The Client

TravelUp has been taking the faff out of booking travel arrangements since 2004. Since the company first started its only aim has been to make worldwide travel effortless for its customers.

TravelUp work with over 200 airlines and offer over 400,000 hotels to offer the best deals to users.

Their bespoke technology searches many different suppliers simultaneously and finds the best available deals on flights, hotels, and package holidays. Travel Up focuses on helping holiday makers find whatever they need for their trips, from airport transfers to excursions to parking.

Overview

TravelUp needed a secure virtual desktop environment for their development team, which would enable remote work capabilities while ensuring the protection of their code base and sensitive data.

Ekco’s customised Azure-based solution included automated software installation, personalised desktop instances, and cost optimisation measures.

The result was increased productivity, an expanded talent pool, and streamlined workflows.

The Challenge: Enabling remote collaboration while safeguarding data

TravelUp wanted to expand their talent pool by hiring developers from different locations. However, they faced the dilemma of maintaining data security and preventing unauthorised access to their code. Their existing setup limited their ability to hire remote developers and provide work-from-home options. They needed a secure and scalable solution that would provide controlled yet simple access to their systems, without compromising data integrity.

The Solution: A tailored approach for flexibility, security, and scalability

Ekco devised a tailored solution using Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) to address TravelUp’s remote work challenges. By leveraging AVD, we built a secure virtual desktop environment that allowed developers to work from anywhere without the risk of data removal or unauthorised access. The solution included 15 session hosts, ensuring scalability and ease of expansion as Travel Up’s team grew.

To streamline the deployment process, Ekco developed a script that automatically installed the necessary software on the virtual machines. This simplified the setup and ensured consistency across the environment. Our expertise in PowerShell scripting allowed us to deliver a customised solution tailored to Travel Up’s needs.

We also implemented automation that shut down the session hosts outside working hours. Each developer was assigned a personal AVD instance, ensuring data privacy and preventing unauthorised access to their work. The instances only started when the developers attempted to connect, meaning TravelUp could avoid charges for idle resources.

The Outcome: Empowering talent expansion and streamlining workflows

By adopting AVD, TravelUp was able to successfully expand their talent pool by hiring remote developers from different locations, meaning increased productivity and access to a broader skill set. The secure and scalable nature of the solution allowed for seamless collaboration and flexibility in remote work arrangements.

Ekco’s Azure-based solution also provided TravelUp with a secure development environment that enabled their developers to access the code and make necessary changes while safeguarding data integrity.

In addition, the automation implemented by Ekco optimised costs and enhanced operational efficiency. The automatic software installation process and personalised desktop instances streamlined workflows and minimised administrative overhead. TravelUp’s developers could focus on their deliverables without being encumbered by complex setup procedures.