Case Study: A German healthcare ISV moved a 20-year, 300k-LOC Java Swing hospital system to the browser in 3 months with Webswing with zero client footprint, on-prem security. A hybrid path with React kept revenue flowing and delivered ROI within months. Get inspired.
A business-first look at cost efficiency in java desktop application modernisation.
When I first spoke with the team at a German company founded in 2003 that acted as a healthcare software provider, they faced a dilemma I’ve seen many times before: Should we rewrite everything for the web, or find a smarter way to get there faster?
Their flagship hospital management system - a rock-solid Java Swing application with 300,000 lines of code - had been running flawlessly for two decades. More than 200 hospitals relied on it daily. Annual revenue hovered around €4 million, with margins above 50%.
But growth had stalled.
Competitors offering zero client footprint browser-based solutions were slowly winning smaller clinics - not because they had better functionality, but because they provided browser access with minimal installation effort and easier maintenance.
Each hospital operated on its own internal network, physically separated from the internet to protect patient data.
This meant cloud-based systems were out of the question, yet browser-based access within a secure LAN was increasingly seen as the ideal setup.
It was a classic moment of truth: Stay perfect but outdated, or evolve - without breaking what works.
A Great Product, Stuck on the Desktop
Swing was once the gold standard for Java desktop applications. But today, Oracle classifies it as mature - supported, yet no longer evolving.
There was another problem: developers. Senior Swing engineers had become scarce and expensive, with European salaries ranging from €50,000 to €120,000 per year, often more for top experts.
Company leadership defined a clear goal:
“Bring our 20-year-old, mission-critical application into the browser, ensure zero client footprint deployment, and keep cash flow under control.”
Two Roads, Two Realities
Option A - The Pragmatic Leap with Webswing
The team chose a fast, low-risk start to run the existing Swing application on the server and make it available through a web browser using Webswing.
In just three months, the first hospitals accessed the same application through their internal browsers - no local Java installs, no compatibility headaches, no internet exposure.
Crucially, Webswing exposed an API that allowed the team to integrate new React-based web modules alongside Swing.
This hybrid approach meant they could gradually modernize user interfaces while preserving the strict security boundaries of on-prem environments.
The immediate impact in Year 1:
- Instant browser access in months, not years
- Browser launch for smaller clinics before competitors locked in the market
- 70% fewer desktop incidents, saving roughly €40,000 annually in admin time
- No disruption for existing hospital customers
Option B - The Big Rewrite in React
The alternative to start from scratch.
A full rewrite in React promised a modern UI, a rich ecosystem, and a wide talent pool - React ranks among the top frameworks in Stack Overflow’s 2024 Developer Survey.
But the math was sobering:
- A team of 5-8 React developers, QA, and PM = €0.5-0.8 million per year
- About four years before the new product could be fully deployed
- Meanwhile, the old Swing app had to continue running - doubling operational costs
In total: €1.5 - 2.5 million investment and four years of waiting before the first browser-based customer deployment could go live.
The Opportunity Cost No One Talks About
Waiting four years wasn’t just expensive - it was dangerous.
Each small clinic brought about €12,000 in annual license and support revenue through their internal browser deployment.
If the company could win just 10 clinics in the first year thanks to Webswing, that meant €120,000 in new income - and those clients would likely stay for years.
In the healthcare industry, once a hospital adopts a system, it rarely switches. Losing them early would mean losing them forever.
“In our market, first movers keep their clients for a decade, waiting wasn’t an option”, the CFO admitted.
The Hybrid Roadmap - One Foot in Today, One in Tomorrow
The company decided not to choose between rewriting and reusing - but to combine both.
Phase: Year 0–1
Focus: “In the web in 3 months” - Webswing pilot, SSO integration, and browser launch for small clinics
Result: Browser-based version online, reduced local support
—
Phase: Year 2–3
Focus: Hybrid operation - Swing + React side by side
Result: React starts taking over key modules
—
Phase: Year 4–7
Focus: Gradual migration of more screens to React
Result: Stable native performance, lowering desktop footprint
—
Phase: Year 8
Focus: 100% React UI; Webswing remains as a “safety net”
Result: Modern stack, predictable TCO
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This roadmap allowed the company to keep innovating without gambling its core business.
Webswing acted as a bridge technology - converting their desktop app into a browser experience while React grew in parallel.
The Financial Picture
Criteria: Time-to-Browser
Webswing (hybrid): ~3 months
Full React rewrite: ~4 years
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Criteria: Investment
Webswing (hybrid): ~€30 000 per year (SLA + infrastructure)
Full React rewrite: €1.5 - 2.5 million over 4 years
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Criteria: First Browser Deployment
Webswing (hybrid): From Year 1
Full React rewrite: From Year 4
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Criteria: Operational Risk
Webswing (hybrid): Low (existing app remains)
Full React rewrite: High (new product not yet proven)
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Criteria: Security & Network Fit
Webswing (hybrid): Full on-prem support, zero client footprint
Full React rewrite: Requires new deployment model
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ROI came within 8 months - long before the first line of React code went live.
Beyond the Technology: Protecting Future Growth
By adopting Webswing, the company didn’t just save development costs - they protected their market position.
They started earning browser-based revenue immediately instead of waiting years, and they kept the flexibility to evolve on their own timeline.
Webswing runs fully on-prem, inside secure hospital networks - or optionally in private clouds - built on open standards like HTML5 and WebSocket.
This ensures zero vendor lock-in and full control over infrastructure.
“We gained time, flexibility, and cash flow. Webswing bought us years of growth.”, said the COO.
The Takeaway
Modernisation isn’t only about technology. It’s about timing, opportunity, and respecting the operational realities of each customer environment.
In healthcare, where patient data protection defines every IT decision, zero client footprint access isn’t just a convenience - it’s a compliance requirement.
Webswing helps bridge that gap, modernizing legacy applications securely and efficiently, without ever leaving the hospital network.
A mature, profitable product doesn’t need to be rewritten to stay relevant - it just needs the right bridge to the future.
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If this story sounds like your challenge, let’s talk! 👉 Schedule a call or 👉contact us and we’ll help you map your fastest path from legacy desktop application to a web browser.
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