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IBM > Case Studies > A voice and data services provider creates a platform for innovation

A voice and data services provider creates a platform for innovation

Technology Category

Application Infrastructure & Middleware - API Integration & Management
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing
Business Operation

Use Cases

Remote Asset Management
Predictive Maintenance
Process Control & Optimization
Real-Time Location System (RTLS)

Services

Software Design & Engineering Services
System Integration

The Challenge

The voice and data services provider aimed to improve its services while enhancing efficiency, reducing costs, and empowering its employees with the latest technology. The company began providing self-service options in 2000 to better serve its customers. However, with the advent of smartphones, the company faced the challenge of staying on top of changing technologies and evolving customer needs. The company needed to update its application correspondingly with the frequent updates of the Apple iOS and Android operating systems. Additionally, the company had to accommodate growing numbers of customer self-service transactions and increasing amounts of data. The company also sought to empower its employees by enabling them to work on the device of their choice.

About The Customer

The customer is a leading voice and data services provider based in the United States. The company employs approximately 80,000 people and offers global voice and data services in more than 200 destinations around the world. The company is committed to improving the service it offers its customers while enhancing efficiency, cutting costs, and empowering its employees with the latest technology. The company began providing self-service options in 2000 to better serve its customers. With the advent of smartphones, the company created a rich client application for the Android and Apple iOS platforms.

The Solution

The company partnered with IBM to create a mobile application platform that would enable it to respond quickly to meet its customers’ needs while supporting growing volumes of data. The mobile application platform consists of three primary components: consumer applications, commerce applications, and enterprise mobility. The company used IBM WebSphere software to create a hybrid enterprise service bus (ESB) solution. IBM WebSphere Message Broker software is the core of the ESB, integrating several packaged and custom applications within the enterprise. The company used IBM WebSphere eXtreme Scale software to enable scaling to handle increased volumes of transactions. The company also implemented IBM WebSphere Application Server software to serve the platform for all mobile application development, and IBM Rational software to support development.

Operational Impact

The new platform enabled the company to accommodate growing numbers of transactions. For example, when the company launched the mobile application in 2003, it processed approximately 20,000 transactions per day. Today, the company processes four million per day.
The platform helped the company improve the service it offers its customers. For example, the company’s commerce application captured up to 10 percent of the market online within the company in the first four months of its launch.
The platform also enabled the provider to create 20 mobile applications that approximately 330,000 employees use. The platform significantly reduced the company’s time to market, allowing it to create e-commerce applications in just four weeks.

Quantitative Benefit