- Software modernization
- Frontend
- Backend
- Audit
- Automation
- Microservices
- Payment Systems
- Legacy System Modernization
Modernizing one of the most popular digital signage software solutions by migrating existing application’s architecture from monolith to microservices, code refactoring and getting rid of inefficient legacy code chunks, and setting up new cloud infrastructure. Boosting the performance of the digital billboard software, upgrading its look and feel, and improving its scalability so it can easily cope with the growing load.
client
NDA
NDA
Up to 100 employees
A digital signage solutions provider operating in more than thirty countries
The client offers one of the most flexible, powerful, and user-friendly digital signage solutions on the market. With on-premise and cloud versions of its electronic billboard software, users can efficiently manage digital content on many types of screens and devices. Besides, the cloud version of the solution works in a web browser, which makes it ideal for all customers, whether they prefer using a MacOS, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, or mobile digital signage software.
The client’s customers use the digital signage software for retail stores, restaurants, hotels, and hospitals, as well as for exhibitions and events.
request background
Refactoring and modernizing a digital signage system
The client reached out to us when their cloud-based digital signage software couldn’t cope with the influx of users. In addition, their on-premise product version was unstable, too. Deficient architecture paired with legacy code led to software failures. The existing tech stack made it difficult to maintain and evolve their electronic billboard software. The client chose Acropolium to provide digital signage software development services because of our experience as a software vendor highly skilled in developing kiosk and info-board software.
challenge
Monolith architecture with legacy code pieces as the main cause for instability of the client’s digital signage software for hospitals, restaurants, hotels, and event halls
A thorough audit of the client’s digital signage platform revealed issues that hindered their growth and expansion. The issue was suboptimal architecture built on several interacting monoliths. The lack of reliable underlying infrastructure also caused troubles for the company’s enterprise digital signage solutions.
Their digital signage management software had lots of code that required refactoring and affected the security level of the software.The software solution and code lacked full project documentation, making the project even more challenging. Worth mentioning that the client has a broad ecosystem with several different product offerings and many internal services where all the issues listed above were relevant.
Since the digital signage software company had to provide ongoing services for their current clients, they tasked our team with the objectives: support the old version and transfer the system to a newer technology stack simultaneously.
goals
- Increase the stability of the corporate digital signage software system.
- Create an effective UX/UI of the current digital signage software system.
- Speed up and simplify the process of onboarding new customers.
- Provide end users with the ability to access all of their cloud-based and on-premise apps within the single-identity client ecosystem.
- Introduce the CI/CD cycle to ensure smooth and frequent code changes and automate support of the on-premise digital signage software version.
solution
A path from monolith to blazing fast digital signage scheduling software based on microservices
Angular.js, .NET, .NET Core, Azure
1.5 years- 4 specialists
The first task was to remedy the instability of the existing enterprise digital signage software. Our team reviewed and refactored the existing codebase, replaced inefficient code chunks, and upgraded .Net. This made the stack more uniform and easier to manage. It increased the reliability of the digital signage advertising software.
As part of the system modernization, we began to break up the project’s monolith architecture into microservices.
In addition, we implemented the following:
- A new project infrastructure on the Azure cloud using Terraform and Kubernetes for automating software deployment, more granular resource management and infrastructure cost optimization. We have moved part of client services from Azure AppServices to Azure Kubernetes clusters.
- Applied Docker to the project and Dockerised on-premise version of the software.
- A single sign-on (SSO) feature using IdentityServer which required version update from IdentityServer 2nd to 4th and migration from Auth0 for some services in order to optimize internal interaction and simplify customer service processes.
- An upgrade to the look and feel for the UI/UX of both on-premise and web-based digital signage software versions, using new layouts. The new layout of the on-premise version of the digital display board software greatly simplified the software installation and updating processes for the client’s customers. As a result, the company streamlined the onboarding process and customer support.
outcome
The scalable, reliable, and secure digital message board software
- Improved digital signage system stability by increasing its uptime by 20%, which has now reached 99%
- Improved platform security by implementing IdentityServer SSO
- Reduced the time needed for new user onboarding to less than five minutes by upgrading the on-premise version of the digital signage software
- New UX/UI that helped to increase NPS by 30%
