Article by Andy Orton, Founder of DotPerformance
In 2014, we faced a big decision: should we continue with our old hosting setup or make the leap to something more reliable, scalable, and secure?
At that point in time, we would endure at least one sleepless night every couple of months trying to recover a crashed server in an external hosting facility. Our old hosting suppliers, a mix match of local and UK companies were unpredictable, and every time something went wrong, we found ourselves waiting for them to provide a fix, usually the next working day. That's not the way we work.
We’d already built a solid reputation for delivering reliable services, and we knew that if we wanted to keep delivering the best experience for our clients, we had to take control. The answer? Amazon Web Services (AWS).
From Dependence
to Control
The world knows Amazon as the largest retailer but its infrastructure is in a league even beyond that.
It wasn't a decision taken lightly to switch to AWS. It meant moving everything from client data to internal tools into a new environment. But we didn’t want to rely on someone else to fix problems anymore. We wanted the ability to act immediately, to solve issues ourselves, and to scale seamlessly as our business grew.
It was a big shift from our old hosting company, which had been prone to unexpected downtime and slow response times when issues arose. No longer were we willing to accept waking up in the middle of the night to find our systems down and being at the mercy of a third-party provider to get things back online. The pressure had become unbearable and so we embarked on the switch.
The AWS Impact
Uptime, Scalability, and Security
When we moved everything to AWS, everything changed. First, the uptime. We saw immediate improvement. No more random outages. No more worrying about the servers going down in the middle of the night. AWS provides the reliability we’d been missing, and the difference was night and day. We weren’t just getting a service; we were getting peace of mind.
But it wasn’t just about uptime. With AWS, we gained the scalability we needed. Our clients’ needs were growing, and we needed to be able to scale quickly to keep up. Whether it was handling more traffic during peak times or expanding services for new clients, AWS allowed us to scale efficiently without the usual headaches. If we needed more capacity, we could get it instantly, without waiting for a third-party hosting company to upgrade their infrastructure.
And then there was security. In the past, we’d always felt like we were in the hands of lesser engineers, potentially cutting corners, especially when it came to data protection. With AWS, we gained access to industry-leading security tools and protocols. We could implement the safeguards needed to protect our client’s data and ensure regulatory compliance, giving us and our clients a new level of confidence.
Not only did we grow as a business as a result of the switch, but the contracts we won got bigger, we started working with mid-size business and even Government departments, both here and abroad.
The Control We Gained:
No More Sleepless Nights
Perhaps the biggest change for us was the control. Before AWS, whenever a problem arose, we were at the mercy of our hosting provider to fix it. Now, we had the tools and resources to fix issues ourselves. When things went wrong—whether it was a bug or a technical glitch—we could handle it on our own. No more waiting for someone else to get things back on track.
It also meant that we were no longer reliant on the unpredictability of an outside company. When an issue came up, we could act immediately. The stress of dependency was replaced by the confidence of being empowered. We were no longer just responding to issues; we were preventing them from happening in the first place.
Not all rosy
A steep learning curve
The biggest challenge at first was the AWS naming conventions, mostly acronyms, this is a bizarre world where nothing is called by their real name, so that takes a while to get your head around.
Navigating the sprawling AWS ecosystem can feel like trying to decode an alien language. Endless servers, intricate configurations, and complex databases had the potential consume time and drain energy, however our team knew how vital it was to not only learn, but understand these complexities. Fast-forward 11 years, we now have 4 experienced AWS managers who know the infrastructure inside out, accompanied by 5 Senior Developers who frankly couldn't operate without it.
Never standing still
A perpetual evolution
Our business thrives in tandem with AWS's relentless pace of innovation, leveraging its services to stay competitive and agile. For instance, the launch of AWS Lambda enabled us to reduce operational overhead and scale seamlessly, shifting our focus from infrastructure management to developing core business applications and functions.
As AWS evolves, it inspires us to rethink our own capabilities and cultivate a culture of continuous learning and development. The rapid pace of technological innovation requires us to stay updated on the latest AWS developments and proactively train our teams. This coevolution not only strengthens our technical backbone but also fosters a forward-thinking mindset, positioning our business as a leader in leveraging cloud technology to drive growth and create value in a constantly shifting digital landscape.
Why This Matters
for our clients
Making the move to AWS wasn’t just about us. It was about making sure we could continue to offer better service to our clients—faster, more reliable, and more secure. We’ve learned that control equals confidence, and by taking charge of our infrastructure, we’ve been able to pass that confidence on to our clients.
No more worrying about whether our systems would go down or whether their data would be safe. With AWS, we were able to scale as our clients’ grew, deliver faster, while ensuring the security of everything we do. We became more than just a service provider; we became a trusted partner.
Looking back, moving to AWS was one of the best decisions we’ve made. It didn’t happen overnight, but it was worth every step of the journey. It gave us freedom from our old hosting limitations, a stronger foundation for growth, and the ability to serve our clients better than ever before.
If you’re looking to partner with a team that has the infrastructure and scalability to support your business growth, we’ve got it covered. We’ve learned how to build a resilient, secure, and scalable environment, and we’re ready to help your brand thrive.
Let's get your business
hosted on AWS.
We’re not just about building great websites—we’re about creating a reliable, secure foundation that lets your business grow without limitations.
We can remove the stress from migrations, offer hassle-free scalability and give your business the reliability it deserves in the most secure environment around.
Get in touch to find out how our AWS-powered infrastructure can help take your business to the next level.
