Client Overview
Our client is a leading cross-border payment company, authorized and regulated by the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). With their global network of 50+ countries, technology experts, and partners, they have transformed the cross-border payment services. Unlike traditional cross-border payments, they use direct access to the local banks where customers’ payments need to be sent, thus removing the complexities, hidden fees, and lack of visibility experienced in today’s traditional cross-border payments.
Business Objective
A financial services leader wanted a more reliable developer portal solution to enhance their API developer experience. They were looking for a more robust, flexible, and secure Developer Portal that could serve a diverse set of users while meeting strict regulatory and operational requirements. We collaborated closely with the finance leader’s internal team to develop a custom portal that streamlined API access and significantly improved company onboarding and collaboration.
Challenges
Our client had been using Apigee’s integrated capabilities for API management, but the default Developer Portal wasn’t meeting their needs. They faced a few specific issues:
- The default portal offered minimal flexibility in layout, design, and user roles, which was problematic for a client operating in a highly regulated space.
- APIs were well-built and maintained internally, but external partners and internal consumers often struggled with discoverability and self-service capabilities.
- The client required fine-grained access control to manage internal developers, partners, and various business departments, each with distinct permission levels.
- The default portal of our client relied on automated hosting services for TLS/SSL, which limited direct control over certificates in private and hybrid environments.
- The limitation of adding on modules for rule-based events, app analytics, and portal logs restricts scalability and insights into usage.
How NeosAlpha helped?
To address all the challenges of our client, we designed and developed a custom Developer Portal that can offer a tailored user experience aligned with the client’s workflows and brand identity. Our team collaborated closely with the client’s architecture and security team, following an agile delivery model.
1. Portal Architecture Design
We architected the solution to work seamlessly with Apigee Edge while keeping the UI layer decoupled for future flexibility.
2. Authentication Integration
The portal was integrated with the client’s identity provider (IDP) using OAuth 2.0 and SSO, supporting both internal and partner logins.
3. CI/CD Deployment Pipelines
To support their DevOps model, we implemented automated pipelines for continuous deployment and environment promotion.
4. Security Reviews and Compliance
Every component underwent a detailed review to ensure the portal met internal security standards and industry compliance requirements. Also, integrated Active Directory to manage and verify internal users.
Key Features and Customizations
- User Role Management – We implemented a role-based access control system to allow administrators to assign granular permissions across internal teams, external partners, and third-party developers.
- Custom UI and Theming – We designed the portal using modern front-end frameworks to customize the user interface, enabling the client to deliver an intuitive user experience.
- API Catalog and Documentation – We built a searchable catalog API with integrated and interactive documentation, so developers could now explore, test, and onboard APIs quickly and independently.
- API Key and App Registration Workflow – NeosAlpha custom developer portal allows authenticated users to create and manage their own apps, generate API keys, and track usage.
- Audit Logging and Analytics Integration – We also integrated logging and monitoring systems to track user activity, API consumption across the portal, and meet compliance standards.
- Email Notification Management – We set up automated alerts so internal teams receive detailed insights on both successful and failed API traffic, while external users receive simplified usage-focused updates.
Technology Stack
- Apigee
- CI/CD
Result
Post-launch, the Cstom Developer Portal transformed how the client’s internal and external users interacted with their API ecosystem.
- Reduced the developer onboarding time with self-service registration and intuitive documentation, enabling them to access and use the API quickly.
- By providing access control and admin visibility into API usage, we enhanced portal security.
- Custom solutions enhanced the platform’s scalability, allowing the client to onboard new teams and partners without any manual efforts.
- Clients can onboard their developers using Apigee Company apps, eliminating the need for additional client dependencies.
