Taking over and modernising existing Laravel and PHP applications
Is the original developer no longer available? Are security updates missing, or are new features hard to add? I review the application and make a clear proposal for how to take it forward.
Reference: at ISG Institut, I developed and maintained a funding portal built with Laravel. 718 organisations have submitted more than 22,000 files through it, and it has been in production since 2025. Developed as part of my employment at ISG, not through current56. Read the technical case study →
What I can review
We agree up front which of these points the assessment covers.
PHP and framework versions
Which PHP and Laravel version is running, how long it still gets security updates and how to reach a supported version. Official security support for PHP 8.2 ends on 31 December 2026.
Dependencies
Which packages are outdated, no longer maintained or have known vulnerabilities.
Tests
Whether there are automated tests, and which parts of the application a change would touch without any safety net.
Database
Schema and migrations, and where an upgrade would change existing data.
Deployment
How the application gets onto the server, and whether that can be repeated reliably.
Access rights and backups
Who has access to what, whether backups run and whether anything can actually be restored from them.
How I work
Step 1
Agree access and scope
We go through what the application does, what should change and which access I need for the review. We agree the scope and cost of the review before I start.
Step 2
Technical assessment
I work through the code, the server and the dependencies and write down what I find.
Step 3
Plan with effort and risks
You get the steps in order, with estimated effort and the places where something could go wrong. The implementation then gets its own written quote.
Step 4
Implementation and sign-off
I carry out the agreed steps. You sign off each stage before the next one starts.
Assessment and modernisation
Technical assessment
Before I update an existing application, I review which PHP and framework versions it uses and how it is structured.
Depending on the system, the review can also cover dependencies, tests, the database and deployment. We agree beforehand which of these it includes.
From what I find, you get an estimate of the work involved. The modernisation itself is quoted separately.
Older WordPress sites
As an additional service, I also update and look after WordPress sites. My focus is applications with their own PHP and Laravel code.
Tell me about your project
Do you want to modernise an existing application or simplify an internal workflow with software? Describe briefly what it is about, and I will get back to you personally.
The person behind current56
I’m Takal Ashna, a software engineer and the founder of current56 in Denmark. I’ve worked in IT since 2017 and in software development since 2022. At ISG, I developed and maintained a Laravel portal for a public funding programme. Through current56, I take on custom software projects and work on existing applications.
Takal Ashna · LinkedIn
The first call is free and without obligation, about 30 minutes.