The Challenge:

Modern Postcard hired Apple iServices to help them Think Different about e-business, to go way beyond what the rest of their industry was offering. An established brick-mortar company with 15 years of great results and even greater customers, Modern Postcard wanted customers to have the power to design and order professional-looking postcards online, from their web browser, in a manner which you would expect from a traditional, powerful graphics or publishing application. Their competition's sites had limited, tedious HTML forms that didn't allow for real customization — that wasn't the Modern Postcard way.

Feeling that this ultimate solution would be three years out, launching between 2003 and 2004, Apple looked to Tyrell for expertise, leadership and a wide range of skills. A lot of analysis and creativity was needed to pick the right technologies and strategies from the beginning to make such ambitious goals achievable.

The Tyrell Solution:

Tyrell researched different Application Server and client-side interaction technologies. Looking deeply at Flash from Macromedia, our CEO Mark Murphy believed they could deliver this solution now, not later. Mark recognized that WebObjects' component-based design provided a perfect environment for creating a Generator-workalike that filled the holes and made development progress very rapid. A design was drafted and work began.

Tyrell set up the version control system used by the development team, which included Tyrell and Apple iServices engineers, and together implemented the WebObjects-based XML-to-SWF translator and client-side application. Tyrell also integrated Modern Postcard's existing business systems with the new e-business system.

The Results:

Modern Postcard is tremendously happy with the product, which went online in 2001. Their courage, and the creative genius of their development team of Apple and Tyrell is helping them achieve their goals, years ahead of schedule. Tyrell continues to lead the design and realization of Modern Postcard's next generation online services.