Highlights

• SSN Solutions' AWS infrastructure revitalized to amplify agility, dependability, and cost-effectiveness

• Seamless integration of AWS services into the infrastructure to deliver actionable consumer insights

• Robust security controls implemented to safeguard sensitive data and maintain compliance

• Enhanced scalability achieved, empowering SSN Solutions to manage growing data volumes and client demands

• Improved data management and processing capabilities, enabling swifter time-to-insights for clients

Overview

SSN Solutions, headquartered in London with offices in India, is a leading data analytics company specializing in deriving AI-powered consumer insights. With a mission to revolutionize marketing dynamics, the company enables brands to foster valuable consumer relationships through ethical data usage and cutting-edge technology.

Its flagship product, Encash Offers, is a platform that rewards users for engaging with consumer surveys and brand offers and uses the data to deliver its customers a comprehensive understanding of their target audience, empowering them to create personalized marketing strategies and drive growth.

Requirements

As SSN Solutions' client base expanded and data volumes surged, the company encountered several challenges with its existing AWS infrastructure, which was initially managed by an external vendor.  To that end, SSN Solutions pursued a strategic partner to modernize its AWS infrastructure, enabling it to deliver actionable insights to clients more efficiently while ensuring data security and compliance.

Key requirements included:

1. Enhancing the existing setup to effectively handle the growing number of users and increasing data complexity, as the initial infrastructure proved insufficient in meeting these demands.

2. Implementing advanced, automated processes to efficiently manage both the infrastructure and application, replacing the existing deployment processes that lacked the robustness to adapt to the evolving business and technology landscape.

3. Modernizing the system to incorporate necessary security measures, and ensure compliance with regulations like GDPR

4. Improving infrastructure scalability to accommodate increasing client demands and future growth.

5. Optimizing costs by effectively leveraging AWS services and identifying areas for resource optimization.

Solution

Velocis Systems collaborated closely with SSN Solutions to evaluate their existing AWS infrastructure and pinpoint areas for enhancement. Harnessing their expertise as an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, Velocis proposed & deployed a comprehensive solution to modernize SSN Solutions' infrastructure:

• A detailed review of SSN Solutions' existing infrastructure, removing irrelevant and unnecessary AWS services to optimize the environment.

• Modernization of the application and deployment processes. Velocis created a production-ready microservices-based Amazon Elastic Container Service (AWS ECS) cluster within the agreed-upon time frame for the application launch.  

• We also Implemented AWS Fargate to run containers without managing the underlying infrastructure, focusing on container management rather than infrastructure, enabling faster deployment.

• AWS Elastic Load Balancer (ELB) and Auto Scaling Groups (ASG) ensured high availability and scalability by distributing traffic across multiple servers and seamlessly scaling to enhance the user experience.

• MongoDB Atlas integration enhanced database management efficiency, enabling SSN Solutions to handle complex data with increased agility and precision. Various AWS services like AWS Cloudfront, AWS Systems Manager, AWS Security Hub, and AWS CloudTrail were integrated to enhance operational efficiency and streamline management.

• Implementation of a multi-stage CI/CD pipeline using AWS CodeBuild, Amazon CodeGuru, AWS CodeDeploy, and AWS CodePipeline services. This allowed for seamless development-to-production deployments and empowered the development team to swiftly implement updates and deploy new features.

• AWS Certificate Manager (ACM) offered a simple and cost-effective way to manage SSL/TLS certificates for SSN Solutions’ domain names.

• AWS WAF (Web Application Firewall) provided an essential layer of protection for web applications against common web exploits and attacks such as SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and HTTP floods.

• Amazon CloudWatch Container Insights and Cisco AppDynamics were utilized to efficiently monitor crucial application stack metrics. Amazon CodeGuru identified vulnerabilities in the code, and all logs were securely stored in Amazon CloudWatch log groups for auditability and compliance.

Business outcomes

Velocis' expertise in AWS services and best practices ensured a smooth transition, minimizing disruption to SSN Solutions' operations. The collaborative approach fostered a strong partnership, enabling SSN Solutions to leverage Velocis' technical prowess and industry knowledge to propel its digital transformation journey forward. Here are some of the tangible outcomes:

1. Near 100% availability and minimal downtime ensured a seamless user experience, instilling trust and satisfaction among users. The strategic placement of infrastructure across different availability zones and the implementation of database backups were instrumental in ensuring a consistently reliable end-user experience, even during challenging situations

2. Augmented agility and scalability, enabling SSN Solutions to handle increasing user traffic and data volumes with ease

3. Streamlined deployment processes accelerated time-to-market, empowering the development team to implement updates and new features swiftly

4. Reinforced security posture through robust AWS security services, safeguarding sensitive consumer information and maintaining compliance

5. The integration of API Gateway enhanced API management and security, while Amazon CloudWatch and Container Insights provided detailed monitoring capabilities, enabling the troubleshooting of issues down to the container level and enhancing overall operational efficiency and reliability

6. Optimized costs by approximately 40% through the strategic elimination of redundant AWS services and resources

7. Unlocked actionable consumer insights through advanced data analytics, enabling SSN Solutions to deliver unparalleled value to their clients

With a modernized AWS infrastructure and data-driven capabilities, SSN Solutions is well-equipped to shape the future of marketing dynamics, empowering brands to cultivate meaningful consumer relationships and drive sustainable growth.

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