Field Notes
Notes from the field.
Working notes from the legacy-rescue bench: platform facts with dates, exit plans with prices, and the survival plans worth pinning to a wall. Answer-first, signed, and updated when the facts change.
11 Jun 2026 Is DataFlex end of life? Every version, every date, every risk DataFlex the product is alive; the version your business runs probably is not. Every era and date, and what each one means for your system. 13 May 2026 The true cost of keeping a DOS-era system alive in 2026 The ledger nobody keeps: hardware on borrowed time, paid Windows life support, Cyber Essentials exposure and a retiring talent pool, itemised with sources. 15 Apr 2026 Visual FoxPro in 2026: your four exit options, honestly compared Visual FoxPro left all Microsoft support on 13 January 2015. The four realistic options for a VFP system in 2026, compared honestly. 11 Mar 2026 VB6 won't die, but your business might: risks and exit paths The VB6 IDE left Microsoft support on 8 April 2008, yet the apps keep running. The real risks of staying on VB6 in 2026, and the three exit paths compared. 11 Feb 2026 Your Access database is at breaking point: the seven signs The 2 GB wall, nightly compact and repair, one person who dares touch the VBA: the seven measurable signs an Access database has outgrown itself. 14 Jan 2026 UK grants and funding for digitalisation in 2026: what SMEs can actually claim No national software grant exists in 2026. What SMEs can actually claim: Made Smarter, North West schemes and the £1m Annual Investment Allowance. 02 Dec 2025 How to migrate a DataFlex application to PHP and MySQL: the complete guide The working method for moving a DataFlex system to PHP and MySQL: audit, data extraction from .DAT files, schema design, rebuild, parallel run, cutover. 29 Oct 2025 Rewrite, refactor or replace? The strangler-fig method for SMEs The three honest ways off a legacy system, when each one wins, and how the strangler-fig pattern lets an SME migrate in slices instead of one big bet. 24 Sept 2025 Migration without downtime: how parallel running actually works No big-bang weekend, no burnt bridges: how a parallel run lets a business replace a legacy system with zero downtime and evidence instead of trust. 19 Aug 2025 Bespoke CRM or off-the-shelf: a UK SME decision guide Per-user subscriptions compound; bespoke costs once and fits. How a UK SME decides between off-the-shelf CRM and a system built around its process. 16 Jul 2025 "Our software developer retired." A practical survival plan What to do in the month after the developer who built your business system retires: access, backups, documentation, then a calm exit on your timetable.
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