Cloud computing helps ticket distributor kakava.lt simplify system maintenance
Launched in 2018, kakava.lt is a ticketing system that not only offers user-friendly design and automation, but also an exceptional infrastructure for users and event organisers. The system operates from the cloud, which not only makes it easier and cheaper to maintain the system 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but also allows for dynamic changes in the amount of resources used and simpler implementation of upgrades.
Next generation ticketing system – kakava.lt
The Kakava.lt system allows you to buy tickets for music, theatre, sports and other events throughout Lithuania. According to Eglė Jackūnienė, the manager of kakava.lt, the aim of the system was to make it as easy to use as possible.
“For example, a ticket can be purchased in the system without having to fill in a detailed registration form, just a few clicks. In addition, there is no need to print the ticket – it is enough to have it on your smart device. The system is not only user-friendly, but also convenient for event organisers and distributors. Thanks to automation, the functions designed for them allow to reduce human errors and shorten the time it takes to perform the most important actions on the self-service website,” says E. Jackūnienė.
Eglė Jackūnienė, Head of kakava.lt
The system consists of several parts – a self-service portal, a public portal, a checkout and a mobile scanning app. Although there are not many similar solutions in Lithuania, as E. Jackūnienė notes, the most important requirements for the IT infrastructure of the kakava.lt system were dictated not only by its architecture, but also by its most important functions.
“We were interested not only in the reliability of the system’s operation, but also in the ability to regulate the amount of IT resources used according to the system’s load, which is uneven, because, for example, when the announcement is made about the sale of tickets to a concert of a world-famous artist, the number of visitors is several times higher than on a normal day. Last but not least, our expansion plans played a role – we wanted to make the infrastructure of the kakava.lt system as modern and innovative as possible,” says a kakava.lt representative.
Cloud helped save costs for IT professionals too
The benefits of a traditional IT infrastructure – physical servers – were also assessed when considering possible IT infrastructure options. However, cloud computing had several strategically important advantages. These included the ability to do away with the need for IT specialists and system administrators.
“As kakava.lt would have to serve more users in the future and operate in several countries, having our own physical infrastructure seemed less attractive than cloud computing. We wanted to purchase system maintenance services from the same supplier along with cloud services, as it was not efficient to hire our own IT specialists and system administrators whose time would be dedicated solely to system maintenance. Moreover, as practice shows, IT companies often have more competences and experience to ensure that the system is running smoothly 24/7. This is exactly what we were looking for when looking for an IT supplier and chose Blue Bridge,” says E. Jackūnienė.
Not only easier maintenance, but also easier development
According to Mindaugas Maraulas, Head of IT Service Management at Blue Bridge, kakava.lt is serviced by a multiserver system, which not only ensures reliable operation of the ticket distribution system, but also facilitates its development and even migration to other data centres.
“Since one application is served by many servers, this creates many additional advantages. First of all, this IT infrastructure architecture is one of the most advanced. The entire system is divided into separate components that can be duplicated, which means that development, improvement and maintenance work can be carried out “invisibly” – while one component is being upgraded, it is “replaced” by another, identical one, which means that there is no need to shut down the entire system, even when carrying out the most complex upgrades,” says M. Maraulas, adding that given the specifics of the kakava.lt system, the “classic” advantages of cloud computing are equally important: the ability to flexibly reduce or increase the volume of resources, data backups, a professional team of IT specialists who immediately react to system malfunctions.
“Finally, in the future, it is much easier to containerise or relocate the system to another data centre. In other words, in the long run, a system with such an IT infrastructure is not only more efficient, but also more mobile,” notes Blue Bridge.
Mindaugas Maraulas, Head of IT Service Management, Blue Bridge