CloudTalk

Tag: Fashion Tech

  • AccessGrid Raises $4.4M to Turn Phones into Digital Key Fobs

    AccessGrid Raises $4.4M to Turn Phones into Digital Key Fobs

    AccessGrid Secures $4.4M to Transform Phones into Digital Key Fobs

    In a move set to reshape digital access, AccessGrid has secured $4.4 million in funding. This investment will fuel the company’s mission to enable phones to function as secure, convenient key fobs. The announcement, made on October 28, 2025, highlights a growing trend towards mobile-first solutions in various industries. (Source: TechCrunch)

    The Technology Behind the Transformation

    At the heart of AccessGrid’s innovation are its APIs. These Application Programming Interfaces allow businesses to integrate digital key fob management directly into Apple and Google’s wallet platforms. This integration streamlines the process of issuing, revoking, and managing access credentials. By leveraging existing mobile wallet infrastructure, AccessGrid aims to provide a seamless and secure experience for users.

    The company’s approach addresses the growing demand for secure and convenient access solutions. As mobile devices become increasingly central to daily life, the ability to use a phone as a key fob offers a compelling alternative to traditional physical keys. This shift not only enhances convenience but also boosts security by reducing the risks associated with lost or stolen keys.

    How It Works: A Closer Look

    AccessGrid’s technology works by providing a robust API that companies can integrate into their existing systems. This API manages the digital key fobs within the secure environments of Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. The process involves several key steps:

    • Integration: Companies integrate the AccessGrid API into their access control systems.
    • Issuance: Digital key fobs are issued to users through the mobile wallet platforms.
    • Management: AccessGrid’s API manages the lifecycle of these key fobs, including activation, deactivation, and updates.
    • Security: The entire process is secured using the robust security features of Apple and Google’s wallet platforms.

    This streamlined process allows businesses to offer a user-friendly and secure access solution without the need for specialized hardware or complex infrastructure.

    Impact and Future Prospects

    The $4.4 million in funding will enable AccessGrid to expand its operations and further develop its API offerings. The company is well-positioned to capitalize on the growing market for digital security solutions. The ability to manage digital key fobs via mobile wallets opens up new possibilities for various sectors, including property management, corporate offices, and even personal access control.

    As digital security becomes increasingly important, AccessGrid’s technology provides a practical and secure solution. By leveraging the existing infrastructure of Apple and Google, the company is making it easier than ever for businesses to adopt and manage digital key fobs. This funding round marks a significant step forward in the evolution of mobile access solutions.

    Conclusion

    AccessGrid’s innovative approach to digital key fobs is poised to transform how we think about access and security. The recent funding underscores the market’s confidence in the company’s vision and its ability to deliver a seamless, secure, and user-friendly solution. With this investment, AccessGrid is set to play a key role in the future of digital access.

  • Rent the Runway: How Cloud SQL Transformed Fashion Tech

    Rent the Runway: A Fashion-Tech Transformation

    Rent the Runway (RTR) isn’t just a clothing rental service; it’s a fashion-tech pioneer. Their success hinges on a complex dance of e-commerce and reverse logistics. To keep up with customer demands for speed and personalization, RTR needed a tech refresh, especially for its data infrastructure.

    The Legacy Database Challenge

    RTR’s journey began with a self-managed MySQL setup. Over time, it became a beast, with disaster recovery relying on custom scripts. Performance tuning? A manual, time-consuming affair. Scaling? Also manual, and prone to errors. It required a dedicated DBA team and a pricey third-party vendor providing 24/7 coverage. The engineers were in a constant state of limitation.

    Cloud SQL: The Modern Solution

    RTR aimed to modernize not just its database but also how its teams worked with data. Cloud SQL emerged as the best choice. It offered the perks of a managed service – automated backups, simplified disaster recovery – while keeping compatibility with the existing MySQL stack. Cloud SQL’s built-in query insights and integration with Google Cloud allowed engineers to own their work.

    The Migration: A Smooth Ride

    Recognizing their platform’s continuous operation, RTR treated the migration to Cloud SQL as a serious engineering project. They meticulously planned the migration. It was tested, dry-runned, and rollback scenarios were created. After weeks of rigorous testing, the cutover happened in just three hours, with only a minor hiccup. The result? Minimal downtime and a seamless migration.

    The Impact: Speed, Insights, and Savings

    The shift to Cloud SQL yielded significant improvements across several key areas. Engineers can now make schema changes independently, streamlining development. The new setup provides teams with access to IAM-controlled environments, enabling safe testing. Cloud SQL provided a clearer picture of how systems were running. RTR could offload its third-party MySQL support vendor within weeks, resulting in annual cost savings of over $180,000.

    The Future: Data-Driven Growth

    RTR is now aiming for a future where schema updates are rolled out as seamlessly as application code. Cloud SQL has put the pieces in place. They are building a foundation driven by data and agile development practices.