With a modular and integrated software infrastructure, Vodafone Automotive expands its business and conquers new markets

Scenario

Vodafone Automotive offers global telematic services and electronic products for the automotive sector. In particular, stolen vehicles recovery services, services based on the use of vehicles for the insurance industry and a wide range of vehicle management services. Vodafone Automotive partners are the car and motorcycle manufacturers, operators of vehicle fleets, leasing and rental companies.

As in many successful businesses, the initial technological structure is inevitably heterogenous, because it consists of the sum of pre-existing architectures, for acquisitions or partnerships. Moreover, the explosion of API, devices, applications and data sources makes it even more complex the construction of a well-integrated business system.

These conditions often generate a jagged infrastructure, that is, at the same time, exposed to increasing pressure by virtue of the key role it plays for the creation of value. Just think of all the fields in which the Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly transforming the market, as in the case of advanced telematic services offered by Vodafone Automotive.

Challenges

Vodafone Automotive needed a platform to make the most of their potential, to build on its technological assets and allow to anticipate market opportunities, continuously enriching the offer.

Fundamental requirements of the service delivery platform were:

  • possibility to integrate with other systems (telematic platforms, order management, administration and accounting, …)
  • ability to create B2B interconnections with business customers platforms
  • orchestration of the entire configuration process of telematic services
  • easy evolution in terms of new features, opening of new domestic and international markets
  • continuity of service
  • scalability

The solution

The advanced middleware Red Hat JBoss Fuse is an ideal platform to achieve the goal because it is designed specifically to make more agile the construction of an integrated infrastructure that effectively includes the existing systems and those of new construction.

Implementing a middleware requires special expertise, both in the setting up of the platform itself, both in the design and development of software objects based on it. Choosing an experienced and trusted technology partner is therefore essential.

Web Site has brought into play its know-how to successfully deal with the challenge.

Architectural and technological choices

Since it is the central pivot of the architecture of service delivery, scalability and reliability become even more crucial features. Moreover, the rapid evolution requires frequent updates whose impact on operations shall be minimized.

To achieve these objectives it is necessary to complement the Red Hat platform, based on OSGi technology and frameworks like Apache Camel, with advanced techniques of software design, including an approach based on microservices and adoption of Enterprise Service Bus pattern, combined to a strong experience in all aspects of operations management.