When People and Platforms Retire at the Same Time: How to Backstop the Knowledge Exit

When People and Platforms Retire at the Same Time: How to Backstop the Knowledge Exit
‍

In the world of traditional video service providers, we’re witnessing a perfect storm: the simultaneous retirement of legacy technology and the seasoned experts who kept it running.

While the industry continues its march toward broadband-based streaming, millions of subscribers still rely on QAM-based video infrastructure. This aging—but revenue-generating—technology still demands uptime and reliability. But here’s the dilemma: most companies don’t want to invest further in legacy platforms, and the brain trust that built and maintained them is disappearing fast.

The Double Whammy: Aging Tech Meets a Shrinking Talent Pool

The challenge isn’t just internal. The vendor ecosystem that created these legacy systems is also moving on. Engineers are retiring or shifting to cloud, IP video, and AI-driven platforms. The tribal knowledge of QAM systems, conditional access, legacy Set Top Boxes (STBs), and back-office platforms is vanishing. This creates operational risk, from extended outages to a degraded customer experience—and ultimately, revenue loss.

This situation mirrors what happened with COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language) and mainframes. Financial and government institutions ran on legacy systems for decades. But as developers moved on and institutions delayed upgrades, they found themselves in a bind: nobody was left who knew how to maintain the core systems. Talent scarcity led to skyrocketing costs—and scrambling for last-minute support.

So How Can Service Providers Avoid This Fate?

That’s where Mavsotech comes in.

We’ve built a team of engineers who lived and breathed this legacy infrastructure. Many of them were the ones who developed, deployed, and maintained these very systems at both service providers and vendors. We’re not relearning these technologies—we know them inside and out.

Here’s How Mavsotech Can Help:

• Legacy System Support Without a Full-Time Staff
  We offer cost-effective support so you don’t have to maintain a dedicated team for aging platforms.

• Smooth Transition to Next-Gen Tech
  Our experts also specialize in planning and executing migrations to IP, cloud, and streaming platforms—without disrupting your customer experience.

• Strategic Guidance Built on Real-World Experience
  We don’t just understand the tech; we understand the operational nuances, vendor ecosystems, and customer expectations that come with it.

Don’t Let Institutional Knowledge Walk Out the Door

Partner with Mavsotech to keep your legacy systems stable while future-proofing your operations. Whether you're looking to extend the life of existing platforms or chart a course to all-IP delivery, we’ve got your back.
‍

👉 Let’s talk about how Mavsotech can support your infrastructure and guide your next evolution. Contact us today

‍