Portfolio Details

Project Overview:

A global financial services provider faced challenges in scaling its IT infrastructure for expanding its services. Their outdated systems couldn’t meet the fast-paced demands of data analytics and customer service. They needed a technological and cultural shift towards agile, scalable solutions to enhance operational efficiency, improve service reliability, and accelerate the deployment of new digital features.

To facilitate the platform’s growth and modernization right from the start, the Client prioritized contemporary, cloud-native processes and technologies. This approach aimed to establish robust and replicable deployment patterns, ensuring consistent deployment quality, all while minimizing platform operating overhead.

The Solution:

Unified Technologies tackled the challenges head-on by architecting a solution centered around Infrastructure as Code (IaC) with Terraform and implementing Agile development practices along with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines. This strategy was designed to overhaul the client’s IT infrastructure, making it more scalable, flexible, and aligned with modern data analytics demands.

The project was supported by the AWS Migration Acceleration Program (MAP), a well-established methodology for cloud adoption. This was complemented by AWS funding and discount initiatives.

The project successfully completed the end-to-end construction of an AWS best-practice platform designed to host Client Intelligent Automation (IA) services. Additionally, knowledge transfer was provided to the Client team.

Infrastructure as Code with Terraform:

• Terraform Implementation: We kickstarted the transformation by introducing Terraform, a robust Infrastructure as Code (IaC) tool, to oversee and provision the client’s IT infrastructure through code. This facilitated swift deployment of scalable and secure cloud infrastructure across all operational regions, ensuring uniformity and reproducibility in environments.
• Modular Infrastructure Design: Through the creation of Terraform modules for various components of the client’s infrastructure, we established reusable, customizable, and easily manageable infrastructure components. These modules could be deployed across diverse environments with minimal effort.
• Version-Controlled Infrastructure: All Terraform configurations were stored in version-controlled repositories, enabling tracking, review, and auditing of infrastructure changes. This enhanced collaboration among teams and reduced deployment errors.

Secure Operating Procedures and Platform Right-Sizing:

• A comprehensive review of Cloud operations led to increased utilization of AWS Systems Manager. Alongside automated patching, the Client integrated Session Manager into their day-to-day operations, bolstering security around maintenance-level access to the platform.
• Leveraging the expertise of both development and operations teams, the Client established a practice for regularly evaluating the sizing requirements of the solution. This ensured alignment with customers’ individual environments.

 Agile Development Practices:

• Cross-functional Teams: We structured the IT department into cross-functional teams, each responsible for different aspects of the digital transformation. These teams adopted Agile methodologies, enabling them to iterate quickly, adapt to changes, and continuously improve their processes and products.
• Sprint Planning and Reviews: Regular sprint planning sessions and reviews were instituted, allowing teams to prioritize work, set realistic timelines, and regularly assess progress. This approach fostered a culture of transparency, accountability, and continuous feedback.

CI/CD Pipelines:

• Automated Build and Deployment: We implemented CI/CD pipelines to automate the build, test, and deployment processes for both application and infrastructure code. This ensured that code changes were automatically tested and deployed to production environments swiftly and reliably, reducing manual errors and deployment times.
• Continuous Testing and Monitoring: Integration with automated testing frameworks and monitoring tools within the CI/CD pipelines allowed for continuous quality assurance and real-time monitoring of application performance. This helped in identifying and addressing issues early in the development cycle, ensuring high-quality deployments.

Outcome:

Through the strategic implementation of Infrastructure as Code with Terraform, adoption of Agile development practices, and the establishment of CI/CD pipelines, Unified Technologies provided the client with a robust, scalable, and efficient IT infrastructure. This transformation enabled the client to streamline operations, enhance customer experiences, and adapt more quickly to market changes, thereby securing a competitive edge in the global finance industry.