Modernizing a Mission-Critical Registration Platform for a Large Higher Education Institution

Business Context

A large Canadian post-secondary institution relied on a custom-built registration platform to support learner enrollment, payments, and transactional workflows across continuing education and academic programs.

Over time, the platform had become tightly coupled to legacy runtime dependencies, limiting its ability to scale, integrate with modern front-end applications, and support future enhancements. The institution required a modernization approach that preserved existing business logic while aligning the platform with current technology standards.

Industry Higher Education
Region Canada
Engagement Type Application Modernization & API Re-engineering

Challenge

The institution faced several technical and operational challenges:

Core registration workflows depended on legacy Java components packaged as compiled modules
Existing REST APIs required redevelopment to support newer Java runtimes and web servers
Limited documentation existed for API behavior, request/response structures, and data mappings
Payment, coupon, registration, and confirmation workflows were tightly intertwined
The platform needed to integrate cleanly with a modern Angular-based front end

The goal was to modernize the application without disrupting live registration operations while enabling future extensibility.

Solution

atQor was engaged to lead a structured application and API modernization initiative, focused on re-engineering existing services using a Microsoft-aligned, enterprise-ready approach.

Key elements of the solution included:

Reverse Engineering & Analysis
Reviewed existing compiled Java modules to understand business logic, data flows, and API behavior.
API Redevelopment
Redeveloped multiple REST-based services supporting registration, payment processing, confirmations, surveys, and invoicing using modern Java standards.
Platform Modernization
Refactored APIs to ensure compatibility with current Java runtimes and web servers, enabling long-term maintainability.
Front-End Integration
Integrated modernized APIs with an Angular-based application, ensuring consistent request/response handling and user experience continuity.
Testing & Stabilization
Conducted functional testing, integration testing, and user acceptance validation prior to production deployment.

The engagement followed a milestone-driven delivery methodology, emphasizing clarity, traceability, and risk management across all phases.

Delivery Approach

The project was executed using a proven, phased delivery model:

Envisioning & Discovery – Defined scope, documented APIs, and aligned on modernization objectives
Planning & Design – Developed functional specifications and modernization architecture
Build & Integration – Redeveloped APIs and integrated with front-end components
Stabilization & UAT – Validated functionality under realistic usage scenarios
Deployment & Transition – Supported production rollout and operational handover

This approach ensured predictable delivery while allowing flexibility to address technical complexity uncovered during redevelopment.

Outcomes & Impact

The modernization initiative delivered significant benefits:

Extended lifecycle of a mission-critical registration platform
Improved reliability and maintainability of core APIs
Compatibility with modern Java and web infrastructure
Reduced technical debt and clearer documentation of business logic
A scalable foundation for future enhancements and integrations

The institution gained a modernized platform capable of supporting evolving registration and payment requirements without re-architecting the entire system.