Ecrebo

Scaling robust, data-intensive software in real-time.

Ecrebo, a leader in point-of-sale marketing software, caters to heavyweight retailers including Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, Pandora and Dixons Carphone.

With multiple retailer databases – some exceeding 1TB in size – growing at an average of 10GB a day, Ecrebo needed a robust, scalable infrastructure with the flexibility to support the growth of the business. And with many clients operating 24/7, downtime wasn’t an option.

To achieve the level of personalisation expected by its clients, Ecrebo’s OnPoint platform must poll substantial customer databases before deciding which offer to produce, all before the customer’s card provider has completed the transaction.

For Ecrebo to affordably scale the infrastructure in line with its business growth plans, while retaining the speed and quality of their real-time data processing, they needed to leave the traditional co-location data centre behind and move to the cloud.

AWS recommended us for the job alongside a pool of other agencies, and our collaborative, consultative approach set us apart from the competition.

We worked quickly to understand Ecrebo’s solution, service and infrastructure before advising the team on the best migration method.

The new system had to facilitate sophisticated reporting, while preserving the performance of live data ingestion. Using AWS, it’s simple and cost-effective to set up duplicate servers for reporting purposes. That meant Ecrebo could provide genuine insights – without jeopardising the performance of OnPoint’s real-time data processing.

The project’s largest risk was identified early in the consultation process. While AWS’ database migration tools are ideal in almost all use-cases, the unique design of Ecrebo’s data stores meant that Amazon’s out-of-the-box solution wouldn’t get the job done.

We consulted with the team to prepare a meticulous migration strategy that would account for the idiosyncrasies of the infrastructure and make sure the process was trouble-free. Minimising service interruptions for round-the-clock retailers was also a top priority. The robust plan, together with clear, consistent communications, resulted in a nimble migration, free from disruption.

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