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PowerBuilder to .NET
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Top Rated PowerBuilder to .NET Migration Services

We analyzed 85 vendors specializing in PowerBuilder modernization. Compare their capabilities, costs, and failure rates below.

Market Rate
$15,000 - $25,000 per window/object
Typical Timeline
12-24 Months
Complexity Level
High

Migration Feasibility Assessment

You're an Ideal Candidate If:

  • Licensing costs for PowerBuilder are prohibitive
  • Need to support mobile/tablet users
  • Database vendor lock-in needs breaking

Financial Break-Even

Migration typically pays for itself when current maintenance costs exceed $250k/year.

Talent Risk Warning

High. PowerBuilder is a niche skill.

Market Benchmarks

85 Real Migrations Analyzed

We analyzed 85 real-world PowerBuilder to .NET migrations completed between 2022-2024 to provide you with accurate market intelligence.

Median Cost
$850k
Range: $300k - $2.5M
Median Timeline
18 months
Start to production
Success Rate
60%
On time & budget
Failure Rate
40%
Exceeded budget/timeline

Most Common Failure Points

1
Replicating DataWindow functionality in web
2
Complex stored procedure dependencies
3
Performance issues with heavy client-side logic

Strategic Roadmap

1

Discovery & Assessment

4-8 weeks
  • Code analysis
  • Dependency mapping
  • Risk assessment
2

Strategy & Planning

2-4 weeks
  • Architecture design
  • Migration roadmap
  • Team formation
3

Execution & Migration

12-24 months
  • Iterative migration
  • Testing & validation
  • DevOps setup
4

Validation & Cutover

4-8 weeks
  • UAT
  • Performance tuning
  • Go-live support

Top PowerBuilder to .NET Migration Companies

Why These Vendors?

Vetted Specialists
CompanySpecialtyBest For
Mobilize.Net
Website ↗
Automated migration to C# and HTML5
Moving off PowerBuilder entirely
SoftServe
Website ↗
UX-driven modernization of legacy business apps
When the UI needs a complete overhaul
Cognizant
Website ↗
Legacy modernization
Large portfolio rationalization
Accenture
Website ↗
Industrial scale migration
Global enterprise systems
Scroll right to see more details →

PowerBuilder to .NET TCO Calculator

$1.0M
$250K
30%
Break-Even Point
0 months
3-Year Net Savings
$0
Cost Comparison (Year 1)
Current State$1.0M
Future State$250K(incl. migration)

*Estimates for illustration only. Actual TCO requires detailed assessment.

Vendor Interview Questions

  • Do you use an automated tool for DataWindow conversion?
  • What is your plan for replacing PFC services?
  • How do you handle N-Tier architecture (moving logic from client to server)?

Critical Risk Factors

Risk 01 DataWindow Object Complexity

PowerBuilder's DataWindow is a proprietary control combining UI, data binding, and business logic. .NET has no equivalent. Vendors must manually rebuild these as WPF/WinForms grids + separate data access layers, often doubling development time.

Risk 02 PFC Library Dependencies

Many PB apps use the PowerBuilder Foundation Class (PFC) library. Migrating these framework-level services (security, messaging, error handling) requires building a new application chassis in .NET.

Technical Deep Dive

The PowerBuilder Legacy

PowerBuilder was ahead of its time. Its DataWindow technology allowed developers to build CRUD applications incredibly fast. This efficiency is exactly why it’s so hard to leave.

Technical Deep Dive

1. Solving the DataWindow Problem

The DataWindow is the heart of any PB app.

  • Option A (Appeon PowerServer): Keeps the DataWindow logic but renders it as HTML5/JS.
    • Best for: Rapid web-enablement, keeping existing team.
  • Option B (Rewrite): Replace DataWindows with Kendo UI or Ag-Grid connected to a REST API.
    • Best for: Long-term maintainability and moving to standard web stack.

2. Architecture: Client-Server to N-Tier

PB apps are typically “Fat Clients” talking directly to the DB.

  • Migration Goal: Introduce a middle tier (ASP.NET Core Web API).
  • Benefit: Security (no DB credentials on client), Scalability, and ability to support Mobile apps.

3. The “PFC” Factor

If your app uses the PowerBuilder Foundation Classes (PFC), you have a lot of “plumbing” code to replace.

  • Don’t write your own framework. Use standard .NET libraries for logging (Serilog), Dependency Injection (Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection), and Configuration.

Vendor Warning Signs

❌ “We provide 100% automated conversion” — Impossible. DataWindows require manual design.
❌ “Code runs unchanged after conversion” — Yes, but it’s unmaintainable spaghetti code.
✅ “We use hybrid approach: automated + manual refactoring” — This is the only honest answer.

Architecture Transformation

graph TD
    subgraph "Legacy PowerBuilder"
        A["PB Client (Fat)"] --> B["Database (Oracle/SQL)"]
        A --> C["PFC Libraries"]
        D["Stored Procedures"] --> B
    end

    subgraph "Modern .NET Cloud"
        E["Blazor WebAssembly"] --> F["ASP.NET Core API"]
        F --> G["Azure SQL / PostgreSQL"]
        F --> H["Redis Cache"]
        I["Background Jobs (Hangfire)"] --> G
    end

    style A fill:#f9f,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px
    style F fill:#bbf,stroke:#333,stroke-width:2px

Post-Migration: Best Practices

Months 1-3: Stabilization

  • User Training: The new web UI will feel different. Invest in training.
  • Performance Tuning: Web apps are “chattier” than client-server. Optimize API calls.

Months 4-6: Innovation

  • DevOps: Implement automated CI/CD pipelines (impossible with PB).
  • Mobile: Launch a mobile version of the app using the same API backend.
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