(Question) Why do billion dollar companies use software that is 35 years old?

I’m exaggerating... the system we use is only 34 years old.

Why are companies hell bent on using emulators and endless customizations to run software that is so outdated? We use 34 year old technology in the new department I’m in at work, and it’s honestly scary. Processes will get caught in loops, there are memory issues, and the user interface is abysmal. To say the least, it’s touchy. All of this supports distribution for a multi-billion dollar company.

My previous department (same company, also distribution) uses technology that is maybe 15 years old. Even this 15 year old software is leaps and bounds above what we use in my current department. There is audit details on anything you could want. Quantities picked and packed, operator who made the transactions, serial and lot numbers, customer information, time stamps, and records going back to when it was originally installed. I could backorder an order if I dropped it to the floor in error and so on. My current department, with 34 year old software, has none of this. Records delete after approximately 2 weeks, I can’t correct anything that was dropped to the floor if it was a mistake, and the issues we have can be downright catastrophic when they arise.

Why on earth do companies prefer to customize and emulate so we can run 8-bit software on our laptops when more current software is more reliable, keeps better records, and has a more refined user interface?

Example: to login to the 34 year old software, I have to type “login ‘username’”. It’s astonishing to me.

submitted by /u/Its_Me_SpecialK
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