Watania International Holding achieves integration success and API security with WSO2

Watania Takaful implements WSO2’s solutions, including WSO2 Micro Integrator and WSO2 API Manager, to overcome the challenges of integrating disparate systems and enhancing security.

Overview

Watania International Holding, formerly known as Dar Al Takaful, is a publicly listed company under the ticker WATANIA on the Dubai Financial Market. The company offers Islamic insurance policies, including personal, motor, health, and life insurance, catering to both individuals and corporations. Following its merger with Noor Takaful in July 2022, Dar Al Takaful evolved into a holding company, named Watania International Holding.

To address the challenges of integrating disparate systems and enhancing security, Watania Takaful implemented WSO2’s solutions, including WSO2 Micro Integrator and WSO2 API Manager. WSO2 Micro Integrator enabled seamless integration across multiple systems, while WSO2 API Manager provided secure and efficient API management for exposing insurance services.

Challenge

Prior to becoming Watania Takaful, Dar Al Takaful operated with a range of disparate software systems, including a core insurance platform, rules engine, and approval workflows, along with various business support systems such as SMS gateways and document management systems. These systems were integrated through point-to-point, ad hoc connections, leading to a fragmented infrastructure. This fragmentation caused significant friction in core business operations, resulting in::

• Delayed Claim Processing: Inefficient and slow claims handling due to disjointed systems.
• Complicated Renewal Processing: Difficulties in managing insurance renewals efficiently.
• Compliance Challenges: Complicated compliance operations and reporting due to lack of streamlined processes.

The acquisition of Noor Takaful in July 2022 exacerbated these issues, introducing additional integration requirements. Watania Takaful also needed to enhance its B2B channels by securely exposing insurance services via APIs to various insurance brokers. Previously, these services were exposed through less secure mechanisms, posing risks to sensitive data and operational integrity. The need to modernize the digital platform was pressing to address these integration and security challenges effectively.

Objectives

Watania Takaful’s modernization efforts aimed to address the following:

• Streamline Integration: Develop a unified and high-performance integration platform to replace the existing point-to-point connections. The goal was to facilitate seamless connectivity among diverse systems, reduce manual intervention, and enable the rapid adaptation of business rules. This would enhance operational efficiency, improve data accuracy, and accelerate time-to-market for new services and updates.
• Secure API Exposure: Implement a robust API management solution to securely expose insurance services to B2B portals and applications. This objective included adopting industry-standard security practices to protect sensitive policyholder data, ensure compliance with regulatory requirements, and provide reliable and controlled access to insurance services for partners and brokers.

Solution

To address the challenge of disparate and inefficient integrations, Watania Takaful deployed WSO2 Micro Integrator. This solution replaced their existing ad hoc integrations, creating a high-performance integration platform. WSO2 Micro Integrator enabled seamless connectivity across 20 different applications, covering critical functions such as:

• Securely sending member data to the UAE Health Authority.
• Fetching vehicle details for motor insurance.
• Updating policyholder files in document management systems.

WSO2 API Manager was chosen to implement industry-standard API authorization and security best practices for exposing sensitive data, including policyholder information, claims, and payments. Additionally, APIs were made available for internal systems to provide master data views for channel applications of insurance brokers.

Martin Sebastian, CIO, Watania International Holding

Results

The implementation of WSO2 products led to several significant outcomes for Watania Takaful:

• Increased Developer Productivity: Internal developer productivity surged by multiple folds. This boost allowed Watania Takaful to accelerate the development and deployment of new business requirements, significantly reducing the time-to-market for new features and updates.
• Enhanced Operational Efficiency: The integration of 20 different applications streamlined key processes such as claim processing, renewal management, and compliance reporting. This integration resulted in faster processing times, fewer errors, and more efficient management of business operations.
• Improved API Security: The adoption of WSO2 API Manager strengthened the security and management of API endpoints. By implementing industry-standard security practices, Watania Takaful ensured robust protection of sensitive policyholder data, reduced vulnerabilities, and improved overall data integrity, which is paramount in exposing Takaful services for insurance brokers.
• Better Data Integration: The use of WSO2 Micro Integrator provided a unified integration platform that facilitated seamless data exchanges and management across multiple systems. This enhanced the accuracy and reliability of data flows and supported more effective business decision-making.
• Scalability for Future Growth: The modernized platform equipped Watania Takaful with the scalability to support business growth and adapt to evolving market demands. The new integration and API management capabilities positioned the company to leverage new business opportunities and expand its services through secure and efficient digital channels.

“Implementing WSO2’s solutions have significantly enhanced our integration capabilities and security measures. The flexibility of WSO2 Micro Integrator and the robust features of WSO2 API Manager have enabled us to streamline our operations and better manage our data flows. This modernization has been crucial in improving our efficiency and meeting the growing demands of our business,” said Martin Sebastian, CIO, Watania International Holding