Bridging the Cloud Gap: A Conversation with Richard Hatherall of Appercept on Bringing AWS to Delphi Developers

As the tech industry shifts ever deeper into cloud computing, one traditional tool is getting a major upgrade. Delphi, the veteran programming language known for its rapid application development (RAD), has long been a go-to for developers who value speed, simplicity, and cross-platform capability.

But with the growing dominance of cloud providers like AWS, the lack of seamless integration tools has left many Delphi developers searching for solutions. Enter the Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi, a groundbreaking development reshaping the way Delphi users connect to the cloud.

We spoke with Appercept founder Richard Hatherall to unpack how this innovation came about, the challenges faced, and why it’s a game-changer for the Delphi community.

Why does Delphi still matter in today’s tech landscape?

Despite being labelled a ‘legacy’ technology by some, Delphi remains indispensable for thousands of businesses. It’s still in the top 10 of the TIOBE index and continues to excel in areas that matter: speed, simplicity, and compatibility. Delphi’s ability to take an application from concept to release rapidly is unmatched.

But it’s not just about speed. Delphi protects existing investments. Programs written as far back as the Windows 95 era still run seamlessly on today’s systems. That’s crucial for businesses outside the tech sector that can’t justify constant IT overhauls. With Delphi, you get stability, longevity, and low maintenance costs.

Why is cloud integration so crucial for Delphi developers?

Cloud computing is no longer optional. AWS is the world’s largest cloud provider and has set the standard for cloud services. For small businesses, AWS is a game-changer, providing enterprise-grade hosting, AI tools, and scalability without the upfront costs traditionally associated with IT infrastructure. Without a robust AWS SDK, Delphi developers risk being left behind in this cloud-first era. Our SDK ensures Delphi remains a competitive, viable choice for building modern applications.

What inspired the development of the Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi?

My journey began with a personal challenge while leading a mobile application project targeting iOS and Android. We had lost half our team to corporate restructuring, and our product manager tasked us with finding a more efficient way to maintain our apps.

Delphi stood out as one of the strongest options, but we hit a major obstacle: AWS. As our primary cloud provider, AWS was central to our operations, yet Delphi lacked a robust SDK. While AWS offers SDKs for popular open-source languages, Delphi’s status as a commercial compiler left it unsupported.

That’s when it hit me: this wasn’t just our problem. Countless companies using Delphi might find themselves in the same bind, forced to rebuild or abandon Delphi altogether. Solving this issue could breathe new life into Delphi applications for a cloud-first future.

What does the Appercept AWS SDK bring to the table?

The Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi is designed to integrate Delphi applications directly with AWS, using Delphi’s component-based Rapid Application Development (RAD) style. It supports 13 of AWS’s most popular services, including Amazon S3, Cognito, Secrets Manager, SNS, and Polly, with more in development. 

Just this week Amazon Rekognition support was added. The service provides powerful AI visual analysis that can detect, analyse and compare faces, objects and landmarks. It has a long list of use cases, from verifying users and sentiment analysis to setting up a searchable image library. 

The SDK provides all the core capabilities developers expect from an AWS SDK—automatic configuration, credential management, and retries—while tailoring these to Delphi’s RAD Studio. It includes IDE integration with context-sensitive help, configuration tools, and drag-and-drop components for FMX (cross-platform) and VCL (Windows) applications. It’s all about enabling developers to build reliable, cloud-integrated applications without friction.

How has the Delphi community responded to this development?

The reaction has been overwhelmingly positive. Delphi developers needed this – many have reached out to share how the SDK has saved them time and resources, allowing them to modernize their applications without starting from scratch.

Marco Cantù, Product Lead at Embarcadero, which develops and maintains Delphi, told me he uses the SDK himself and finds it really easy to work with – it’s a ringing endorsement!

What’s next for Appercept and Delphi?

We’re continually expanding the SDK to support more AWS services, “As cloud adoption accelerates, we’re committed to helping Delphi developers adapt and thrive. The goal is to make Delphi a first-class citizen in the cloud era, ensuring its legacy is one of innovation, not obsolescence.”

About the founder:

Richard Hatherall, founder and CEO of Appercept Limited, has nearly 30 years of experience with Delphi and is a respected voice in the developer community. Appercept AWS SDK for Delphi is available now, starting at £149. For more information, visit www.appercept.com.