The Problem

An industry leading automotive rental company faced a significant challenge when it acquired several other rental companies, each with its own back-end reservation system. The systems had little in common and were developed by different companies using different technologies, resulting in a lack of standard functionality between them. The differences extended to the user and customer interfaces, with each system having a distinct look and feel. There were even differences in concepts between the brands that needed to be meshed together.

The Solution

 The client asked for an established TDK team with technical background in Java microservices to help them transition to a single modern portal, simplifying their overall systems, and standardizing processes throughout locations. This was important to the client as they were already migrating their larger services into smaller, more compact microservices that are faster to develop and easier to maintain.

The advantage of microservices is that they are small, making them easier to maintain and faster to develop. Each microservice only does one thing, making it easy to reuse in other areas, which enhances interoperability. It is also more disposable. So, if a better solution is found the old code can be quickly replaced, making it an attractive option for customers who are integrating several pieces into one more uniform application.

In addition, the microservice architecture allows for the provision of services for multiple clients, making it an ideal solution for an industry-leading company that acquired several rental companies. The system is being used in a number of airports, and the company is rolling it out in other locations. The system-wide rollout may take additional time, as Interbrand dependencies and other issues are resolved.

Older systems were mainframe-based systems that had terminal emulator type interfaces. However, with the transition to Java and microservice APIs, web-based or Android-based interfaces can be adopted more easily. This makes it an attractive option for enterprises in particular looking to phase out legacy systems.

The Result

The client is extremely pleased with the knowledge the TDK team brings to the table. They were able to consolidate the back-end systems so the processes and user interface were standard across locations. The customer experience was also enhanced by knowing what to expect when shopping for a rental vehicle. An added benefit of the new system is being able to move employees between locations as business needs change.