Product Launch #64

Rapidly replatforming a flagship product without rewriting it.

Summary

An existential trigger: Without action, customers would access, and revenue would be lost

TOPAZ’s core product was built in Silverlight. When Microsoft ended support and major browsers began dropping compatibility, the platform faced a forced deadline. Without action, customers would lose access, and revenue would follow.

So, this wasn’t a feature request or a long-term modernization initiative but an unavoidable rescue mission.

“We were facing an existential threat.”

Laurie Childers

General Manager, Topaz Technologies, LLC.

The product had to be rebuilt on a modern foundation. But a full rewrite would have been expensive, slow, and risky, especially for a company recently acquired and under performance pressure. TOPAZ needed a path forward that would protect existing customers, secure revenue, and avoid starting from scratch.

A smarter replatform…
not a total rewrite

Replatforming doesn’t have to mean throwing everything away. When Modularis assessed TOPAZ’s system, it was clear that parts of the platform were solid. The core data structures were stable. Several backend components were still in excellent shape.

Instead of rebuilding the entire system, Modularis focused on what truly needed to change:

The Silverlight-based user experience
The web services layer
The architectural foundation supporting future growth

“We were able to preserve large parts of the existing database. You don’t have to rebuild everything. You reuse what’s strong and replace what isn’t.”

AJ Singh

CEO, Modularis

By reverse-engineering and augmenting the existing database with Modularis PlatformBuilder, the team dramatically reduced risk and accelerated the timeline. The result was a targeted, intelligent replatform instead of a brute-force do-over.

Rebuilding the foundation
in 6 months

With the strategy defined, Modularis rebuilt the core foundation using its technology platform.

The most complex and risk-heavy portions of the system – including the backend services and modern user experience – were delivered in just six months. Because the team reused strong existing assets and limited the scope to what truly needed replacement, the effort moved faster and carried far less risk than a full-scale rewrite.

Once the new foundation was in place, the TOPAZ internal team took over and completed the remaining work. Revenue was protected, customers remained secure, and the platform was no longer tied to a dead technology.

A modular foundation that reduces long-term burden

Replatforming solved the immediate Silverlight crisis… but the deeper value of our work was built underneath.

The new platform was modular by design. That meant TOPAZ could add features and enhancements without re-laying the foundation each time.

“PlatformBuilder significantly reduced our maintenance burden because it’s modular and designed in a way that you can easily stack on top of it. This eliminates the need to re-lay the foundation every time we want to build a product.”

Laurie Childers

General Manager, TOPAZ Technologies, LLC.

Instead of planning another major rewrite in three to five years, TOPAZ now had a foundation designed to evolve.

Ongoing architectural leadership - without adding headcount

The replatform was not the end of the engagement. Modularis continues to work with TOPAZ’s team on a weekly basis – providing architectural guidance, product strategy input, and ongoing technical leadership.

For TOPAZ, that means senior-level expertise without hiring a full-time software architect. Instead of managing fire drills or worrying about long-term platform decisions, leadership can focus on growth… confident that the product foundation is stable and future-ready.