OpsWorks Co.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We're the prime solution partner for Banks and other Sellside firms for Digital Asset and Crypto Execution Management in addition to its leading position as the first fully-integrated algorithmic trading software solution for quantitative hedge and crypto funds on the Buyside.

Our Digital Asset and Crypto Execution Management platform allows Banks and the Sellside to seamlessly connect with the largest set of liquidity providers to ensure consistent best-price execution.

In addition, our solution allows for trading automation and execution of complex, quantitative trading strategies in both traditional Asset classes and Digital Asset classes. We provide everything a typical quantitative trading firm needs to run its operation on a daily basis.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire OpsWorks Co.?

The Contractor undertakes to provide the Customer with the following Services:

• Server administration / network infrastructure 
• Information security

What were your goals for this project?

High quality and reliable service for our global DevOps Infrastructure

SOLUTION

How did you select OpsWorks Co.?

Through references and recommendations OpsWorks stood out and was a primary choice

Describe the project in detail.

For our global development we need someone handling the infrastructure for all the environments, demo VM, Jenkins jobs etc. We need someone answering quickly and solving all challenges reliably

What was the team composition?

We just hired one person

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

• Excellent work
• Quick response
• Taking responsibility for task and getting things done
• No problem to work outside the regular hours when needed, also doing updates on weekends
• Very cooperative and great know-how

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Very effective, we are very pleased

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We're impressed by their consistent level of high-quality work.

Are there any areas for improvement?

none at this stage, any feedback we gave was taken seriously and implemented right away

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are a leading IoT company that operates in hospitality industry and uses artificial intelligence technology.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire OpsWorks Co.?

We were seeking a consultancy company to help us boost our IT infrastructure automation, implement and IaC, and build robust continuous delivery pipeline.

What were your goals for this project?

Our initial goal was to make the application components redundant and isolated, build a fault-tolerant IT infrastructure, and automate deployment process and development routine.

What made us hire a DevOps contractor was frequent system failures and dependency between all Docker containers that made our infrastructure hard to manage and scale.

Containers communicated between each other via the internal channels, they weren't isolated, and they depended on each other. Thus, if one of the components was lacking or fell down, the system would fail.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

The OpsWorks Co. team has passed the interview and has been selected to be our DevOps services provider.

Describe the project in detail.

OpsWorks Co. made four steps towards building a reusable and automated infrastructure:

1. Microservice Architecture Development

The main issue that caused system failures was a Docker compose file, which stored the whole 10-component application with dependencies between containers. When one component failed within one instance, all the others followed its lead.

Now each component is in a separate Docker container in a completely isolated environment. All containers operate on AWS ECS. Unlike an AWS EC2 instance, AWS ECS is a cluster that can contain hundreds of servers under the load balancer. Thus, the 10-component application migrated from the AWS EC2 to AWS elastic container service (AWS ECS).

As a result, our developers don't spend time on deploying a new version of the app manually. With AWS ECS it can be done automatically by pressing one button on the Jenkins dashboard.

2. IaC Implementation and Environment Automation

The OpsWorks Co. team developed a set of scripts that allows the system to scale up and down depending on its needs.

As a result, they automated the infrastructure deployment on AWS ECS. Now our team spends no time on creating and deploying new clusters — the scripts on Terraform and Ansible do it for them.

Implementing the IaC approach to automation made our infrastructure more flexible. Now, our team can:

• Apply a variety of coding best-practices to the infrastructure
• Validate each change to a module through code reviews and automated tests
• Create versioned releases of each module and document the changes in each release
• Try out different versions of a module in different environments
• Roll back to previous versions if there is an issue

3. CI/CD Implementation

The OpsWorks Co. team set up Jenkins and a CI/CD Pipeline to automate the routine work of software development. Now, there is no need to stop an old docker image and start a new one manually; this can be done with one button in the Jenkins dashboard.

4. Unit-testing Integration

Along with software deployment automation, they integrated unit tests in the developers' everyday work. Now, as all changes to the code make it to the production automatically, they should pass proper testing.

This is why our developers include unit tests in their code not to let a faulty feature make it to production. Unit-testing helps to avoid unexpected application failures due to new commits to the source code. They were written by our team, OpsWorks Co. integrated them into the CI/CD Pipeline.

What was the team composition?

Since OpsWorks Co. follows a team approach. The allocated team included three DevOps Engineers, along with the help from DevOps Team Lead, CTO, and a Project Manager.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Reusable and automated infrastructure due to the IaC approach implementation. Automatic container orchestration system based on AWS ECS. Automated CI/CD pipelines thanks to Jenkins implementation for every service (container). Automatically and independently scaling microservices.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

OpsWorks Co. allocated a senior team. In a short period, we could fully use AWS infrastructure with the integrated AWS Container Service (ECS). OpsWorks Co. helped us implement monitoring\alert system, automated day-to-day routines, made services highly-available and scalable, which was critical for us.

They configured CI\CD pipelines for our development process and followed IaC (infrastructure as code) principles - everything now in Terraform and Ansible. Millions of people around the world use our software.

We wanted to make sure that everything works fine. Logging aggregation and analytic solutions were implemented to follow these objectives. OpsWorks team also worked on security\access enhancement of our cloud infrastructure.

They also assisted us in applying new solutions, like self-service dynamic testing environments.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Team dedication

Are there any areas for improvement?

N/A

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

The business is RocketEffect. We work in the industry of family entertainment businesses, such as trampolines, attraction parks, racing karts, etc. I’m the product manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What challenge were you trying to address with OpsWorks Co.?

We needed help with a web application we had built. It needed some infrastructure work done, and automation.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

They helped build out the app for infrastructure optimization and automation.The app is integrated into the WordPress websites of our clients. There are special architectures of the app.

They based the infrastructure on AWS. They also used Jenkins, Prometheus, and other technologies for monitoring, coding, etc. They are currently working on updates and customizations, such as change requests for clients.

What is the team composition?

There are two developers and a manager. Sometimes there is a general manager that gets involved.

How did you come to work with OpsWorksCo.?

I did a Google search, as well as looked at them on Clutch and Upwork.

How much have you invested with them?

We spent roughly $28,000. It was $12,000 initially, and then $2,000-$3,000 per month.

What is the status of this engagement?

We began working together in May 2019, and it’s ongoing. We finished the main portion of the project in September 2019.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

Before working with them, there was no automation at all. Based on the current solution, it takes roughly 25 minutes for deployment rather than the 2-3 hours it took before. They have saved us tremendous amounts of time. Our developers are very happy with the outcome, and our team is deeply interwoven with them on this project.

How did OpsWorks Co. perform from a project management standpoint?

They do a very good job and accomplish work within their estimated timelines. We have weekly calls and updates on features. We use Microsoft Teams for project management.

What did you find most impressive about them?

They are predictable and straightforward in terms of what is expected. They gave very reasonable estimates initially, and they turned out to be pretty accurate.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, nothing comes to mind.

Do you have any advice for potential customers?

My advice is to prepare the requirements and discuss it in detail with them. Rely on their advice.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

High Voltage SEO is a bespoke SEO firm with locations in Melbourne, Berlin, and Phoenix, that provides a personalized SEO optimization strategy for the companies. I’m a the US Manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire OpsWorks Co.?

App migration to AWS & HDD server’s auto backups

What were your goals for this project?

Our general goal was to reach better results with our web app.

The aims were:

• make a faster procession of requests
• audit, improve and maintain infrastructure
• establish proper security on the servers
• make backups of data.

Availability under high load is crucial for us.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We looked for a team at Upwork, where OpsWorks Co was the most qualified vendor for our tech stack and perfectly matched our project goals.

Describe the project in detail.

OpsWork's team helped us migrate our app and the main website to the new server on AWS. They provided us with solutions for auto backups of HDD servers. A very important thing for us it's secured servers with ssh and implemented a fail2ban. Huge improvements and results were achieved.

What was the team composition?

We are working with a PM manager and a team of engineers.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We reduced revenue loss and performance degradation related to data backups. Disaster recovery activities were implemented. Eventually, the website and server stability was improved.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

It is effective. We receive fast responses to our inquiries and well-build communication.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

We find our cooperation with OpsWorks Co. very successful as finally, we are able to use our capabilities in full. We're impressed by their ability to find proper approaches to each issue that popped up during upgrading our infrastructure.

Are there any areas for improvement?

As for now, the team performs a supporting activity on our system, and we completely satisfied with it.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the CTO of Otoqi

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Otoqi is moving cars all around Europe for car manufacturers, car dealers and rental companies.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire OpsWorks Co. to accomplish?

• Maintain our infrastructure on AWS

SOLUTION

How did you find OpsWorks Co.?

Referral

Why did you select OpsWorks Co. over others?

• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from OpsWorks Co. were assigned to this project?

1 Employee

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Infrastructure provisionning code (terraform)

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

OpsWorks has made our AWS stack evolve over time with no downtime in production!

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

OpsWorks is fully integrated within our agile software development lifecycle

What was your primary form of communication with OpsWorks Co.?

• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

The quality of the code produced

Are there any areas for improvement or something OpsWorks Co. could have done differently?

None

UPDATED REVIEW

This review was published on 10/15/2021
Arthur Darde
CTO, Otoqi
Logistics & Supply Chain
Paris, France
11-50
Jun 2021 - Aug 2021
Less than $10,000
Verified
Project summary
OpsWorks Co. provided security-based auditing services for a car logistics company. Their scope of work included cloud backup, cloud network protection, user and API access controls, and more.

Feedback summary
OpsWorks Co. completed all three phases of the project. They've shown expertise in their field and quick adaptability for their work. Moreover, the vendor provided a fluid communication process with regular meetings on Slack, making sure that the client is always informed about changes and progress.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I'm CTO and co-founder of Otoqi. We are a car logistic & services "tech company". Our freelance drivers move, charge, clean, drive to and from workshops anyone's car. We also manage each and every possible on street service for carsharing fleets.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire OpsWorks Co.?

We were looking for a strong IT company to audit and improve all our strategies regarding network security. It covered cloud backup, cloud network protection, user and API access controls, improved CI-CD security and automatic checks.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

We searched on Upwork for a company with a strong reputation and clear in-house skills. The initial approach of Opswork convinced us as they asked relevant questions, offered some preliminary analysis in order to understand the scope of work and didn't promise impossible things.

Describe the project in detail and walk through their service package.

They first audited all our IT infrastructure, involving developers and PM. Then we agreed upon a list of improvements, based on clear pros and cons for each recommandation they made. Some were not relevant at this stage of our company. Others were implemented by them, exactly as per the estimated budget. Communication was very good and delivery of modifications was smooth without any impact ever on the production. They eventually produced clear documentation on what they had investigated.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

Sales representative + 2 specialists were involved

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

They completed each of the 3 phases (audit + 2 phases for implementation) according to budget and estimated time. The implementation of the security layers works (nothing blocked) and has greatly increased our overall security.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

The implementation was followed and managed by my Project Manager. The communication was fluid, they had regular meetings to start with and then only when Slack communication wasn't enough. Opswork always made sure to communicate new changes to the dev team before any change was applied.

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

They really knew their job and quickly adapted to our specificities. The pre-project phase was very good with good communication & time and cost estimates.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Nothing serious !

STAR RATINGS

Overall rating: 5
Quality: 5
Cost: 5
Schedule: 5
Willing to refer: 5

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

I am the Director of Egnition

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

Develop eCommerce applications for Shopify 

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire OpsWorks Co. to accomplish?

• Build a high-performing AWS infrastructure for a new application
• Support and fine-tune the infrastructure
• Provide DevOps support for the engineering team

SOLUTION

How did you find OpsWorks Co.?

• Online Search
• Referral

Why did you select OpsWorks Co. over others?

• Great culture fit
• Good value for cost
• Referred to me

How many teammates from OpsWorks Co. were assigned to this project?

2-5 Employees

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

OpsWorks team partnered with us to design, implement and support the best-in-class infrastructure solution for our application, which processes millions of updates each day. The team verified and improved our design, successfully implemented it, trained our engineers on how deal with the new setup and helped to maintain it

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

We have launched an absolutely new version of the app, and all critical metrics, i.e. webhook delivery rate, average response time, and webhook processing time, improved significantly. 

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

The team is very responsive and flexible, everything was delivered timely / in advance.

What was your primary form of communication with OpsWorks Co.?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Great culture fit, we felt OpsWorks Co. was an extension of our own team. 

Are there any areas for improvement or something OpsWorks Co. could have done differently?

Nothing comes to mind

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an online market place. Director

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire OpsWorks Co.?

Sect migration into Amazon. Our website has thousands are visitors per day.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor and what were the deciding factors?

Excellent reviews and amazing knowledge in this field.

Describe the project in detail and walk through the stages of the project.

• our previous server crashed
• Opsworks found the issue
• they moved us through the weekend to Amazon.

How many resources from the vendor's team worked with you, and what were their positions?

4-5 employees Engineers

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Full success

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Excellent

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Their knowledge of their engineers is amazing. They are very responsive.

Are there any areas for improvement or something they could have done differently?

Not that I can think Of!

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

CEO

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire OpsWorks Co.?

Devops setup, development and maintenance

What were your goals for this project?

To optimise our infrastructure

SOLUTION

How did you select OpsWorks Co.?

Interviews with a number of companies

Describe the project in detail.

Consulting on current devops setup, optimisation of approaches, and ongoing development, maintenance and troubleshooting

What was the team composition?

Online communication via slack

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

More reliable service over time

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

Good communication and collaboration

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their response times have been great and went over and above in many cases when server problems were found.

Are there any areas for improvement?

We plan to better spec out the larger projects in future, to avoid miscommunications or scope creep