ndgit's research and development operations

Florian Pahl, CTO at ndgit shares some ‘behind the scenes’ insights into ndgit’s research and development operations

Published on September 25th at IT Finanzmagazin (German)

Who are ndgit’s customers?

We have a very varied customer base. It includes banks and insurance companies, whose core banking systems we help make sustainable through modularisation and digitization, and also FinTechs, whose microservices we support through our API management platform and associated marketplace. We also aid successful partnerships such as team Hypothekarbank Lenzburg and neon. Increasingly, e-commerce players are also eager to take advantage of our technology, for instance, mobile.de uses ndgit to map and connect its digital credit process to multiple banks.

How are the products developed and what processes are used?

ndgit uses in-house development and employs 50 API and IT experts inhouse. Many are pioneers in their field, working on high-profile projects such as delivering the first-ever Open Banking platform in Switzerland; and less visible but vital areas like creating a high available SaaS environment backed by the latest banking standards. We use agile process models promoting active user involvement and team empowerment. This includes the ‘Scrum’ project management framework, ideal for projects with aggressive deadlines, complex requirements and a degree of uniqueness.

How do you decide what will be developed next?

While no one can say for definite what will be needed in a year or two, we work hard to make pretty accurate predictions. We have a team of market experts focused on being the first to track down the latest innovations globally. Another team is in constant contact with our customers, giving us almost daily feedback on where needs are arising. Based on this combined intelligence, our product owners are able to develop market-focused roadmaps, which are then agreed with ndgit’s senior management.

On which technology are the products based?

For the development of our microservices, we primarily use Java and Spring Boot. For secure and scalable operation, we rely on Redhat OpenShift. Bank customers, in particular, now expect 24/7 access to their finances, therefore, maintenance and updates must be invisible. Using OpenShift, we can ensure that any upgrades can be easily performed without any downtime.

Which tools are in use?

We are a technology-driven company and make a significant investment in tools to help us support smooth delivery. We use the ‘git’ distributed version-control system for tracking changes in source code during software development, and we use Atlassian products to control the Scrum teams and documentation. Because our developers work in different locations, we use ‘Slack’ team collaboration software tools, which are now an integral part of all our internal corporate communications.

How do you guarantee the security of your systems?

Data security is always our highest priority. Our SaaS platform supports our customers’ financial applications, so must be protected at all times. We use highly certified German data centres. Because security is a central component of our development process, we also ensure our solutions are tested by independent third parties on a regular basis.

Are there any specific hardware issues that need to be considered?

We try to ensure there are no issues on the customer side. Our platform is agnostic and can be connected to core banking systems of all kinds. This enables the preservation of legacy systems.

What interfaces are used to link ndgit to core banking systems?

We connect our platform to core banking systems using Restful APIs as a thin integration layer. At the same time, our middleware enables easy implementation of optional service modules and bank microservices. In order to be able to serve all our customers simultaneously, we have access to API implementation experts from partner companies with market-specific know-how, for example, Synpulse in Switzerland or Jambit in Germany.