The Typesafe Platform at Gilt Groupe
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Typesafe Platform
- Scala
- Akka
- Play Framework
Tech Stack
- Scala
- Akka
- Play Framework
- WebSockets
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Customer Satisfaction
- Innovation Output
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Middleware, SDKs & Libraries
Applicable Industries
- E-Commerce
Applicable Functions
- Sales & Marketing
- Business Operation
Use Cases
- Real-Time Location System (RTLS)
- Predictive Maintenance
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
Gilt Groupe is a prominent e-commerce company offering exclusive access to top designer labels at significant discounts. Catering to a diverse audience, Gilt provides a wide range of products for women, men, kids, and home, along with unique local services and travel packages. Known for its flash sales, Gilt creates a sense of urgency and excitement among its members, encouraging them to engage with the platform frequently. The company's focus on delivering unique shopping experiences and maintaining a competitive edge in the e-commerce market drives its continuous innovation and adoption of advanced technologies.
The Challenge
Gilt Groupe faced challenges in scaling their e-commerce platform, originally built on Ruby on Rails, to handle high traffic volumes and provide unique shopping experiences. The need for a more scalable and efficient solution led them to explore alternatives to Java, eventually settling on Scala due to its productivity and ease of integration with legacy systems. The introduction of Gilt Live, a real-time shopping experience, required specialized technology like WebSockets, prompting a reevaluation of available web frameworks.
The Solution
Gilt Groupe adopted the Typesafe Platform, leveraging Scala, Akka, and the Play Framework to enhance their e-commerce platform's scalability and performance. Scala's functional programming capabilities allowed for efficient code development and seamless integration with existing Java services. The Play Framework, chosen for its lightweight and scalable architecture, facilitated the implementation of Gilt Live, enabling real-time inventory updates and a dynamic shopping experience. Akka's toolkit supported the handling of high traffic volumes during peak times, ensuring the platform's reliability and responsiveness. This technological shift empowered Gilt to innovate and deliver exceptional customer experiences without the constraints of traditional frameworks.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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