Migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud: a socio-technical perspective

Cloud computing offers significant benefits for organizations, yet migrating legacy software to the cloud presents unique challenges for higher education institutions. This study investigates these challenges from a socio-technical perspective, addressing gaps in existing research. Using a mixed-met...

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Main Author: Bashair Althani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Cogent Business & Management
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2025.2503421
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author Bashair Althani
author_facet Bashair Althani
author_sort Bashair Althani
collection DOAJ
description Cloud computing offers significant benefits for organizations, yet migrating legacy software to the cloud presents unique challenges for higher education institutions. This study investigates these challenges from a socio-technical perspective, addressing gaps in existing research. Using a mixed-method approach, we surveyed and interviewed stakeholders across five Saudi Arabian universities. Our findings reveal a complex interplay between technical, social, and organizational factors influencing cloud migration decisions. While institutions recognize benefits like improved accessibility and cost-effectiveness, they face barriers including technical complexities, resource constraints, and organizational resistance. The study’s key contribution is an integrated model for legacy software migration in higher education, emphasizing a resource-centric approach, pre-migration readiness, and agile decision-making tools. This model provides a comprehensive framework for policymakers and institutional leaders, bridging technical requirements with organizational realities to facilitate effective cloud adoption strategies in higher education.
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spelling doaj-art-dcbeb9ce340e4f8b866b8cde60a615e12025-08-20T03:49:41ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCogent Business & Management2331-19752025-12-0112110.1080/23311975.2025.2503421Migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud: a socio-technical perspectiveBashair Althani0Department of Management Information Systems, College of Business Administration, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi ArabiaCloud computing offers significant benefits for organizations, yet migrating legacy software to the cloud presents unique challenges for higher education institutions. This study investigates these challenges from a socio-technical perspective, addressing gaps in existing research. Using a mixed-method approach, we surveyed and interviewed stakeholders across five Saudi Arabian universities. Our findings reveal a complex interplay between technical, social, and organizational factors influencing cloud migration decisions. While institutions recognize benefits like improved accessibility and cost-effectiveness, they face barriers including technical complexities, resource constraints, and organizational resistance. The study’s key contribution is an integrated model for legacy software migration in higher education, emphasizing a resource-centric approach, pre-migration readiness, and agile decision-making tools. This model provides a comprehensive framework for policymakers and institutional leaders, bridging technical requirements with organizational realities to facilitate effective cloud adoption strategies in higher education.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2025.2503421Legacy softwaresoftware migrationcloudcloud migrationdriverschallenges
spellingShingle Bashair Althani
Migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud: a socio-technical perspective
Cogent Business & Management
Legacy software
software migration
cloud
cloud migration
drivers
challenges
title Migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud: a socio-technical perspective
title_full Migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud: a socio-technical perspective
title_fullStr Migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud: a socio-technical perspective
title_full_unstemmed Migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud: a socio-technical perspective
title_short Migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud: a socio-technical perspective
title_sort migration challenges of legacy software to the cloud a socio technical perspective
topic Legacy software
software migration
cloud
cloud migration
drivers
challenges
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/23311975.2025.2503421
work_keys_str_mv AT bashairalthani migrationchallengesoflegacysoftwaretothecloudasociotechnicalperspective