Streamlining Device Management and Compliance in a Rapidly Evolving Technological Landscape
Enabling Secure Cloud Connectivity and DevOps Automation
A Swiss American medical device company partnered with valantic to develop a secure cloud connectivity module and robust DevOps automation, ensuring seamless device management and compliance.
The challenge
A Swiss American medical device company needed a secure cloud connectivity module and robust DevOps automation to manage a diverse array of medical devices while ensuring compliance and flexibility.
Consulting approach
valantic implemented a comprehensive DevOps solution with automated pipelines, synchronized repositories, and quality gates to streamline development and deployment processes.
Customer benefits and solution
The solution enabled seamless device management, enhanced security, and ensured compliance, while providing a scalable foundation for future growth and innovation.
About the company
The customer is a leading Swiss American medical device company known for its innovative solutions and commitment to improving healthcare outcomes. With a strong focus on research and development, the company specializes in designing and manufacturing high-quality medical devices that meet the highest standards of safety and efficacy. Their products are used in various healthcare settings, from hospitals to clinics, and are trusted by medical professionals worldwide.
The company’s mission is to enhance patient care through cutting-edge technology and continuous innovation. They invest heavily in research and development to stay at the forefront of medical advancements, ensuring their products address the evolving needs of the healthcare industry. With a global presence and a dedicated team of experts, the company is committed to delivering reliable, secure, and compliant medical devices that improve patient outcomes and support healthcare providers.
The challenge
A leading medical device company faced significant challenges in developing a common software module to enable secure connectivity to a central service cloud for a diverse array of medical devices. The company needed to create a robust cloud service to manage device provisioning, enhance security through client certificates, facilitate log file analysis, and perform software updates while maintaining backward compatibility for devices already in operation.
Secure connectivity
Ensuring secure and reliable connectivity between medical devices and the central service cloud.
Device management
Developing a comprehensive cloud service to manage the provisioning, security, and updates of medical devices.
Synchronization
Keeping two different development environments in sync — one at valantic for day-to-day operations and one at the customer for controlled build, test, verification, and production environments.
Compliance
Adhering to strict software development processes that require formal approval and documentation for audits.
2
development environments (valantic and customer)
9
concurrent projects requiring synchronized repositories
5
reported vulnerabilities in the previous year due to manual processes
Consulting approach
valantic adopted a structured and collaborative consulting approach to address the customer’s challenges and deliver a tailored solution. The approach included the following key steps:
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1
Assessment and Planning
- Conducted a thorough assessment of the customer’s existing infrastructure, processes, and requirements
- Defined clear project goals, scope, and success criteria in collaboration with stakeholders
- Developed a detailed project plan, including timelines, milestones, and resource allocation
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2
Solution Design
- Designed a comprehensive DevOps solution with automated pipelines using GitLab for code management, testing, and deployment
- Integrated runners supporting builds and deployments on Windows, Linux, and Docker
- Ensured the solution aligned with the customer’s security, compliance, and scalability requirements
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3
Implementation
- Set up the CI/CD environment using GitLab, with pipelines that automatically build code, run tests, and deploy cloud services to AWS test environments
- Implemented additional checks to synchronize repositories and trigger customer pipelines based on Bitbucket and Jenkins
- Configured quality gates to pause pipelines for manual approval and generate reports for audits
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4
Tests and Validation
- Conducted rigorous testing of the deployment framework to ensure reliability, security, and performance
- Validated the solution against defined success criteria and made necessary adjustments
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5
Training and Knowledge Transfer
- Provided comprehensive training to the customer’s teams on the new deployment framework, tools, and processes
- Facilitated knowledge transfer sessions to ensure the customer’s teams could independently manage and optimize the solution
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6
Continuous Improvement
- Established a feedback loop to continuously monitor and improve the deployment framework
- Provided ongoing support and optimization to ensure the solution remained aligned with the customer’s evolving needs
Solution approach
The implementation of the comprehensive DevOps solution enabled the customer to achieve significant improvements in their cloud operations and device management.
Project goal:
The primary goal was to enhance secure cloud connectivity, streamline device management, and ensure compliance while providing a scalable foundation for future growth.
Project duration and scope:
- Duration: 12 months
- Scope: The project involved a team of 15 experts from valantic and the customer, including cloud architects, DevOps engineers, and security specialists.
Technologies used:
- CI/CD Environment: GitLab for code management, automated testing, and security checks.
- Containerization: Docker for building and deploying containerized applications.
- Security Scanning: Integrated tools for vulnerability scanning and static code analysis.
- Deployment Management: Jenkins for managing updates across development, testing, and production environments.
Benefits for the Customer
Secure connectivity
Enabled secure and reliable connectivity between medical devices and the central service cloud
Enhanced security
Implemented vulnerability scanning and strict access controls, reducing security incidents by 80%
Reduced manual effort
Automated deployments decreased manual intervention by 70%, allowing teams to focus on innovation.
Improved compliance
Structured and consistent deployment processes ensured adherence to regulatory requirements.
Scalability
The solution provided a scalable foundation for future growth, enabling the customer to easily integrate new technologies and adapt to changing business needs.
Your Contact
Tiemo von Hinckeldey
Partner
valantic