Client

IPC Telephony

Products Used:

Adobe Flex 2.0
Flex Automation Testing
IPC Telephony
Mercury Quicktest Pro

Challenge

IPC Information Systems is a leading provider of mission-critical communications solutions to the world's largest financial services firms, such as Barclays, Deutsche Bank and Bank of America. The VoIP solution network has unrivalled built-in resiliency for the highest levels of service availability with systems routinely achieving 99.999% reliability. In an industry where millions of dollars ride on a millisecond trade request in a volatile market place, performance cannot be compromised.

IPC saw an opportunity to have a web-enabled version of their hard-turret phones used within the financial industry. This web-enabled version would enable market traders on all the major market floors across the world to access their speed dial listing, call history and speaker channel functionality when working in locations other than their primary office.

Initial research found it difficult to replicate immediate response times associated with a wire phone over the web with inherent delays and fluctuating response times – all of which would be unacceptable to IPC’s clients.

Purpose of the Build:

IPC engaged Twin Technologies to design, develop, test and deliver a web phone application within a three-month timeframe. Twin Techs used Adobe Flex 2.0.1 for development and assisted in automated testing using Mercury Quicktest Pro. The user interface was built to integrate with a ‘black box’ that handed off all messaging to each respective application and telephony system. Complex logging was also required to ensure that adequate response times were met. Lastly, heavy, but unobtrusive, user feedback was implemented to ensure that users were satisfied with response times when buttons were pressed.

The decision to use Flex for development played a major role in the project’s triumph, as the Twin Tech team was able to create an identical replica of the IPC phone used on a day-to-day basis via Flex’s versatile development environment.

Reports of Success Since Launch:

Many traders and company officials state that little-to-no user training is needed today to get users up and running with the application.

Additional Details:

Twin Techs was presented with the project in June 2007 and delivered on time and on budget with an early beta by August.