent pool for business-critical engagements
  • Assimilation into Open, Cloud Technologies

Together SLK and the client addressed the transformation need by using SLK’s proven methodology, frameworks, and accelerators for a faster and more successful legacy transformation journey.