Enabling Scalable ISP Integration with Unified API Management

BUSINESS CHALLENGE

A leading telecommunications provider relied on a runtime-level API gateway to manage integrations with Internet Service Providers (ISP). However, the existing implementation posed critical limitations in scalability, security, and operational efficiency. Key challenges included:

• A gateway-only API platform handled only runtime traffic, limiting broader integration capabilities.
• Limited in-house expertise restricted the use of platform features, reducing value realization.
• Reliance on vendor support created reliability risks and delayed issue resolution.
• Manual client onboarding processes increased  operational overhead and error risk.
• Lack of centralized controls over API security, versioning, and monitoring slowed release cycles and reduced deployment confidence.
• Enterprise-wide API Management solution wasn’t leveraged for ISP integrations, causing fragmented governance.

HOW WE HELPED

DefineX executed a low-risk, phased migration to the enterprise-wide IBM API Connect platform, enabling scalable and secure ISP integration. Key actions included:

• Performed a strategic API portfolio assessment, prioritizing business impact and sequencing migration into three low-risk waves.
• Migrated 13 APIs and 500 operations ensuring schema consistency and achieving zero downtime.
• Re-used the existing SSO module end-to-end, enabling full authentication continuity with zero code changes for clients or backend systems.
• Enabled network-level traffic redirection, eliminating the need for client endpoint updates and minimizing disruption.
• Implemented a self-service onboarding portal with workflow-based approvals, laying the groundwork for digital ISP onboarding.

RESULTS ACHIEVED

The migration to a unified API management platform unlocked significant gains in governance, scalability, and operational efficiency.

Self-service onboarding reduced client registration time to minutes, enabling digital-first ISP integration with minimal support effort.

Decommissioned 12 environments, reducing infrastructure complexity and cutting deployment and maintenance effort by 20%.

Seamless migration of 500 API operations, ensuring zero disruption to users or backend systems.