Background
Client
Paddy Power Betfair
Challenge
An augmented big data team
Year
2018
Paddy Power Betfair, at the time the second largest online gaming and betting operator in the world with multiple delivery sites globally, needed to rapidly scale their data engineering capabilities to manage millions of real-time transactions daily and execute a complex migration from legacy Oracle systems to modern cloud infrastructure (AWS Redshift and Snowflake). We sourced, pre-screened, and placed a specialized team of 5 senior data engineers and 2 data QAs from Eastern Europe within 6 weeks, handling all employment documentation and seamlessly integrating them into Paddy Power Betfair’s existing data department. The team successfully executed the large-scale data migration while maintaining 24/7 operational integrity, accelerating the client’s data roadmap by months and delivering significant improvements in data processing speeds, system reliability, and real-time analytics capabilities that enhanced business intelligence across their global platform.
The ask
Paddy Power Betfair, the second largest online gaming and betting operator in the world at the time, faced a critical challenge in managing their exponential data growth across multiple global delivery sites. With millions of real-time transactions flowing through their platform daily, their existing data department needed immediate reinforcement to execute an ambitious data roadmap. The organization required seasoned data engineering professionals who could hit the ground running and integrate seamlessly with their existing teams to tackle complex infrastructure challenges.
The company was embarking on a major modernization initiative that involved migrating from legacy Oracle systems to cutting-edge cloud-based solutions including AWS Redshift and Snowflake. This transformation required not only technical expertise but also professionals who understood the mission-critical nature of real-time betting data and could ensure zero disruption to their 24/7 operations across all delivery sites.
The solution
We began with an intensive workshop session with Paddy Power Betfair’s technical leadership to map out the exact skill sets, experience levels, and cultural fit required for this high-stakes project. Given the real-time nature of their business and the complexity of their data architecture, we identified that senior-level talent with proven experience in large-scale data migrations and cloud infrastructure would be essential. Our team focused recruitment efforts on Eastern European markets known for deep technical expertise in data engineering and cloud technologies.
Through our rigorous pre-screening process, we evaluated candidates not only for their technical proficiency with Oracle, AWS Redshift, and Snowflake, but also for their ability to work in fast-paced, mission-critical environments. We shortlisted candidates who demonstrated experience with high-volume transaction systems and presented them to Paddy Power Betfair for final interviews. Once the client approved their selections—5 senior data engineers and 2 data QAs—we expedited all employment documentation, compliance requirements, and onboarding procedures within 6 weeks. Our team facilitated smooth integration into Paddy Power Betfair’s existing data department, establishing communication protocols and ensuring the new team members had full access to necessary tools and environments from day one across their global delivery infrastructure.
The outcome
Within weeks of onboarding, the seven-person team we placed became integral contributors to Paddy Power Betfair’s data transformation initiative, delivering a comprehensive suite of critical outcomes. The team successfully implemented real-time data streaming pipelines using Kafka, Talend, S3, and Redshift, establishing data latency and consistency checks with Talend to ensure data quality across all systems. They executed the complex migration of the regulatory framework from Oracle to AWS using Talend and AuroraDB, along with migrating massive datasets from Oracle to AWS using Talend, SQS, and AuroraDB—all while maintaining system availability across their 24/7 operations. The team also automated the chargebacks ingestion and processing workflow using Talend, S3, and Redshift, eliminating manual interventions and reducing processing time significantly.
Most importantly, all migrations and regulatory reports were delivered successfully and on time, meeting the strict compliance deadlines that gambling operators must adhere to. Our ongoing performance monitoring and support ensured the team maintained consistent delivery standards throughout the project, with the two data QAs establishing comprehensive testing frameworks that caught potential issues before they could impact production systems. The client reported significant improvements in data processing speeds, system reliability, and real-time analytics capabilities. The accelerated data roadmap—delivered months ahead of the original timeline—ultimately supported better business intelligence and enhanced customer experience across Paddy Power Betfair’s global platform, positioning them for continued scalable growth on modern cloud infrastructure.
