Case Study Enabling Seamless E-Commerce for Education
How we built a Magento e-commerce subscription platform on Kubernetes for a university group serving 100+ institutions in six months.
6 months
Migration timeline
The Client
Digitizing curriculum delivery and subscriptions for a global higher education network.
The client is a B2B division of a prominent UK-based university group. They serve over 100 international partner institutions, delivering curriculum frameworks, online courseware, and blended learning models. Recognized globally for excellence in educational delivery, they provide universities, colleges, and training centers with the materials needed to run certified degree and professional programs.
In the international higher education sector, curriculum delivery has historically relied on physical textbook distribution and face-to-face academic training. However, managing physical inventory across dozens of countries introduces high logistical costs and customs delays. To expand their reach, modern education groups are transitioning toward digital delivery models, allowing partner institutions to purchase and access course subscriptions online.
To execute this digital strategy, the client required a B2B e-commerce platform. They needed a system where partner institutions could browse available courses, purchase subscription licenses for their student cohorts, and manage user access keys through a unified, self-service portal.
The Challenge
The urgency of digital curriculum transition.
The client's shift to digital learning became urgent due to global travel and campus disruptions. With campuses closed worldwide, partner institutions could not receive physical educational materials, making digital delivery necessary to keep courses running. The client had to transition their offline curriculum and courseware database to a digital B2B subscription platform.
This transition faced several challenges. The client's business model relied on complex pricing rules: they charged different rates per student subscription depending on the partner institution's country, cohort size, and existing partnership agreements. Additionally, the new e-commerce engine had to connect with their legacy Student Management System (SMS) to automatically enroll students in the correct classes once a subscription was purchased.
Global campus closures required a rapid transition from physical to digital course delivery.
Complex B2B pricing rules needed multi-store, country-specific SKU pricing.
B2B portal had to integrate with legacy Student Management Systems.
Deployment schedule was tight to prevent disruption to active academic semesters.
What our audit found
Exposing the limits of static pricing and manual enrollment.
We analyzed the client's historical B2B contracts, billing methods, and student enrollment databases. The diagnostic revealed that invoicing and student registration was managed manually by administrative teams. When an institution purchased student access keys, staff had to manually generate licenses and update the SMS database, a process that took several days and caused delays for students.
On the website side, the legacy portal was static and lacked e-commerce functionality. It could not display different product catalogs or localized pricing based on the user's location, requiring sales teams to manage transactions offline via emails and bank wire transfers.
Manual key generation and registration delayed course access for students.
Static web portal could not display localized product pricing.
Lack of self-service payment options slowed down B2B sales cycles.
System lacked search features, making it difficult to browse courses.
The Solution
How we turned it around.
Multi-Store Architecture and Country-Specific Pricing
We implemented a multi-store e-commerce framework using Magento. This architecture allows the client to run a single database while serving localized storefronts to different partner institutions. We configured the catalog to support country-specific pricing per product SKU. When an administrator from an international institution logs in, the platform automatically displays their pre-negotiated currency and SKU rates.
What we shipped
- Configured a multi-tenant Magento architecture to serve global storefronts.
- Programmed country-specific SKU pricing templates to match partner contracts.
- Integrated automated currency conversion and regional tax calculation.
- Enabled B2B login verification to secure account-specific pricing views.
Automated Subscription Launch and Dynamic Discounts
We developed a B2B e-commerce engine that supports subscription purchases and bundle discounting. We built dynamic rules that apply discounts based on student cohort size, course combinations, and regional promotions. When an institution completes checkout, the platform calls SMS APIs to generate student license keys and register accounts automatically, removing manual data entry.
What we shipped
- Built a Magento checkout engine supporting cohort-based B2B subscriptions.
- Programmed dynamic discounting rules for product bundles and volume purchases.
- Integrated APIs to automate student enrollment and license key generation.
- Connected major payment gateways to accept secure credit card and invoice options.
High-Performance Infrastructure with Kubernetes and Redis
To ensure the platform could handle traffic surges during registration periods, we deployed Magento on a containerized infrastructure managed by Kubernetes. We implemented a Redis caching layer to store session data and catalog queries, reducing load on the database. We integrated OpenSearch to power a fuzzy-logic search engine, allowing users to find courses by topic, level, or code.
What we shipped
- Deployed containerized Magento environments using Kubernetes on AWS.
- Configured Redis caching to optimize page load speeds and database query times.
- Integrated OpenSearch to enable fuzzy-logic searching across course databases.
- Automated system backups and failover processes to ensure high availability.
The Numbers
Outcomes we can talk about.
The launch of the Magento B2B e-commerce platform resolved the client's manual administration bottlenecks. By migrating the curriculum delivery pipeline offline-to-online in just six months, the client avoided semester start delays and kept programs running. The automation of student registrations and license key generation removed manual administrative steps, enabling students to access courseware immediately after purchase.
The B2B e-commerce platform provides localized catalog views, allowing partner universities to purchase subscriptions in their own currency under pre-negotiated contracts. With OpenSearch powering course queries and Redis handling session caches, the website provides a responsive shopping experience even during peak enrollment periods.
Note on Metrics: Due to the client's internal compliance rules and competitive EdTech guidelines, quantitative revenue and license transaction numbers were restricted from public release. The success of the project was measured qualitatively by the migration timeline, the elimination of manual key-generation tasks, and the successful onboarding of international partner institutions.
6 months
Migration timeline
What We Built
What's Next
Implementing personalized learning paths and automated compliance.
Following the launch of the B2B portal, the client is planning to integrate learning management system (LMS) data into the e-commerce database. This will enable personalized course recommendations, automatically suggesting advanced modules to institutions based on their student cohort performance.
Additionally, the client plans to automate licensing compliance audits. By tracking active user sessions in the LMS, the system will automatically alert partner institutions when their student numbers approach their subscription limits, enabling sales teams to follow up on upgrades.
Frequently Asked Questions
About This Project
The questions teams usually ask when they want to run a similar engagement.
Magento provides a robust B2B catalog management system that supports multi-store configurations, localized SKU pricing, and complex customer segmentations, which are critical for international B2B agreements.
The Real Numbers
Need real numbers? Let's talk.
We kept the names off the page. The story is real, the outcomes are real, and we're always happy to walk a serious team through the rest of it.
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