Mobilize_logo_fullcolorBefore the rise of the smartphone and our persistent connection to the Internet, it made perfect sense for big companies to create dedicated apps for Windows desktop machines.

But as more work gets done across devices, and as operating systems make big leaps forward, many large organizations are holding onto old technology just to continue running a handful of critical desktop apps.

A VB6 app running on an iPhone. Screenshot via Moblize
A VB6 app running on an iPhone. Screenshot via Moblize

Mobilize.Net’s WebMAP3 tool, announced today, aims to help companies quickly turn those programs developed as VB6 or .NET apps for Windows machines into responsive web apps to be used across platforms. With older versions of Windows losing support for security updates and other upgrades, that means companies can ditch years-old OSs without having to extensively test vital apps.

IT departments spend $25 billion per year “maintaining millions of desktop apps locked onto old platforms,” said Mobilize.Net CEO Tom Button, calling WebMAP3 “an onramp to the cloud.”

The company says the resulting apps can be used on almost any desktop or mobile browser, including Chrome, Internet Explorer, Safari and even Microsoft’s new Edge browser.

This is the third version of Bellevue, Wash.-based Mobilize.Net’s migration technology. With WebMAP3, the company is specifically targeting AngularJS frameworks, using Bootstrap to provide robust styles for newly minted web apps. While WebMAP2 allowed users to build web apps that looked like old-school Windows apps using Kendo UI, WebMAP3 is able to create more modern-looking apps through support for AngularJS.

By easing that shift to the cloud, the company says WebMAP3 can also benefit companies that are shifting their workforce off-site, or who already employ many offsite workers, like sales teams.

Besides adding the AngularJS framework support, WebMAP3 also includes a number of cosmetic changes to make upgrading a desktop app to a web app a little quicker and simpler.

The new program is available starting Wednesday through the Mobilize.Net website.

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