Ctrip Mobile App Release Practices: Organization, Process, Tools, and Lessons Learned

Author Introduction

Wang Xuesong, senior PMO project manager at Ctrip Technology Management Center, oversees cross‑BU project coordination, process refinement, and integration releases for Ctrip's main mobile app.

Ctrip launched its wireless strategy in October 2010; the app now has about eight years of development history. In 2013 the "Thumb+Concrete" strategy accelerated wireless growth, and in 2015 the unified wireless management structure was split into business‑line teams, creating new challenges for app integration and release.

1. Organizational Structure

Since 2017, Ctrip has formed vertical technical committees; the Wireless Committee consists of the wireless platform team and representatives from each business line, handling technology strategy, new‑technology validation, standards, and training. The wireless platform team focuses on framework, innovation, and business‑line support, while the PMO provides cross‑BU project management, SQA, and process support. The market team handles app store planning, pre‑install packages, and channel packages.

2. Release Process Overview

The release process includes:

Release planning (major and minor versions) coordinated by market and PMO.

Requirement handling – platform‑wide features managed by the wireless platform product team; business‑line specific requirements managed locally.

Iteration release – 2‑3 week cycles per business line, including framework updates.

Business‑line testing – internal functional testing before integration.

Full‑business integration testing – testing the integrated package containing all released features.

Code freeze ("封板") – final freeze before the integration package is built.

Final release (launch) – after integration testing approval, the package is marked for channel packaging.

App store submission – market team handles channel packaging and store submission.

Quality monitoring – QA teams track issues via Jira.

Operations – bug‑fix and hot‑fix releases follow a similar process, using a “ride‑along” model for small versions.

3. Tooling

Ctrip's Mobile Continuous Delivery (MCD) platform, developed since 2015, provides CI, build, package, QR‑code installation, smoke testing, white‑screen detection, size analysis, crash collection, gray‑release, hot‑fix, and more. It supports app integration, testing, release, and operation phases, with plugin architecture, bundle‑level RC releases, and full lifecycle management for apps, mini‑programs, and independent apps.

4. Summary

Through refined processes, practical tooling, and coordinated “group combat” across ~30 business lines, Ctrip has built a fast and stable mobile release system. Key success factors include strong organizational governance, an efficient CI/CD platform, end‑to‑end process control, disciplined code‑freeze practices, and continuous communication.