GDF Introduces the Visiting Developer Program

Collaboration and sharing knowledge are central parts of how we need to work to manage global digital transformation.

A key aim of the GDF is to globally scale the solutions we develop. Behind all the user/customer experiences, the journeys, and the assets, there is a sophisticated tech setup. How to approach this setup, how to configure it, how to get the most out of it, but also how to keep it up to date is crucial – while we, at the GDF, had the opportunity to gain the required knowledge, insights and experiences, this is not necessarily the case across all the operating entities around the world.    

So, how do we share our knowledge and how do we support Allianz companies to approach the challenges and requirements of digital transformation, that sometimes seem overwhelming? 

Face-to-face collaboration, even in the digital era, is a key factor to success. And thus, we introduced the Visiting Developer Program.

What is the Visiting Developer Program?

It is a program where developers from Allianz’ entities can come and work at the GDF for around 3 weeks. The goal is to train them on approaches that will help them adapt to change, such as ADP (Agile Delivery Platform), CRP (Container Realtime Platform), and DevOps. The GDF has been using these tools for two years on multiple projects, and from working closely with our colleagues in the ADP team, we have experimented and learnt how to make the most of Allianz’s developer platforms

Who can join the program?

The program is usually offered to developers from operating entities that have a joint project with the GDF. However, any developer from any Allianz company is welcome to join, with a maximum of 2 visitors per team. 

You want to become a developer here at GDF? Have a look at our jobs! 

What can they learn about?

The visiting developers will work on real projects using e.g.:
 

  • Agile Delivery Platform 

  • Container Runtime Platform

  • True Continuous Delivery



  •  Spring Cloud

  • Microservices 

  • Angular 6

  • NDBX (the Allianz brand design library)

The aim is to, on the one hand, give them a good overview and basic understanding of our tech stack. 

Moreover, even more importantly, we want to enable them to drive digital transformation within their Allianz entity. By implementing, using and further developing globally unified systems, sharing failures and lessons learned, and bringing all the experts from all over the world together to collaborate, we can create excellent and engaging user experiences.

What do developers currently in the program have to say about it?

Currently participating in the program, are two developers from Austria and one from Thailand. Read below to see what they have to say about it:

“It was for me a new experience to work in a global project with great developers from all around the world. I had the chance to get to know the libraries that the GDF developed. I love the atmosphere in office, there are so many places where you can sit together with your colleagues and discuss about the project. I am proud to introduce the global product and its components we developed at GDF to other developers in Austria/Vienna.”  – Mert Aksoy

“The time at GDF was very interesting and I think it’s a real benefit. During this time, I learned a lot about the processes and people at the GDF. Not everything was perfect but by working together, all problems could be solved and I really appreciate the possibility to be here.” – Stephanie Kogler

You have questions about the program? Get in touch with Des Field Corbett!