SHARE Translating legacy code to a modern language is only part of the answer. Transitioning to cloud-native architectures is the greater challenge. For decades, information technology executives were faced with two unpalatable options for legacy application modernization: “Rip and replace” or “Leave and layer.” When a legacy application still provides value, ripping and replacing is a high-risk option. The replacement may not adequately meet the needs of the organization, and the transition from old to new may be overly disruptive to the enterprise. However, the leave-and-layer approach isn’t much better. True, adding application programming interfaces or connectors to a legacy application can extend its lifetime, as can leveraging robotic process automation to script its user interface.