Intertech transforms DevOps with Microsoft's GitHub Copilot: unlocking developer productivity

Delivering developer delight

Now Head of DevOps at Intertech, Salih Eligüzel has dedicated over 12 years to software development. His approach emphasizes collaboration and communication between developers and infra teams. 

"Developers, akin to artists, are creating unique solutions. They need sustained focus,” he shares. “My primary objective is to support developers and empower them to expedite their software development processes,” explains Eligüzel. “So when they divert focus because of bugs and start shifting screens and exploring multiple websites for solutions, it takes a toll on their productivity.” 

Intertech needed more effective solutions to counteract these disruptions. “We tried developing plugins for Visual Studio and Visual Studio Code at first, but then Microsoft released GitHub Copilot, and I knew I had to explore it further,” he recalls.

Recognizing the potential of GitHub Copilot, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that offers autocomplete-style suggestions when writing code, Eligüzel spearheaded its adoption. In collaboration with Microsoft, the entire process, including integrating with Intertech’s Azure Active Directory and sending out invitations to its 600 developers via GitHub, was seamless. “Within a day, all Intertech developers started using GitHub Copilot,” Eligüzel recalls. 

Talking to developers

With GitHub Copilot, Eligüzel could finally address the context-switching issue. He facilitated an environment where developers could engage in a chat-like interface, ask questions, and get solutions, without stepping away from their primary tasks. “Previously, developers scoured the internet or the documentation for answers, often tweaking code snippets to fit specific needs,” explains Eligüzel. “Now, everything is automated. Our developers type in what they want to achieve and GitHub Copilot offers solutions without having to switch contexts. They receive immediate answers, saving countless hours. While it's tough to quantify coding speed in IT, we've undoubtedly seen heightened developer productivity.” With an AI assistant, Intertech has also observed improved code documentation and faster introduction of new hires to the code base.

The previously challenging unit testing—i.e. where the smallest parts of the application are tested for operation—has also become easier. “Our developers can efficiently generate and modify unit tests with Copilot's assistance, which makes them very happy,” notes Eligüzel. This enables the team to extend unit test coverage, or the extent to which code is tested, which has improved software quality.

Better code, fewer interruptions

Eligüzel quickly realized that the tool didn't just expedite coding; it fundamentally changed how developers interacted with their work, encouraging more self-reliance and efficiency. By pairing Github Copilot with an Azure OpenAI Service chatbot, Intertech further reduced daily interruptions. “Before GitHub Copilot, senior developers were inundated with questions,” Eligüzel adds. “By integrating our internal documentation into the large language model, all developers can find answers to common queries, such as how to add a feature or create a new microservice. And with Copilot's guidance, developers can find solutions independently instead of having to ask for our help,” he observed. “With Copilot and Azure OpenAI Service, I can confidently say our daily emails have reduced by about 50 percent,” remarks Eligüzel. This has in turn empowered the company to fully embrace remote work and increase employee satisfaction as well as lower turnover.

Copilot has also helped the product team collaborate more easily. Developers can select, question, improve and discuss lines of code, improving coding accuracy. It also encourages developers to maintain clear variable names when writing code, making it more readable to the entire team. Finally, it helps individual coders understand each other better. “For instance, if a senior developer writes a piece of code that's unclear to a junior developer, the latter can select the code and ask Copilot for an explanation,” Eligüzel says. 

Developing the future of banking

Intertech remains committed to innovation and the continuous pursuit of edge technologies. "If we look at the data, branch transactions have been decreasing, while mobile transactions are on the rise. We know that digital banking is the future, and that’s why we're investing in our IT architecture,” says Ateş. “And with our entire team sharing a passion for innovation, who’s more empowered than ever to focus on such added-value work, we have all the ingredients to swiftly adopt new technologies and facilitate the future of banking” concludes Kılıç.