Advanced Marketing Platform - AMP
Industry
Martech
Headquarters
Florida, United States
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Background
Our client is a leader in multi-channel direct marketing, specializing in innovative email marketing solutions that drive customer engagement and business growth. With a mission to empower brands, agencies, and media companies, the client leverages proprietary technology and advanced audience segmentation to help clients reach highly targeted audiences. Through real-time campaign tracking and actionable insights, they enable clients to optimize marketing strategies and maximize ROI. The full-service platform supports an end-to-end marketing process, from audience building and data management to order fulfillment and campaign delivery, making it a critical partner for organizations aiming to achieve data-driven marketing outcomes at scale.
Challenges faced
Security and support risks due to the legacy framework
AMP was built on CodeIgniter, an outdated framework with limited security support, posing significant risks in handling sensitive campaign tracking data. The lack of support also limited the ability to scale or introduce new features easily.
Limited scalability and Geographically distributed nodes
AMP operated on Debian bare metal with geographically dispersed nodes, making it challenging to support real-time scaling, automated load balancing and efficient resource utilization, especially during peak campaign periods.
Lack of Automation in Deployment and Code Management
Without a CI/CD pipeline, AMP updates and deployments were manual, increasing the risk of errors and making it difficult to maintain consistency in new releases.
Technical Debt and Code Quality Concerns
High technical debt and code quality issues were noted, including security hotspots, duplicated code blocks, and lack of static code analysis in regular development. This led to longer resolution times for support tickets and limited platform improvements.
Defined Solution
AMP Refactoring and Framework Migration
The AMP was upgraded from CodeIgniter to a modern, secure framework, with a complete rebuild using Vue.js for the frontend and a robust backend to enhance performance, security, and scalability. This transition established a stable foundation for future growth and easier maintenance.
Containerization and Deployment on Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE)
The AMP platform was containerized using Docker, allowing for isolated and consistent environments. AMP was then deployed on GKE, enabling automatic scaling, load balancing, and resilience to server disruptions. This improved resource utilization, allowing the platform to handle high traffic efficiently.
Automated CI/CD Pipeline and SDLC Improvements
A Bitbucket CI/CD pipeline was implemented to automate testing, integration, and deployment processes, ensuring faster, error-free updates. SDLC improvements included the integration of static code analysis, unit tests, and peer code reviews to enforce code quality and maintain platform reliability.
Enhanced Security Protocols and Real-Time Monitoring
Security was reinforced with database encryption, access control, and enhanced user authentication. Real-time monitoring and alert systems were added to proactively manage issues, with DevSecOps recommendations for continuous security validation. The SDLC now includes risk assessment and best practices, ensuring high data integrity.
Incremental Rebuild and Transition Plan
The modernization followed an incremental approach, implementing foundational upgrades and introducing microservices for campaign and client management. Distributed caching and Kafka messaging were added to support seamless, scalable operations and improve system responsiveness.
The Outcome
The Impacts
Scalable and Resilient Platform
Enhanced infrastructure supported seamless traffic handling and increased system reliability.
Faster Deployments
Automated processes reduced errors and accelerated updates, improving operational efficiency.
Improved Security and Monitoring
Strengthened data security and real-time monitoring minimized risks and ensured system integrity.
Sustainable Platform Growth
Reduced technical debt and improved code quality facilitated long-term platform enhancements.
