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Which IT Companies Help Insurance Firms Modernize Legacy Systems?

Monika Stando
Monika Stando
Marketing Campaigns Team Leader
Table of Contents

Many insurers still run their most critical operations on systems built 20 or 30 years ago. Policy administration, claims management, and billing often depend on COBOL code, mainframes, or monolithic systems that few people fully understand. These legacy systems still function, but they make every new product launch, integration, and regulatory update slower and more expensive.

Customers now expect instant quotes, digital self-service, and fast claims decisions. Insurtechs deliver all three. So the need for modernization has never been clearer. For most carriers, the question is no longer whether to modernize legacy systems, but who should help them do it without disrupting the business.

This guide compares three IT companies that help insurers tackle insurance legacy system modernization: Hicron Software, ScienceSoft, and Saigon Technology. You will learn:

  • Why legacy system modernization in insurance has become a strategic priority
  • Which criteria separate a strong modernization partner from a generic vendor
  • What each company brings in competencies, experience, and delivery model
  • How the three compare side by side, so you can match a partner to your situation

Key Takeaways:

  • Hicron Software is the best choice for comprehensive, strategic modernization of complex enterprise environments, particularly for European insurers.
  • ScienceSoft is a strong option when security and the North American market are top priorities.
  • Saigon Technology makes sense for budget-focused team scaling with strong internal leadership.
  • Legacy system modernization is a series of controlled moves and the right partner helps you choose the sequence.

Why Legacy System Modernization in Insurance Is a Priority

Legacy platforms rarely fail all at once. They weigh on the business gradually, through rising costs, slower releases, and growing risk. Here are the main pressures driving insurers toward modernization.

The Hidden Cost of Maintaining Legacy Systems

The direct costs are easy to see: licensing fees, maintenance contracts, and specialized support. The indirect costs are harder to spot and usually larger.

  • Shrinking talent pools. Fewer engineers know older languages and platforms, so the people who do cost more and are harder to replace.
  • Technical debt. Years of patches and workarounds make every change risky. A small product update can take months of testing.
  • Blocked innovation. When IT capacity goes into maintaining legacy systems, little is left for new digital products, analytics, or AI.

Regulatory Pressure and Data Security

Insurance is one of the most regulated industries. Frameworks such as GDPR, DORA, Solvency II, and IFRS 17 demand accurate data, clear audit trails, and strong operational resilience. Outdated legacy systems often struggle to meet these requirements.

Unpatched or unsupported outdated software also creates security gaps. Insurers hold large amounts of sensitive personal and financial data, so any weakness is a serious exposure. Modern architectures make it easier to control access, track changes, and prove regulatory compliance.

Customer Expectations and Insurtech Competition

Policyholders compare their insurer with the best digital experiences they use every day. They expect to:

  • Get a quote online in minutes
  • Manage policies and documents through self-service portals
  • File and track insurance claims from their phone
  • Receive offers that reflect their actual needs and behavior

Insurtechs built on cloud-native platforms can launch products in weeks. Carriers running legacy insurance systems often need months. That gap in time-to-market is a real competitive risk and a key driver of insurance digital transformation.

The Biggest Myth: “Modernization Means Replacing Everything at Once”

Many insurers delay modernization because they picture a risky, multi-year “big bang” replacement. In practice, the most effective modernization approaches work step by step. Common strategies for effective legacy system modernization include:

Approach

What it means

When it fits

Rehost

Move the system to new infrastructure (often cloud) with minimal code changes

Quick cost and infrastructure wins

Replatform

Make targeted changes to run on a modern platform

Better performance without a full rewrite

Refactor

Restructure legacy code to improve maintainability and scalability

Core logic is valuable but hard to change

Rebuild

Rewrite the application with modern architecture

The existing system no longer fits business needs

Replace

Adopt a new commercial or custom platform

Off-the-shelf tools cover most requirements

A phased model such as the strangler fig pattern lets you replace parts of a legacy core gradually. For example, an insurer could move claims management into a separate microservice with its own API, while the core policy administration system keeps running unchanged. Each step delivers value and lowers risk.

In short: legacy system modernization is a series of controlled moves, not a single leap. The right partner helps you choose the sequence.

Why Enterprise Architecture Matters in Insurance Transformation

Insurance modernization programs that lack strong architectural leadership tend to produce the same problem in a new form: systems that are technically newer but just as hard to change. The Enterprise Architect is the role that prevents this.

In a typical insurance environment, policy administration systems, claims, billing, data platforms, and compliance reporting are tightly interdependent. A change in one area ripples through all the others. The Enterprise Architect maps these dependencies before any code changes begin. This role does three things that no other role does consistently:

  • Defines the target architecture that guides every delivery decision throughout the program
  • Sequences the modernization roadmap so that each step reduces complexity rather than adding to it
  • Translates between IT and business by turning technical decisions into business terms and business priorities into architectural choices

Without that translation layer, insurers risk executing technically sound cloud migrations that miss business goals, or launching business-driven programs that underestimate integration complexity.

Strong architectural leadership produces a clear result: modernization becomes a governed transformation with measurable milestones and controlled risk at every stage, not a series of disconnected fixes that never quite add up.

How AI Can Accelerate Insurance Legacy Modernization

AI does not replace the experienced teams and architectural discipline that insurance legacy system modernization demands. But in the hands of skilled experts, it can meaningfully compress the timeline and reduce delivery risk.

The hardest part of any legacy transformation is understanding what the existing system actually does. Documentation is often incomplete. Business logic is buried in decades-old legacy code. Dependencies between modules stay invisible until something breaks.

AI-assisted analysis tools help here. They can scan large volumes of legacy applications, surface patterns, map component relationships, and produce first-draft documentation far faster than manual review. Architects and engineers get a clearer picture of what to refactor, replace, or preserve before a single line of new code is written. In practice, technologies like AI can cut discovery timelines significantly and help teams make better-informed architectural decisions earlier.

Further along in the program, AI can:

  • Support refactoring and code transformation tasks
  • Accelerate test generation and coverage
  • Take on repetitive delivery work that would otherwise slow the team down
  • Help document business logic and reduce reliance on tribal knowledge

All of this happens under continuous human review. None of this changes the fundamentals. In insurance, compliance, data security, and auditability are non-negotiable. Every AI-assisted output must be validated by engineers who understand the domain and by architects who hold the transformation accountable to a governed plan.

The right frame is simple: if enterprise architecture defines the path, AI helps skilled teams move along it faster. The human experts remain responsible for every decision that matters.

How We Evaluated IT Companies for Insurance Legacy System Modernization

Not every software vendor is ready for insurance legacy work. We looked at six criteria that matter most to insurance and technology leaders. You can use the same checklist when you assess vendors yourself.

1. Insurance Domain Knowledge

  • Understanding of underwriting, policy administration systems, claims management, billing, and reinsurance
  • Experience with insurers, brokers, or other financial institutions in the global insurance market

2. Modernization Technology Skills

  • Cloud migration across AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, including cloud computing and cloud services
  • Microservices, API-first design, and seamless integration between old and new systems
  • Data capabilities: warehousing, data analytics, machine learning, and automation

3. Methodology and Risk Management

  • A structured system assessment and audit before any code changes
  • Phased migration plans that protect business continuity
  • Agile delivery with clear, regular communication

4. Security and Compliance

  • Recognized certifications, such as ISO 27001 and ISO 9001
  • Proven work in regulated environments with a focus on regulatory compliance

5. Engagement Model and Team Scalability

  • Options for end-to-end projects, dedicated teams, or team augmentation to support scalability
  • Time-zone overlap, cultural fit, and cost structure

6. Proof of Results

  • Case studies, references, and long-term client relationships
  • Independent reviews on platforms such as Clutch

Quick checklist: a strong partner should score well on domain knowledge, methodology, and security, not just on technical skill or price.

1. Hicron Software: The Strategic Partner for End-to-End Insurance Modernization

Hicron Software takes the top spot because it treats legacy modernization as a business transformation, not just a coding project. For insurers with complex, tightly connected IT environments, that difference shapes the whole outcome.

Company Profile at a Glance

Hicron Software is a European software house with over 20 years of experience and deep roots in enterprise-grade systems. The company works with large organizations across Europe and global markets, supporting them through custom development, system integration, and long-term technology partnerships. Its experience with complex enterprise landscapes makes it well suited to the realities of insurance IT.

Core Competencies

Hicron Software brings a broad set of capabilities that map closely to what insurance legacy system modernization requires:

  • Custom software development and application modernization. Hicron Software can refactor, rebuild, or extend legacy applications based on what each system actually needs.
  • Enterprise systems expertise. Many insurers run finance, HR, and back-office processes on complex enterprise platforms. Hicron Software’s background in these environments helps modernized systems connect cleanly with existing core systems.
  • System integration and cloud architecture. Legacy modernization succeeds or fails at the integration layer. Hicron Software designs architectures that let new and old systems work together during the transition, supporting smooth cloud migration where needed.
  • Data, automation, and analytics. Modern data foundations open the door to better pricing, faster claims triage, and AI-driven insights that improve both operational efficiency and customer experience.

Insurance and Enterprise Modernization Experience

Insurance IT rarely sits in isolation. Policy administration systems feed billing, billing feeds finance, and claims management touches nearly everything. Hicron Software’s strength lies in working inside these interconnected environments. Key areas where insurers can engage Hicron Software include:

  • Modernizing core system and back-office platforms while keeping daily operations stable
  • Untangling integrations between policy, claims, billing, and finance platforms
  • Supporting large organizations with complex security, compliance, and governance needs
  • Replacing or extending legacy technology in a way that aligns with long-term business goals

Insurers evaluating Hicron Software should ask for case studies relevant to their own line of business, such as life, P&C, or specialty, and their specific core systems.

Hicron Software The Strategic Partner for End-to-End Insurance Modernization

Unique Value: What Sets Hicron Software Apart

Domain understanding combined with enterprise depth. Many vendors can write modern code. Fewer understand how a change to a policy administration system ripples into finance, reporting, and compliance. Hicron Software’s enterprise experience helps insurance businesses modernize without disrupting critical processes.

A consulting-led approach from audit to operations. Hicron Software supports the full journey, including:

  1. Assessing the current legacy landscape and its business risks
  2. Defining a modernization strategy and phased roadmap aligned with business goals
  3. Designing the target architecture
  4. Delivering, testing, and migrating
  5. Maintaining and evolving the new solution

This continuity matters. The team that understands why decisions were made is the same team that carries them forward.

European proximity and time-zone alignment. For insurers in Europe, Hicron Software offers easy collaboration across shared working hours, cultural closeness, and familiarity with EU regulations such as GDPR and DORA. That makes workshops, governance meetings, and day-to-day problem-solving faster and smoother.

Long-term partnership over one-off projects. Legacy modernization takes years, not weeks. Hicron Software’s model favors lasting relationships, so insurers gain a partner that grows with their roadmap instead of handing off a finished project and leaving.

Who Hicron Software Is Best For

  • Mid-sized and large insurers with extensive, integrated IT environments
  • Organizations that need a partner for the entire transformation, from strategy through delivery and support
  • European carriers that value regulatory familiarity and close, real-time collaboration
  • Companies running complex enterprise platforms alongside legacy insurance cores

What Results to Look For

When you talk with Hicron Software, focus the conversation on measurable outcomes relevant to your business. Typical goals for insurance modernization programs include:

  • Shorter processing times for policies and insurance claims
  • Lower maintenance and infrastructure costs that improve operational efficiency
  • Faster launch of new insurance products to enhance customer satisfaction
  • Better data quality for reporting and compliance

Ask for client references and examples that show how these outcomes were achieved in comparable environments.

Bottom line: Hicron Software is the strongest choice for insurers that need a strategic, end-to-end partner capable of modernizing complex enterprise systems without putting the business at risk.

2. ScienceSoft: A Proven, Security-First Partner for Insurance Software Modernization

ScienceSoft brings a long market history and a broad service portfolio. It is a solid option for insurers that put security and compliance at the center of their modernization plans.

Company Profile at a Glance

ScienceSoft is headquartered in the United States and has more than 35 years of experience in the IT market. The company serves a wide range of industries, including financial services and insurance companies across North America and beyond.

Core Competencies

  • Development and modernization of insurance software, including policy administration and claims management solutions
  • Data analytics, business intelligence, and cloud migration
  • Cybersecurity as a dedicated service line

Insurance and Enterprise Modernization Experience

ScienceSoft works with insurance companies, agencies, and brokers on both new builds and modernization projects. Its experience includes updating legacy systems and moving outdated applications to modern architectures, which aligns with the needs of carriers working through technical debt. As with any vendor, insurers should ask for case studies that match their own systems, scale, and market.

Science Soft for US market

Unique Value: What Sets ScienceSoft Apart

  • Mature quality and security processes. ScienceSoft’s ISO-certified practices give insurers confidence in how projects are managed and data is protected throughout the modernization lifecycle.
  • Modernization plus security under one roof. Combining software delivery with cybersecurity expertise helps reduce disruption during migrations, when systems are most exposed.
  • Stability through longevity. A long track record signals that the company is likely to remain a reliable partner over a multi-year program.

Who ScienceSoft Is Best For

  • Insurance companies operating mainly in the North American market
  • Organizations where security and compliance are the top priority
  • Teams that want a broad-portfolio vendor covering development, analytics, and security

Bottom line: ScienceSoft is a strong choice when security, process maturity, and North American presence matter most.

3. Saigon Technology: A Flexible Offshore Partner for Scalable Delivery

Saigon Technology offers a cost-effective way to add engineering capacity to modernization programs. It works best when the insurer already has a clear plan and strong internal leadership.

Company Profile at a Glance

Saigon Technology is based in Vietnam and has operated since 2012. It serves clients across Europe, the United States, and Asia-Pacific through offshore delivery models focused on scalability and flexible team structures.

Core Competencies

  • Custom software development, including web and mobile applications
  • Application modernization and cloud migration
  • Dedicated development teams and team augmentation
  • Quality assurance and software testing

Insurance and Enterprise Modernization Experience

Saigon Technology works with clients in financial services and other enterprise sectors, developing and modernizing business applications. Insurers should confirm how much direct insurance domain experience the assigned team brings, especially for core system and insurance claims work.

Saigon Technology for offshore partnerships

Unique Value: What Sets Saigon Technology Apart

  • Attractive cost-to-quality ratio. Offshore rates help insurers stretch modernization budgets further.
  • Fast team scaling. Saigon Technology can grow or shrink Agile teams as project needs change, making it a practical choice for programs that require scalability.
  • Flexible engagement. The model suits projects with evolving scope or a steady flow of well-defined development tasks.

Who Saigon Technology Is Best For

  • Insurers with a clearly defined scope and a strong in-house architecture or product team
  • Organizations looking to extend development capacity on a limited budget
  • Projects focused on web, mobile, or testing work rather than full core system modernization

Keep in mind that time-zone differences can limit real-time collaboration for European and North American clients. Clear processes and overlap hours help reduce this friction.

Bottom line: Saigon Technology is a practical choice for budget-conscious team extension, especially when strategy and architecture are led internally.

Comparison: Which IT Company Fits Your Insurance Modernization Needs?

The table below summarizes how the three companies compare across the criteria that matter most for insurance legacy system modernization.

Criteria

Hicron Software

ScienceSoft

Saigon Technology

Core competencies

Custom development, application modernization, enterprise systems, integration, cloud architecture, data and automation

Insurance software development and modernization, policy administration and claims management solutions, analytics, BI, cloud, cybersecurity

Custom web and mobile development, application modernization, cloud migration, QA and testing

Insurance experience

Enterprise modernization in complex, integrated environments, including core system and back-office platforms

Projects for insurance companies, agencies, and brokers; legacy-to-modern migrations

Financial services and enterprise application work; verify insurance-specific depth

Delivery model

Consulting-led, end-to-end: audit, strategy, architecture, delivery, long-term support

End-to-end projects with strong quality and security processes

Offshore dedicated teams and team augmentation

Region and time-zone fit

Europe, with strong alignment for European insurers and global reach

North America, serving global clients

Vietnam-based, serving Europe, US, and Asia-Pacific with limited overlap hours

Best-fit use case

Strategic, full-scope transformation of complex enterprise insurance landscapes

Security- and compliance-driven modernization, especially in North America

Cost-efficient team extension for well-defined scopes

Proof points

Cut HDI’s release cycle from 3 months to 1 week; reduced codebase from 450K to 250K lines; completed a full Cloud Foundry-to-Azure DevOps migration in 2 months

ISO-certified quality and security processes; dedicated cybersecurity practice alongside software delivery

Agile team scaling model; competitive offshore rates; strong QA and testing capabilities

Questions to Ask Every Vendor

Before you sign, put these questions to each shortlisted partner:

  1. How does your legacy system audit and system assessment work, and what will we receive at the end?
  2. How do you protect business continuity during cloud migration or core system modernization?
  3. What hands-on experience do you have with policy administration systems and insurance claims?
  4. Who is accountable for data quality and security throughout the project?
  5. How will your team stay involved after go-live?

The answers will quickly show which vendors think strategically and which simply staff projects.

Conclusion: The Evidence Points to the Right Partner

So, which IT companies help insurance firms modernize legacy systems in 2026? All three companies in this guide can, but each brings a different kind of value.

Hicron Software leads the list because it combines enterprise depth, a consulting-led approach, and a commitment to long-term partnership. It is built for insurers that need to modernize complex, connected legacy insurance systems without putting critical operations at risk. With over 20 years of experience, Hicron Software understands how modernization enables real business change, not just technical upgrades. ScienceSoft stands out for security and process maturity, especially in North America. Saigon Technology offers flexible, cost-efficient capacity for teams with a clear plan and strong internal architecture leadership.

Whichever direction you take, judge vendors on four things: domain knowledge, technical skill, methodology, and security. Price matters, but the wrong partner costs far more than the right one.

Your next step: Book a free consultation or legacy system assessment with Hicron Software’s experts. You will get a clear view of your current landscape, the risks worth addressing first, and a practical roadmap toward a modern, future-ready insurance platform.

Monika Stando
Marketing Campaigns Team Leader
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FAQ

How long does legacy system modernization take for an insurer?

It depends on scope. A rehosting or replatform project may take a few months, while full core system modernization can run for several years. Phased modernization approaches deliver value early, so you do not have to wait until the end to see results.

How should we prepare internally?

Secure executive sponsorship, appoint a business owner for each major system, and document key processes and pain points. Involve compliance and security teams early. Most importantly, agree on clear modernization goals before work begins. Defining what success looks like in business terms will keep the program focused and measurable.

How much does insurance legacy system modernization cost?

Budgets depend on system size, code quality, integration complexity, data migration needs, and the chosen modernization approach. A structured assessment at the start is the most reliable way to build a realistic estimate and avoid surprises later.

Should we modernize our existing system or adopt a platform like Guidewire or Duck Creek?

Commercial platforms work well when your products and processes fit their standard models. Tailored modernization solutions make more sense when your business logic is a competitive advantage or your integration needs are complex. Many insurers combine both approaches. A strong partner can help you assess the right modernization strategy and trade-offs objectively.

Can we modernize without disrupting customer service?

Yes. Incremental methods like the strangler fig pattern let you replace components one at a time while the existing legacy system keeps running. Careful testing, parallel runs, and rollback plans protect daily operations and help maintain customer satisfaction throughout.

Testimonials

What our partners say about us

Hicron Software proved to be a trusted partner with unmatched technical expertise, delivering a scalable and user-friendly web application that was pivotal to our successful U.S. market expansion.

Mikko Hyvärinen
Director of Software Portfolio at iLOQ

Hicron’s contributions have been vital in making our product ready for commercialization. Their commitment to excellence, innovative solutions, and flexible approach were key factors in our successful collaboration.
I wholeheartedly recommend Hicron to any organization seeking a strategic long-term partnership, reliable and skilled partner for their technological needs.

tantum sana logo transparent
Günther Kalka
Managing Director, tantum sana GmbH

After carefully evaluating suppliers, we decided to try a new approach and start working with a near-shore software house. Cooperation with Hicron Software was something different, and it turned out to be a great success that brought added value to our company.

With HICRON’s creative ideas and fresh perspective, we reached a new level of our core platform and achieved our business goals.

Many thanks for what you did so far; we are looking forward to more in future!

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Jan-Henrik Schulze
Head of Industrial Lines Development at HDI Group

Hicron is a partner who has provided excellent software development services. Their talented software engineers have a strong focus on collaboration and quality. They have helped us in achieving our goals across our cloud platforms at a good pace, without compromising on the quality of our services. Our partnership is professional and solution-focused!

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Phil Scott
Director of Software Delivery at NBS

The IT system supporting the work of retail outlets is the foundation of our business. The ability to optimize and adapt it to the needs of all entities in the PSA Group is of strategic importance and we consider it a step into the future. This project is a huge challenge: not only for us in terms of organization, but also for our partners – including Hicron – in terms of adapting the system to the needs and business models of PSA. Cooperation with Hicron consultants, taking into account their competences in the field of programming and processes specific to the automotive sector, gave us many reasons to be satisfied.

 

PSA Group - Wikipedia
Peter Windhöfel
IT Director At PSA Group Germany

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