After less than a year of development, Entelect Software is preparing for the upcoming launch of the new Liberty Health burn jOules Customer Loyalty Programme. The development and rollout of this programme is a significant step forward for the use of cloud computing in South Africa. Entelect Software used the Microsoft Azure platform for the entire system, including self-service portals for members, partners, intermediaries and administrators.
The company chose Azure because it allows them to build, host and scale software applications in secure Microsoft data centres.
“Hosting on Microsoft Azure was the reason we could provide Liberty with delivery in the timeframes they required. It also simplified and enhanced the quality of the overall solution. Certainly there were challenges, but for a system architected from scratch, requiring such a complex distribution of partners, the cloud proved to be the best solution, without a doubt,” said Martin Naude, Chief Technology Officer at Entelect Software.
The project started in July 2010 with an in-depth consulting and specifications stage. A key requirement was finding a central location for the project's diverse stakeholders and the business requirement to be able to roll out the programme internationally, and facilitate an unlimited number of partners, members and brokers in the future.
Entelect had to overcome a variety of serious challenges in the development of the burn jOules product, but it was well worth the effort for the benefits involved.
The cloud platform, while it requires a learning curve in development, provides a range of services that simplifies and enhances the system. The provision of services such as queuing, reporting, integration and optimisation, are cost effective and efficient through economies of scale. Another advantage is how Windows Azure takes care of countless software versions and backward compatibility issues. While there are always risks no matter what you do, the platform offers the best minds on a large scale to secure your company and stakeholder information.
Entelect Software has planned and tested the product extensively before going live. The company's careful attention to detail upfront has allowed them to produce a superb product, which meets all the client requirements.
Entelect is using the cloud platform for a number of other projects, and the experience they gained through their innovative use of the Azure platform is helping them to cement their position as pioneers in the field.
Other Azure projects currently in development by Entelect Software include a digital store, a labour management portal for specialists in engineering, a dynamic system for managing inventory and high-value equipment across multiple sites, a bird watching information platform, and Entelect's Web, event and retail management online product suites. With projects such as these currently being developed, the company is rapidly expanding its knowledge base and market exposure.
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