Many companies rely on software that has been controlling key business processes for fifteen years or more. On the surface, this appears to be a sign of stability - but in reality, outdated software poses a creeping threat to SMEs.

When software ages - the underestimated problems in detail

One of the most serious risks comes from legal and regulatory changes. Regulatory requirements – such as SEPA standards, data protection rules, or the upcoming mandatory e-invoicing in 2026 – demand that companies keep their IT systems continuously up to date. Older software often cannot technically support these requirements anymore. The result is expensive workarounds, improvised exports, and in the worst case, looming fines because essential information or documentation obligations are not met.

On top of this come rising support and maintenance costs. Many older systems were heavily customized for specific company processes. But today, that has become their biggest weakness: the technical foundations have evolved continuously over the years, while custom developments are often no longer compatible or extremely difficult to migrate. Developers who still have expertise in these legacy systems are becoming scarce – and therefore expensive – a situation that drives maintenance and adjustment costs through the roof.

Equally threatening is the growing attack surface for cybercriminals. If the software no longer receives security updates, known vulnerabilities remain unpatched – turning the system into an entry point for attacks or ransomware incidents. Modern authentication methods and encryption are lacking, and the risk of data protection breaches continues to grow.

Last but not least, innovation stagnation is a central issue: while modern solutions enable intelligent automation, integration with other tools, and mobile usage, companies relying on outdated platforms are becoming increasingly isolated. Data does not flow automatically but requires manual transfers that are error-prone and unscalable. At the same time, the technical base is often no longer compatible with new hardware or modern cloud services, leading to ever more complex workarounds.

The advantages of modern software are concrete

The decision to modernize is therefore much more than just an IT decision - it is an investment in the future security of the company. Modern software allows regulatory changes to be simply imported via updates, thus creating legal and planning security. Automated workflows reduce manual work, increase productivity, and reduce the risk of errors.

With an up-to-date platform, features such as two-factor authentication, automatic backups, and cloud-based resilience are available as standard. This massively reduces the risks of data theft and IT failures. In addition, a modern solution grows with the needs of the company - be it new processes, additional locations, or new digital business models.

Modern software creates room for innovation: it seamlessly integrates data-driven services, AI tools, and mobile applications. New functions can be added in a targeted manner without having to change the entire system. Employees benefit from open, intuitive user interfaces that increase acceptance and business success in the long term.

Praxisbox: m+p modernizes with new LLM approach and boosts quality

For a client in the industrial sector, m+p has taken the existing automation for information extraction to a new level. Instead of the classic machine learning approach previously used, a large language model (LLM) was introduced. The effect: the extraction of relevant content from documents was not only massively faster, but also much more precise. This allowed processes to be significantly accelerated and the quality of the results to be noticeably improved at the same time.

Modernizing the software, therefore, brings more than just technical advantages - it relieves the burden on day-to-day operations, creates security, and is the basis for the next innovative leap. Keeping the tried and tested for longer may be attractive in the short term, but in the long term, it puts the entire company at risk. Those who modernize in good time ensure stability, growth, and the ability to act in the digital age.