Introduction

Study.com's online learning platform provides educational resources for over 30 million students every month. The company believes in making education more accessible with simplified learning tools and personalized, AI-assisted lesson plans. All of this technology is available on the web as well as the Study.com mobile app, allowing students to learn on the go and at their own pace. 

When an outdated, deprecated architecture prevented the Study.com development team from updating their mobile app, they knew it was time to outsource the work, so they turned to Divelement to get it right, and to get it done fast. 

The Pain Points

Outdated, deprecated tech stifles mobile innovation

The old Study.com application – launched in 2016 – was built using AngularJS, an obsolete technology that’s not designed for mobile, which made it difficult to scale and update. With millions of monthly users to support and exciting new AI features to roll out, these limitations were stifling business growth. 

In addition, Google discontinued support as of January 1, 2022, and no longer updates AngularJS to fix security vulnerabilities or technical issues. Eventually, it became nearly impossible for the dev team to ship new app releases, turning up the urgency for a necessary migration to a modern framework.

Study.com had two primary pain points with its AngularJS framework:

1. Security vulnerabilities were no longer patched by the Angular team, increasing the risk of a breach.

2. Technical limitations of the AngularJS framework made the app itself extremely difficult to update with new features or bug fixes.

An inability to update its mobile app to modern tech standards was the tipping point for Study.com to migrate to a new front-end framework that supported efficient scaling and streamlined feature updates.

The Solution

A modern, flexible mobile app with React and Ionic

Study.com was already using the Ionic framework and wanted its new mobile app technology to work with that architecture. React was the obvious choice due to its ubiquity – according to a 2024 Statista survey, React is the second most used web framework by developers worldwide, whereas AngularJS is ranked number 16. 

Source: Statista

React’s availability presents several key advantages.

1. It’s easier to find developers who know how to work with it.

2. It’s heavily supported by the development community, which makes it easier to find answers to problems online.

3. There are lots of open-source resources that can streamline development or extend its capabilities.

Another major advantage of React is that it’s a library, not a framework. This increased accessibility gives developers more artistic freedom to work with. It also works across operating systems and browsers, offering streamlined cross-platform mobile capabilities. React offers all the flexibility and scalability Study.com needed to deliver modern mobile educational solutions.

Migration Challenges

Porting from Angular to React without a safety net

All the front-end functionality of the Study.com mobile app needed to be ported over from AngularJS to React instantaneously for a release version – there was no room for migration stages or staggering. It was crucial to ensure that the look, feel, and functionality were consistent between both versions and that every feature behaved correctly on Day One. The new front-end also had to be integrated with all the existing systems and technologies.

Study.com needed to migrate its mobile application quickly but lacked a dedicated in-house mobile development team. They needed an outsourcing partner that could augment the internal dev team with specific expertise in Ionic and React as well as skilled project management to shepherd the speedy migration through to a successful conclusion.

Engaging With Divelement

A trusted nearshoring partner with React and Ionic expertise

Divelement is a nearshore technology outsourcing firm that consulted with Study.com’s in-house team to choose the right technology solutions and create a tailored migration strategy that addressed all pain points, challenges, and business goals. Divelement’s large staff of skilled React developers, mobile development consultants, and project managers were all ready to hit the ground running to help Study.com meet its accelerated delivery timelines.

The Approach

Staff augmentation accelerates project execution

Although Study.com had no dedicated mobile developers, they did have in-house development resources with experience in the outdated AngularJS architecture and foundational Ionic framework. Divelement took a hybrid approach, augmenting this small internal team with additional developers with specific React expertise. 

Fewer than three weeks transpired between Study.com’s initial contact and the Divelement team’s start of the project. Leveraging the experience of skilled React developers, consultants, and project managers helped Study.com complete the project quickly, efficiently, and within a specified budget. 

The Outcome

Delivering a smooth launch day on schedule and on budget

Because the old mobile app’s entire front end would be migrated all at once, it meant the new app had to work at launch. And it did. The project was completed in six months, starting in October 2022 and concluding in Q1/2 of 2023. 

Thanks to a nearshore operating model and efficient operating practices, Divelement’s staff augmentation, consulting, and project management services enabled Study.com to save money on development costs. Plus, engaging with Divelement saved Study.com from having to invest significant amounts of time and money in recruiting and onboarding their own dedicated mobile dev team.

The new Study.com mobile app can update and scale easily as the company continues to grow and innovate. Divelement helped Study.com maintain its larger mission of making education more accessible for everyone – without missing a beat. 

The Benefits of Outsourcing With Divelement

Study.com lacked the expertise to manage the migration with existing resources. Augmenting its existing development teams with outsourced experts provided valuable benefits, including:

Cost Savings 

On average, outsourced developers cost less per hour than full-time employees. Companies pay reduced employment tax rates and aren’t responsible for the outsourced developer’s benefits, training, or medical leave.

Specific Expertise

Study.com needed resources with expertise in mobile development with AngularJS, Ionic, and React, but recruiting or training for these specific skills could take a significant amount of time and money. Divelement had staff on hand with the exact expertise required for the Study.com migration, which allowed them to hit the ground running immediately.

Accelerated Results

Augmenting internal teams with Divelement’s experts allowed Study.com to complete the migration within the six-month timeframe. Divelement’s team uses agile best practices like iterative development and continuous testing to reduce delivery cycles without lowering quality. 

About Divelement

Who we are

Divelement is a nearshore technology consulting company that helps businesses solve problems through technology and accelerate their digital transformations. Our approach starts by fully understanding what a client is trying to accomplish, determining if technology is the right way to achieve it, and then ensuring we have clear client outcomes to work backward from to build a successful roadmap. 

Divelement’s team is based in Mexico. Our proximity to the U.S. presents numerous advantages over offshore teams, including those listed below.

• Developers have a high level of English fluency, reducing the risk of miscommunication.

• Mexico has a similar workplace culture, mitigating friction over faux pas and other misunderstandings.

• Overlapping time zones between U.S. offices and Divelement’s team facilitate real-time collaboration.

• Divelement’s team offers the same (or higher) expertise as onshore dev teams, but at a reduced cost.

Our track record

Divelement has a proven track record of successful projects and happy clients, and we provide complete transparency into our staffing and development practices.

Divelement has the expertise to handle every stage of your project lifecycle. We provide team augmentation to fill specific knowledge gaps, managed services for long-term maintenance and support, and full onshore consulting to enable close collaboration on mission-critical initiatives. We help our clients meet their goals faster without the expense or difficulties of hiring in-house experts.

Schedule a call today to find out how Divelement can accelerate your digital roadmap!