uBid - Online Bridge Bidding Practice Platform

THE CHALLENGE

NewInBridge B.V., a Netherlands-based company, had built uBid—a bridge bidding practice platform—but faced technical debt limiting growth. The application ran on outdated technologies (Django 1.5, Tastypie, Python 2.7), performance issues frustrated users, and mobile apps (iOS/Android) needed complete rebuilds for modern devices. Previous developers had left the codebase in poor condition with legacy patterns, inefficient database queries, and architectural limitations preventing new feature development.

The complexity

• Modernize legacy backend (Django 1.5 → 1.9, Tastypie → Django REST Framework) without disrupting active users
• Rebuild iOS app supporting modern devices and iOS versions while maintaining backwards compatibility
• Build Android app from scratch with feature parity to iOS
• Optimize database performance handling archived bridge hands and player histories
• Implement e-learning features (hints, tutorials, skill progression) integrated with gameplay
• Add social features (Facebook/Google+ login, chat, partner sharing)
• Integrate MailChimp newsletter system with Celery background processing
• Build tag system for organizing players by skill level and preferences
• Implement single sign-on with Zendesk for customer support
• Maintain platform stability during continuous modernization

Bridge is a complex card game with specialized terminology and rules—developers needed domain understanding alongside technical skills. NewInBridge needed a team that could refactor legacy code, upgrade frameworks, build modern mobile apps, and add features simultaneously across 4-year timeline without breaking production.

NewInBridge chose AnvilEight based on Django/Python specialization, mobile development capability (iOS + Android), Scrum process alignment, and European timezone compatibility (Netherlands → Ukraine communication).

THE RESULTS

A 4-year partnership transforming legacy bridge practice platform into modern cross-platform learning application serving players worldwide.

4 Years Partnership with Dutch EdTech

Cross-Platform Backend + iOS + Android

Performance Database & Code Optimization

E-Learning Integrated Tutorial System

Technical Modernization Delivered

• Backend upgrade: Django 1.5 → 1.9, Tastypie → Django REST Framework
• iOS rebuild: Objective-C legacy → Swift modern, UI refresh, performance optimization
• Android development: Built from scratch with feature parity to iOS
• Database optimization: Query performance improvements, schema refactoring
• E-learning integration: Built-in hints, tutorials, skill progression tracking
• Social features: Facebook/Google+ login, multiplayer chat, board sharing
• Infrastructure: MailChimp integration, Celery task processing, Zendesk SSO

Platform Capabilities Enabled

• 24/7 practice availability with archived boards for review and sharing
• Multi-level learning supporting basic, intermediate, and expert players
• Multiple simultaneous partners enabling practice with different skill levels
• Tutorial integration with gameplay hints users can enable/disable
• Social learning through board sharing with tutors and pupils
• Cross-platform consistency across web, iOS, and Android

Testimonial

"AnvilEight combines modern project-management methods (real Scrum) with a dedicated and highly skilled technology staff that can deliver complex front- and back-end functionality in a timely fashion."

Helmer Wieringa, Product Manager at NewInBridge B.V.

TECHNICAL CHALLENGES SOLVED

Challenge 1: Zero-Downtime Framework Migration

Problem: How do you upgrade Django 1.5 → 1.9 and Tastypie → Django REST Framework for production app with active users without days/weeks of downtime?

Solution: Implemented parallel API support maintaining Tastypie for existing mobile apps while building Django REST Framework endpoints for new versions. Deployed backend upgrades incrementally with feature flags, tested thoroughly in staging with production data clones, and coordinated mobile app releases with backend deployments. Users experienced no downtime—they simply updated apps when convenient, discovering better performance.

Challenge 2: iOS App Modernization Across Device Generations

Problem: uBid needed to support iOS devices from iPhone 4 through latest models, spanning multiple iOS versions with different capabilities and screen sizes. How do you build modern Swift app while maintaining backwards compatibility?

Solution: Architected hybrid codebase: legacy Objective-C components for older iOS versions, new Swift implementations for modern devices, abstraction layers providing consistent APIs, and UI that adapts gracefully across screen sizes. Core Data models optimized for both older devices (limited RAM) and newer ones (taking advantage of power). Players on older devices got stable experience; newer devices got performance benefits.

Challenge 3: Database Performance Under Historical Data Load

Problem: Bridge practice generates massive data: every hand played, every bid made, all archived for review. Years of gameplay data slowed queries, frustrating users waiting for board loading.

Solution: Implemented comprehensive database optimization: indexed commonly queried fields, refactored schema eliminating redundancies, optimized ORM queries reducing database round-trips, implemented strategic caching for frequently accessed boards, and archived old data to separate tables maintaining fast queries. Result: board loading sub-second even with years of history.

Challenge 4: Cross-Platform Authentication Consistency

Problem: Players wanted to login via email, Facebook, or Google+ across web, iOS, and Android with consistent authentication state. How do you implement this without separate login systems per platform?

Solution: Built unified authentication service: JWT token-based system working across all platforms, OAuth integration with Facebook/Google+, single sign-on to Zendesk support, and secure token storage following platform best practices. Players authenticate once, access all features everywhere, and get seamless support through Zendesk without re-authentication.

WHY 4-YEAR PARTNERSHIP SUCCESS

Scrum Process Excellence

Helmer Wieringa's testimonial specifically praised "modern project-management methods (real Scrum)"—this wasn't accident. Our 2-week sprints, daily standups, regular product owner meetings, and transparent progress tracking gave NewInBridge confidence and control. They could adjust priorities rapidly as market needs evolved, a critical capability for fast-moving EdTech company.

European Business Alignment

Netherlands → Ukraine timezone (1 hour difference) enabled real-time collaboration: scheduled calls at convenient times, same-day responses to questions, and overlapping working hours for urgent issues. Unlike Asian teams (8+ hour difference requiring night calls) or US teams (6-8 hours behind Europe), we worked when NewInBridge worked—essential for 4-year partnership requiring constant communication.

Full-Stack Technical Depth

uBid's modernization required expertise across backend (Python/Django), frontend (AngularJS), iOS (Swift/Objective-C), Android (Java), infrastructure (Celery, integrations), and domain knowledge (bridge game understanding). Single vendor delivering complete stack meant architectural consistency, faster iteration, and accountability—no coordination overhead with multiple specialists.

Long-Term Commitment to Quality

Four years enabled deep product understanding: we learned bridge gameplay mechanics, understood player behavior patterns, knew codebase intimately, and could suggest improvements proactively. This institutional knowledge accelerated development—no ramp-up time for new developers, no knowledge loss between projects, just continuous improvement of platform we understood deeply.