How does the legacy-system assessment work?
Everything starts with understanding, not migrating. In two weeks JBKR delivers, in writing: a system inventory (code, database, server, integrations, certificates and credentials), risks ranked by urgency (unsupported versions, missing backups, single-person dependencies), essential documentation generated with AI support and reviewed by someone who understands the system, and a modernization roadmap with options, suggested order and estimates.
The assessment fits the On-Demand plan and the report is yours, even if the next step is done by another team. It is the lowest-risk purchase possible: understanding before commitment.
Do you take over a system built by another developer?
Yes, this is the most common scenario JBKR Web handles: the original developer disappeared, left the company or closed shop, and the system was left with nobody who knows it. The company takes over applications in PHP, Java, .NET/C#, classic ASP, jQuery and VB, even without contact with the original author.
The first step is recovering technical control: gathering access (hosting, database, source code, domain), taking a full backup and mapping what the system does. Only then do fixes and improvements start, in the order of urgency agreed with the client. Working on someone else's code demands method: small changes, tested in a separate environment before going live, and a record of what was changed.
Which modernization path should you choose?
There is no single path, and JBKR presents the menu with pros and cons: modernize in place (update versions, fix and document without changing platform), rehost (move the system as is to the cloud, gaining backup and scalability), replatform (swap the application server or database with targeted adjustments), refactor (rewrite the critical modules in current technology, coexisting with the legacy) and, only when the technology makes continuity impossible, a full rewrite in phases.
In most cases the answer is modernizing in parts: a new module coexists with the old one until it replaces it, and operations never stop. Before each cutover, JBKR validates functional equivalence (the new module produces the same results as the old one on the same data) and keeps the rollback path ready.
How does AI help understand an undocumented system?
Missing documentation is the rule in legacy systems, and it is where AI helps most: language models read PHP, Java, .NET or COBOL and produce module maps, dependencies, implicit business rules and explanations of critical routines in hours rather than weeks. That speeds up the assessment and lowers the cost of taking over a system.
But AI does not decide alone: every output is reviewed and tested against the system's real behaviour by someone who has maintained legacy systems for 20 years. The result is reliable documentation the company never had, and the end of dependence on one person's memory.
How much does it cost to modernize an old PHP, Java or .NET system?
The two-week assessment and one-off fixes fit the On-Demand plan, from BRL 250/hour, with an estimate presented before the work. Modernization modules with defined scope are contracted as fixed-scope projects.
For systems in production that need ongoing attention, the monthly plans are cheaper than one-off tickets: Care from BRL 1,125/month and Expert from BRL 2,050/month, with hours included, priority support and continuity: the person who answers knows the system, with no need to rebuild understanding on every ticket.
Frequently asked questions
Do you maintain a system built by another developer?
Yes, it has been one of JBKR Web's specialities since 2006. The process starts with an analysis of the source code, the database and the hosting environment. The company documents what it finds, fixes the urgent problems and takes over evolution requests, even without any contact with the original author.
My system's developer disappeared. What should I do?
Gather what you have: hosting, database, source-code and domain access. JBKR Web runs the assessment with the available material, even if incomplete, recovers technical control with a full backup and access documentation, and the system goes back to normal maintenance, with fixes and improvements.
What is the legacy-system assessment and how much does it cost?
A two-week engagement that delivers, in writing: a system inventory (code, database, server, integrations), risks ranked by urgency, essential documentation generated with AI support and reviewed by a human, and a modernization roadmap with options and estimates. It fits the On-Demand plan (from BRL 250/hour) and the report is yours even if you do not contract the next step.
Is it better to rewrite the system from scratch or modernize in parts?
In most cases, modernize in parts. Rewriting from scratch is expensive, slow and risky, because the old system carries years of undocumented business rules. JBKR Web stabilizes the current system and modernizes module by module, keeping operations running. A full rewrite is only recommended when the technology makes continuity impossible.
Do you handle COBOL and mainframe?
The founder started his career with two years on the IBM mainframe at HSBC (z/OS, COBOL, JCL, CICS, DB2, Endevor). JBKR handles analysis, documentation and integration of COBOL routines and migration planning; large mainframe projects are run with specialists brought in on demand, under the founder's technical coordination.
My system has no documentation at all. Is that a problem?
It is not a blocker, it is the most common situation. JBKR Web rebuilds the understanding by reading the source code and the database, now with AI support to speed up reading, and produces the essential documentation: module map, credentials, dependencies and critical routines. The company stops depending on one person's memory.
