At the 2025 Adobe ColdFusion Summit, I presented on a topic I've worked on for more than a decade: ColdFusion modernization — transforming legacy applications into API-driven architectures without disruption.

In a previous blog, I explained why modernizing ColdFusion applications doesn't always mean rebuilding everything from scratch. In this post, I'll share two real-world journeys: one failed and one successful. Together, they show why phased modernization delivers sustainable success while risky rewrites often collapse.

When Modernization Fails: The Risk of Rewrites

A multi-billion-dollar corporation decided ColdFusion was obsolete. Leadership mandated a complete rewrite: ColdFusion and SQL Server were to be replaced with Node.js, React.js, and PostgreSQL.

The pitfalls:

• Lost business logic — decades of rules were embedded in ColdFusion.
• No API standards — no defined plan for data delivery to the front end.
• All-or-nothing migration — replacing everything at once, with no phased roadmap.

Within three months, the legacy system modernization collapsed. Costs spiraled, timelines slipped, and new teams couldn't replicate years of business and application logic.

When Modernization Succeeds: Phased, Strategic, AI-Assisted

A multi-million-dollar automotive dealership group faced a similar challenge with four applications. Their approach:

• ColdFusion developers retained, preserving embedded knowledge.
• React developers added, focusing only on front-end modernization.
• Phased migration, one app at a time, instead of a “big bang” rewrite.
• Database modernization: SQL Server migrated to Aurora PostgreSQL using AWS Database Migration Service (DMS).
• AI-assisted migration: ChatGPT helped translate T-SQL into PostgreSQL, avoiding manual conversion errors.

The results:

• Successful SQL Server to PostgreSQL migration.
• Reader/writer separation and auto-scaling storage in Aurora, unlike SQL Server RDS.
• Four applications modernized in 18 months.
• Lower long-term costs and a scalable foundation for growth.

Lessons Learned

• Don't throw everything away — build on what works.
• Leverage business logic — existing teams know the system better than new hires.
• Adopt phased modernization — step-by-step reduces risk.
• Use AI & cloud tools — ChatGPT and AWS DMS made migration practical and faster.

ColdFusion's Role Today

ColdFusion remains highly relevant in modern architecture when refactored into APIs:

• Preserves embedded business knowledge.
• Supports REST APIs with frameworks like ColdBox.
• Integrates seamlessly with React, Vue, or Angular.
• Future-proof: adapts to serverless, microservices, and hybrid cloud.

Final Thoughts

Modernization is not about abandoning the past — it's about modernizing legacy applications intelligently. With ColdFusion, Aurora PostgreSQL, and AI-driven migration, you can evolve your systems confidently: preserving knowledge, cutting risk, and scaling for growth.

This was the heart of my CF Summit talk, and it's how we approach application modernization case studies at WAM DevTech — modernizing the invisible backbone of business without disruption.