At some point in the future Microsoft will stop supporting VB6. Their official position is this will be 2019 but this is not stopping buyers being put off from purchasing VB6 based applications now. Potential buyers are favoring applications written in Dot Net to protect themselves from obsolescence. In some niche markets this trend is having significant impacts on their current revenues.

The first thing to consider is Desktop or Web. While Microsoft is trying to bring these 2 platforms together under one common code set (via the Windows Presentation Foundation and Silver light) the reality is it’s not anywhere close to workable for the near future. That means a choice has to be made for which platform to target. It makes better sense to target the web if your business model allows as the set of controls available on the web is a subset of those available on the desktop, so once Microsoft releases a version of Dot Net that will compile to both platforms, it will be much easier to migrate a web app to the desktop than the other way round.

Converting a VB6 application to Dot Net is not a minor undertaking. The fastest approach is to start with an ArtInSoft Migration tool which will map across most of the existing application and is estimated to speed the process up by up to 5 times. Whatever is left has to be then worked through by hand. This creates an application that looks essentially the same as the original with a stronger code base.

With this approach the design methodology inherent in the original application will basically migrate across with the conversion. At best this creates half of the potential outcome that a migration can provide, the new platform. The potential other half is a redesign on the fly which is where the real potential often lies. Positioning your application to move forward a generation resets the bar and allows your company to take it’s in depth knowledge of your industry and update your software to best in class, unencumbered by its history. SageKey specializes in this type of Migration and works closely with you to redesign the applications as it is being migrated.