IT Operations Overhaul at Tipico

Background

Tipico Technology Services, a leading provider of sports betting technology, was experiencing a period of strong growth. The existing monolithic IT infrastructure regularly reached its limits during peak loads. Concurrently, a clearly structured IT operations department was missing to ensure stability, scalability, and efficiency.

Challenge

The main issues were:

• Standards: Missing processes, policies, and best practices for operations.
• Scalability: Monolithic architecture was not future-proof for the growing user base.
• Structure: No service-oriented IT operations department, unclear responsibilities.
• Operational Stability: Peak loads led to instabilities.
• Cost Control: Increasing expenses with insufficient transparency in vendor and budget management.

Approach

In the role of Director IT Operations, responsibility was assumed for establishing a completely new, service-oriented IT operations department. The key measures:

• Organizational Development: Building a department from scratch to over 55 employees (internal and external teams).
• Architecture Transformation: Transition from a monolithic application to a microservice-based architecture.
• Service Orientation: Implementation of ITIL-based Service Management (Incident, Change, Problem).
• Operational Policies & Best Practices: Definition and implementation of standards for stability, security, and efficiency.
• Monitoring & Performance: Implementation of comprehensive performance and system monitoring to proactively address bottlenecks and risks.
• Cost Optimization: Effective budget and vendor management for cost control while ensuring high service quality.
• Security Focus: Development of processes and tools for platform security, especially in a regulated market environment.

Result

• Organizational Scaling: Successful establishment of a high-performing IT operations department with 55+ employees.
• Stability & Availability: Significant increase in platform availability, even under extreme peak loads.
• Efficiency Gains: Implementation of standardized ITIL processes led to clear responsibilities and measurably faster incident resolution.
• Cost Efficiency: Optimized budget and vendor management reduced operating costs without compromising service quality.
• Future-Proofing: Transition to microservices laid the foundation for long-term scalability and innovation capability.

Success Factors

FactGreenfield Approach for IT Operations

• Building a department from scratch enabled modern structures and processes without legacy burden.

Architecture Shift

• Transition from monolith to microservices was the technological key for scalability and resilience.

ITIL-based Service Orientation

• Clear processes (Incident, Change, Problem Management) brought order to chaos and increased efficiency.

Data-driven Decisions

• Performance and system monitoring as a basis for proactive measures instead of reactive firefighting.

Cost-consciousness during growth

• Balance between budget optimization and service quality through stringent vendor management.

Leadership in Establishment

Scaling a team from 0 to 55+ employees in a short time with a focus on culture, responsibility, and excellence.