We know Delphi programming in detail and have the expertise to maintain and further develop Delphi applications. But we are also realistic enough to realise that it is important to think outside the box and explore alternatives that may be more sustainable. Here are the challenges facing the Delphi platform.
- Outdated technology and limited support
Delphi has been on the market for many years and some versions may now be obsolete, in particular the transition from 32-bit to 64-bit architecture (and possibly even from 16-bit to 32-bit) can be challenging. This is because old Delphi programmes were designed for 32-bit architecture and there may be compatibility issues with new operating systems or other technologies. In addition, support from the manufacturer is limited, which can lead to security risks and a lack of updates. - Dependence on experts
The number of Delphi developers is decreasing rapidly as many experts are turning to new technologies or retiring. This can lead to a heavy reliance on individuals with Delphi expertise. Should such a person leave your organisation, whether through resignation, retirement or other reasons, this can lead to significant problems. The development of new features, bug fixing and general maintenance of Delphi applications will come to a standstill, which can lead to business disruption and loss. - Limited integration
As technologies and systems become increasingly intertwined, seamless integration of applications and systems is essential. However, Delphi struggles to integrate smoothly with modern architectures and platforms, which can lead to siloed, isolated solutions. Replacement by modern integrated systems is therefore almost inevitable. - Limited support and resources: Compared to more modern languages, there may be fewer libraries, frameworks and resources for Delphi. This can make the development of new projects more difficult.
- Speed and performance: Delphi can be slightly slower when processing very large amounts of data compared to other languages that are specifically optimised for working with large amounts of data, such as Python. For certain applications that require particularly fast processing, such as real-time applications, Delphi may not be the optimal choice. Other languages such as C++ often offer better performance and speed for such use cases.
