If your business still relies on Oracle PL/SQL to handle the core of your operations—processing transactions, calculating prices, or managing customer data - you're not alone. Many organizations, especially in industries like banking, insurance, or telecom, have been using database-stored business logic for decades.
But times have changed. And for a growing number of companies, it makes more sense to move logic out of the database and into the application layer.
Let's discuss why that's happening and what businesses it can benefit.
Banks: Chipping Away at the Monolith
Big banks were some of the earliest adopters of Oracle technology. In the 1990s and early 2000s, PL/SQL and Oracle Forms were the go-to solutions for building complex, secure systems. But those systems have become heavy, rigid, and hard to evolve.
Today, banks want to be more agile. They're moving away from monolithic systems and toward a microservices architecture. That means breaking business logic - like how transactions are processed, or commissions are calculated - out of the database and rewriting it in Java. This allows them to use tools like Kafka for event streaming, deploy services in Kubernetes, and scale as needed.
In short, it’s about future-proofing their systems and moving faster in a digital world.
Insurance: Making Business Rules Easier to Manage
Insurance companies face a similar problem. Core functions, including premium calculations and claims processing, are integrated into the database. But making changes is slow and risky. Want to update how discounts are applied? You might need a PL/SQL expert to dig through hundreds of lines of code.
By moving business logic into the application layer, insurers can use tools like SQLWays that make it easier to manage and update business logic. This way, even non-developers can help fine-tune the rules. That means faster response to policy changes, regulatory shifts, or new product offerings.
Public Sector: Cutting Costs and Embracing Open Source
Government systems are another area where legacy Oracle solutions remain prevalent. But many countries are now actively trying to reduce reliance on proprietary software, both to cut costs and to gain more control over their systems.
For them, moving business logic to Java often goes hand-in-hand with switching from Oracle to open-source databases like PostgreSQL. These systems are typically rebuilt using modern frameworks, such as Spring Boot and Angular, making them more maintainable and accessible to a broader pool of developers.
Telecom: Handling Loads That PL/SQL Can’t Keep Up With
Telecom companies deal with massive amounts of data every second. Billing, monitoring, customer activity—all of it needs to be processed in real-time. Unfortunately, PL/SQL doesn't scale well for these kinds of demands. It's also challenging to integrate with modern CI/CD pipelines, which are crucial for delivering fast and reliable updates.
That's why many telecom providers are migrating business logic from Oracle to Java services. It provides better performance, facilitates easier integration with external systems, and supports real-time operations more effectively.
Retail & E-commerce: Moving Fast, Changing Faster
In e-commerce, speed is everything. You need to be able to launch a new promotion, tweak your pricing rules, or update your recommendation logic - sometimes overnight. If all your business logic is buried in stored procedures or triggers, those changes can be painfully slow.
That’s why many retailers are shifting to application-level logic. Moving rules to Java services means updates can occur faster and more securely. You can even experiment with A/B testing or integrate with AI-powered tools without needing to rewrite low-level code.
Case studies
At Ispirer, we help businesses efficiently migrate business logic from the database to the application layer. Below are the two prominent cases of migrating business logic from db to app.
1. 700K LoC in 9 Months: Migrating business logic for a Logistics Giant
Customer: a logistics company
Source tech: Oracle
Target tech: Java
Project Scope: 700,000 LoC
Project Duration: 9 months
A U.S.-based logistics company needed to migrate its business logic from Oracle to Java to reduce long-term maintenance costs and ensure scalability for future growth.
A database audit revealed that SQLWays can achieve the best efficiency results after being customized to meet the customer's needs. Ispirer experts added several conversion rules that significantly improved conversion quality and eliminated conversion issues. The result? 91% automation, moving business logic from Oracle to Java. The customer saved a great deal of time by automating the entire migration process, as SQLWays allowed for a 3-4 times faster migration compared to manual effort.
Read full version of the case study: Logistics Giant Modernizes 700K LoC in 9 Mos with Automation
2. Enhancing performance: Oracle to Java migration automation
Customer: software developer and provider
Source tech: Oracle
Target tech: Java
Project Scope: 1,250,000 LoC
Project Duration: 14 months
Our customer struggled to maintain the Oracle database because it lacked the necessary security controls. The main requirement was to migrate the business logic to have a robust, modern, and future-proof system that could be easily integrated with other technologies.
The project's impressive scope was the main challenge. The Ispirer team has extensive experience working with such projects, so the scope didn't scare our engineers. Customization helped achieve the maximum automation rate and speed up migration three to four times compared to manual conversion. As a result of the migration of Oracle to Java Spring, the customer no longer had to pay a license fee to Oracle for software updates.
Read the full version of the case study: Enhancing Performance: Oracle to Java Migration Automation.
So What’s the Big Picture?
At the heart of all these stories is the same idea: modern businesses need flexibility. They need to scale easily, update quickly, and connect with other systems effortlessly. Keeping business logic in the database just doesn’t cut it anymore.
By bringing that logic into the application layer, companies gain more control, improve performance, and open the door to more modern development practices.
If your business is looking to make this shift, we can help. Whether it’s moving to microservices, embracing open source, or just making your systems easier to manage - this kind of transformation can be complex, but it’s worth it.
Let’s find your best path forward. Get a free trial of SQLWays and try automated migration today. Not sure? Book a demo with our professionals and get answers to all your questions.
