I knew all the pieces, but didn't know how to implement them into the web server. The Zend Server platform and professional services paved the way for us to have a reliable, scalable, and enviable system.
Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU) has been improving the financial well-being of its members for decades. To provide such excellent service, CEFCU must make sure their internal systems are running smoothly. That includes a strong IT team, and a strong web development team to handle all its internal applications.
After deciding on PHP, they then had to pick which tools he would use to help with the security, development, and growth of the internal websites.
- Easy Deployment
- With a reliable and scalable system.
- Innovation
- To move in line with the technology industry.
- Efficient Troubleshooting
- When developing APIs with other vendors.
Citizens Equity First Credit Union (CEFCU) has been improving the financial well-being of its members for decades. To provide such excellent service, CEFCU must make sure their internal systems are running smoothly. That includes a strong IT team, and a strong web development team to handle all its internal applications. Enter Adam Kammeyer, web programming project leader at CEFCU. He started in the IT department in 2006 and quickly identified opportunities for innovation.
Assessing the web needs into the future, Kammeyer knew that achieving growth and fueling development would be hard to justify if the team wasn’t using the right tools. So he set on a path to identify the right tools to accelerate productivity and innovation. Enter Zend Server, and the decision to use PHP as the programming language of choice.
Kammeyer decided to use PHP for all internal web development because it was easy to understand and could be easily manipulated. Once Kammeyer saw the fast ramp-time to PHP, he was convinced. “For me, PHP was the obvious choice,” says Kammeyer. “Not only was it easy for me to read, but I knew it would be an easy and approachable language for newcomers that would hopefully be joining my then small team. We now have a great program for new developers, and PHP gives them immediate success.”
After deciding on PHP, Kammeyer then had to pick which tools he would use to help with the security, development, and growth of the internal websites. “I knew all the pieces, but didn’t know how to implement them into the web server,” says Kammeyer. “The Zend Server platform and professional services paved the way for us to have a reliable, scalable, and enviable system.”
What started as a simple consulting meeting back in 2013 turned into an awaking for Kammeyer. After talking with Zend experts, he quickly realized that they were still running all their systems like they were back in 2007. If they didn’t make big changes, and quickly, they wouldn’t be able to innovate. The Zend services expert helped Kammeyer make a solid business case to upper management that proved the need to change. “Because the changes we made in 2013 were so beneficial, I’m now getting the support across my organization to make changes and move in line with the technology industry. With these there’s no more lagging behind for CEFCU.”
To help Kammeyer and his team stay on top of business needs, CEFCU relies on Zend Framework, Zend Server, and Z-Ray. PHP and Zend Server are the backbone of the internal websites at CEFCU.
A fan of the automated deployment mechanisms, Kammeyer describes the benefit CEFCU gets from Zend Server. “The fact that we could do a simpleone-click rollback if necessary gives our entire team, and our senior leadership, peace of mind,” says Kammeyer. “Fortunately, we’ve never had to use the feature, but it’s comforting to know it’s there.”
Zend Server also gives the team a consolidated deployment process, making
it easy to merge many changes together, all while using a Jenkins plugin. Their success comes from a combination of GIT and continuous integration, making it easy to track and isolate additions to the application before and while they’re being deployed.
Z-Ray has come in handy for CEFCU when working with other vendors. When developing APIs with other vendors, Kammeyer says Z-Ray “efficiently troubleshoots to get things flowing from the mainframe and the vendor. Without Z-Ray, the process would have taken twice as long.”
And when it comes to Frameworks, CEFCU only uses Zend Framework. Currently running different versions of Zend Framework in different locations, the trust in the Zend name is clear. “Getting approval for Zend Framework was an easy sell to my boss,” says Kammeyer.
Now that all systems are up and running, things are being released and innovated. Kammeyer is looking for the next step to take in his success process as a web development leader at CEFCU. Like 52 percent of PHP developers, Kammeyer plans to migrate their applications to PHP 7 this year, “This year is the march to PHP 7.” Because Kammeyer and his team have made such smart decisions around Zend Server, Zend Framework, and Zend consulting services, he has a lot of support from upper management. So the move to PHP 7 won’t be a battle for approval, it’s simply a matter of making sure everything is ready to go at the right time.
What does the future hold for Kammeyer and his team at CEFCU? A lot of progress, even more innovation, and a continued pattern of growth. A true success.
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