An automotive client approached us looking to update their digital architecture with a comprehensive application modernization strategy in order to keep up with changing customer and business needs. From a technical standpoint, their traditional monolithic Microsoft AP.NET applications had become dated, creating complexity and constraints within their proprietary content management tools and customer-facing systems. The business itself was experiencing an inability to react fast enough to desired and expected capabilities, and they were incurring high costs with each new change.

With their business and technical needs top of mind, we conducted an application modernization assessment, which included a Current State Architecture review and an application rationalization exercise. We provided aligned solutions with Future State Architecture recommendations, emphasizing the importance of application modernization. To help simplify the process, we built an Incremental Modernization Roadmap to show how we were going to prioritize our application modernization efforts based on business needs so that value could be quickly and continuously realized.

As a solution to increase reusability and reduce cost, we designed a Centralized Source-of-Truth (SOT) API ecosystem that leveraged MuleSoft AnyPoint for API Management with Hybrid Integration Servers. Here, content, data, and assets were able to be mapped to reduce content entry time. Content was centralized in Sitecore DXP and Sitecore Content Hub, while existing web-specific data stores were consolidated and mapped to existing and new SOT databases. Authentication and user management were offloaded to Okta CIAM, and we also modernized interface applications with lightweight JavaScript front-end interfaces.

For added value, network security was upgraded with cloud-native capabilities and perimeter protection using Akamai bot manager/DDOS protection/Web Application Firewall alongside Azure’s App Gateway with WAF.

This project became one of the largest growth initiatives in the company as part of their overall Digital Transformation. And the fact that our business case was approved and funded immediately made it clear that the change was needed, but also gives credit to our ability to assess and find value for our clients.

We are currently underway, implementing the Enterprise Architecture along with excited and motivated development teams over a multi-year engagement. Some of the real-time benefits we’ve already experienced include zero downtime with application deployments, with the added benefit of being able to do so at any time instead of waiting for low customer traffic during the night.