Searce is a modern technology consulting firm that empowers clients to transform their businesses, leveraging cloud, AI and analytics. Working with hyperscalers like Google Cloud and AWS, Searce has been enabling Digital Transformation and innovation across its 4000+ clients globally. It helped Zilch, a direct-to-consumer ad-subsidised payment network, deploy Apigee in just six weeks.
Zilch is a direct-to-consumer ad-subsidised payment network, with the vision to eliminate the cost of consumer credit. For good. Leveraging its unique vertically integrated, first-party data business model, Zilch brings unrivalled value to customers and retailers alike.
Zilch provides millions of customers the freedom to go anywhere in the world and when they pay, earn up to 5% cashback and rewards on debit payments (Pay Now) or spread interest-free credit repayments over six weeks (Pay in four over six weeks) and in the process helps build their credit profiles with the major credit agencies while keeping them protected. In just over three years, Zilch has amassed more than 3.6 million registered customers.
The challenge
1. Cloud integration: Although Zilch predominantly utilised AWS, it recognised the advantages of multi-cloud integration, especially the resilience and access to distinct tools specific to different cloud partners.
2. API management: Zilch had a keen interest in Apigee, a Google product designed to unveil APIs and endpoints to chosen external associates. This tool was crucial for Zilch’s growth strategy and its aim to integrate with third-party aggregators, like comparison websites. Its ready-to-use features can streamline processes, allowing its engineers to dedicate their expertise to tackling other challenges and innovations.
3. Rapid deployment: With ambitious growth plans, Zilch needed a swift and efficient integration of new technologies. This was particularly challenging given its in-house engineers’ expertise primarily lay in other cloud platforms and technologies.
4. Security and reliability: As a payment platform and credit provider, Zilch could not compromise on the security and reliability of its services, making the selection and integration of new technologies a sensitive task.
5. Scalability for growth: Zilch’s rapid user base expansion, especially in the UK, necessitated scalable solutions that could handle increasing loads and offer new features without service interruptions.
The solution
1. Rapid Google Cloud and Apigee integration: Searce efficiently set up Zilch’s Google Cloud landing zone and its initial Apigee instance. In just six weeks, Zilch transitioned from having no infrastructure on Google Cloud or Apigee to a fully-integrated platform across both its test and production environments.
2. Expert collaboration: Searce’s team of solvers worked closely with Zilch’s in-house engineers, ensuring a smooth and informed integration process, leveraging both teams’ expertise.
3. Multi-cloud resilience: By facilitating the integration of Google Cloud alongside AWS, Searce provided Zilch with the resilience of a multi-cloud environment, safeguarding against potential service interruptions.
4. API management with Apigee: With help from Searce’s team of experts, Zilch utilised Apigee’s robust features, ensuring third-party interactions with its systems were swift, secure and dependable. This opened new avenues for customer acquisition and third-party integrations.
5. Future-ready discussions: Recognising the potential of big data, ML and AI, Searce and Zilch have ongoing discussions about harnessing these capabilities on Google Cloud to further drive business growth and innovation.
“There’s no way that our engineers would have been as fast to deliver our Google Cloud instance in Apigee without Searce’s help. Searce could not only call on its own internal knowledge for helping us to solve our problems and get ourselves online with Google Cloud, but it could also lean on its existing relationships with Google to accelerate that process as well,” said Robert Nelson, Head of Engineering, Zilch.
Business impact:
Searce’s collaboration with Zilch has been transformative. Within a short span, Zilch benefitted on multiple fronts –
1. A multi-cloud resilience with Google Cloud and AWS ensures uninterrupted services.
2. Six-week rapid execution led to significant time and cost savings for Zilch.
3. Opened new avenues for customer acquisition and third-party integrations.
As Zilch continues its upward trajectory, the foundation laid by Searce ensures it is well-equipped to handle future challenges.
Click below to share this article