As you already know, and as we’ve been saying for a while, rationalization is a critical first step for migrating applications – be it to Windows 7/8, Server 2008/12 or virtual platforms. By rationalizing the portfolio, IT and application owners can identify unused, redundant, and out of date applications and trim down the portfolio through application elimination, consolidation, and modernization. Migration project costs and duration can be significantly reduced as a result.

A recent survey that we conducted reveals that IT managers feel strongly about the benefits of rationalization for a migration project; 43% of respondents feel that rationalization is “extremely important” to a successful Windows 7 migration project, and a further 26% feel that it is “very important”. When asked how much of a reduction in portfolio size could be realized through a rationalization effort, 38% feel that reductions of 11 – 20% could be seen, while 35% indicate that their potential reductions would be even greater.

While the benefits are clear, many organizations do not conduct portfolio rationalization. Approximately half of the respondents in the Futurestate IT survey either do not rationalize their application portfolios at all, or do it only on an ad-hoc basis. Further, 87% rated their application portfolio health to be in poor or moderate condition. One of the biggest reasons cited by respondents for not conducting regular rationalization was simply lack of time. It’s a vicious cycle; resources are too busy supporting too many apps to analyze the portfolio and get rid of the unnecessary apps that are consuming time and resources. Turning to automated solutions like AppRx for help can be just what the doctor ordered in this case.

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