EUROPOLITAN

Tools Used:
Orbix®, OrbixWeb™, CORBA®

Problem:
Before embarking on a retail expansion plan, Europolitan required a customer application that enabled subscribers to complete the entire registration process in-store, over the Internet, without calling the Europolitan customer care center. There were two possible solutions; installing a specialized computer system with a dedicated terminal and network in each outlet, or the development of a point-of-sale registration application which was accessible from each dealer's PC over the Internet, which seamlessly linked to Europolitan's customer care system. Installing specific networks was prohibitively costly, while the Internet based application provided the same functionality, increased flexibility and long term cost efficiency.

Solution:
Europolitan, a Swedish mobile phone operator, has deployed an online customer registration system using IONA's Orbix® and OrbixWeb™ middleware products. The solution, developed by Kipling Information Technology, provides Europolitan's network of stores with an automated registration system that enables customers to register accounts and billing information over the Internet. The system utilizes IONA's Orbix and OrbixWeb to tie together Europolitan's heterogeneous database and IT applications and extend them to the Internet as an easy-to-use registration system. In addition to providing a more efficient registration process, the introduction of the web-based application in place of the traditional paper-based system has been instrumental to the expansion of Europolitan's network of stores.

"Implementing Europolitan's retail expansion program demanded a complete overhaul of the customer registration process," commented Michael Saw, Senior Business Developer at Kipling Information Technology. "Despite the diversity of the system requirements, the rich functionality of IONA's Orbix product range allowed us to move Europolitan's core registration application to the Internet without posing any serious challenges. With a high performing registration system in place, Europolitan can look forward to finding new innovative ways of improving the service to both Europolitan dealers and customers."

"Orbix and OrbixWeb enable organisations to deliver exciting business solutions with increased functionality, while still protecting their IT and skills investment by allowing them to integrate their existing computer systems," commented Noel Toolan, senior vice president of marketing at IONA Technologies. "As more business processes require applications that can be extended to the Internet, firms need a proven solution that will support these new, more powerful applications. Europolitan's point of sale application illustrates how IONA's Orbix product range encompasses all the features to deliver critical business functionality across the Internet to deliver real business benefits."

Europolitan chose CORBA® as the framework for their new system. Europolitan dealers access the point-of- sale registration application over the Internet using a standard PC. The user interface portion of the application is downloaded to the Europolitan dealer's browser software. IONA's Orbix and OrbixWeb ensure connectivity between Europolitan's Oracle-based customer service IT system and the Java-based registration application.