With all the consolidation in the financial systems area, many folks are wondering whether the tool they leverage has a future. This can be an interesting question, depending most upon your satisfaction and your (new) vendor's plans. Of course, competitive software companies will be quick to point out potential roadblocks to continued use of your (now old feeling) software package.
One thing Strafford provides to our clients is a "HealthCheck" of an existing application, with a review of vendor plans (focusing on what is most likely to happen vs what the gossip is). Often this might include an active discussion of potential options. What we find with clients is most often the application is doing what it was bought for, but their might be opportunities to grow a new application into additional areas. That's often where the best ROI is for replacing a legacy system.