IBA Group implemented a new integration IT platform for the Eastern European Railway
Business Challenge
Launch a new IT platform for the Eastern European Railway to add new functionality to the travel tickets sale section of the website and develop a mobile application.
SOLUTIONS HIGHLIGHTS
IBA Group has implemented and set up an enterprise platform for the client. As part of the project, the railway launched a separate system for selling tickets by third parties. The previous version of the platform has been developed for more than 10 years, so it was impossible to add new functionality to it.
The team reviewed the operation of the railway systems providing the sale of tickets, figured out its documented and undocumented features. All processes were created taking into account the objectives of the technical department, passenger service and other business units of the railway.
To address the customer’s assignment, a platform was needed that provides management of microservices. The IBA Group team decided to develop it based on the open source technology of Red Hat OpenShift. The OpenShift architecture allows the system to automatically allocate additional computing power under loads on one of the services, for example, when requesting a schedule during holidays. Third-party online cash desks and other external services can be connected to the system via API.
The security level is monitored by Red Hat 3Scale API Management. This component checks each incoming request and rejects those that it considers incorrect or suspicious. Thus, the platform only processes secure requests. The component automatically scales when the load on the system increases.
New version of the IT platform has become the basis for the mobile application (based on Android and iOS) and the “Passenger Services” section on the client’s website.
Now, the mobile application and the new website sell travel tickets with unnumbered seats of commuter (economy class) and city trains. Earlier, the old website only provided tickets for trains with numbered seats (compartment, communal compartment, etc.). Electronic booking is available: tickets do not need to be printed at the ticket offices – just show the conductor the document specified at checkout.
Results
Integration platform for the sale of travel tickets was put into operation within one year. The mobile application and the new website support multiple languages. The website is adapted for PCs and smartphones. Client’s partners selling tickets can connect to the system via API.