Founded in 2013 and operating across the United States, Adoption-Share is a 501(c)(3) organization that seeks to bring efficiency and transparency to the adoption and foster care process through the power of technology. “Technology really is at the heart of what we’re doing,” explained Adoption-Share COO Lorin Sholander. “We’re all about connection… connecting the children to the families, connecting stakeholders in the process to each other. The only way we can do that is through technology—using our applications to bring them all into one place and facilitate those decision processes in a way that is most advantageous.”
Adoption-Share staff are self-described dreamers, doers, and innovators who exist to “propel the heroes on the front lines of the adoption process forward with the most cutting-edge tools available.” So it is no surprise Adoption-Share was born in the Microsoft cloud.
“The amazing expert knowledge Cloudforce has about Azure is so important for our team. We know that when we have a question about something related to Azure we can go to them for an answer and we know it will be fast.”
Lorin Sholander COO, Adoption-Share
Adoption-Share had always depended on the power and scalability of cloud computing to drive the complex algorithm working through its data. As mission success drove its operations to continually expand, however, Adoption-Share reached a point where they wanted to bring in experts to make sure that what they had already put in place was optimally configured and effectively utilizing all that Azure had to offer. “We needed to have confidence that we were ready to grow at the pace and scale that we wanted,” Sholander noted. Enter Cloudforce in fall, 2019.
GOAL 1: APPLICATION PERFORMANCE
GOAL 2: SYSTEM SECURITY
GOAL 3: CODE UPDATE AUTOMATION (CICD)
Cloudforce began with a thorough audit of Adoption-Share operations, paying specific attention to the following four areas of concern: (1) ensuring top performance of the Adoption-Share application; (2) taking advantage of the advanced system security features available in Azure; (3) implementing a Continuous Integration Continuous Deployment (CICD) tool to automate future application code updates in order to reduce/eliminate human error; and (4) unlocking any potential cost savings through optimized efficiency.
Based on Cloudforce findings and recommendations, Adoption-Share’s first priority was load-testing for performance of the Adoption-Share application. To ensure optimal access and functionality of its application, Cloudforce performed load testing to determine the ideal baseline size for the Adoption-Share website, along with auto-scaling rules to accommodate occasional surges in site traffic and prevent site crashes.
To enhance security, Cloudforce tailored Azure security policy to Adoption-Share’s environment; locked mission-critical resources; and implemented multi-factor authentication for Azure users. For additional cost-efficiencies and to improve site load speed and enhance user experience, Cloudforce also set up the Microsoft CDN (Content Delivery Network) to help with handling of requests to the website along with the storage of copious amounts of static site content.
“Cloudforce has given us the confidence that we’re doing things properly—they’ve taken away any hesitation or concern.”
Lorin Sholander COO, Adoption-Share
Since partnering with Cloudforce, Adoption-Share now has a more reliable, scalable application for its vital mission. They can now operate with confidence that their application can respond to any potential surges in website traffic and that the application will scale back for optimal cost efficiency when not pushed by high demand. Adoption-Share now also enjoys enhanced protections tailored specifically for their exact needs. Finally, there is significantly less worry about human error in the deployment of their code.
“I feel they partnered with us and they really liked our mission and wanted us to succeed,” said Sholander. “Their professionalism, their level of support is really great. Knowing we have such a strong team that is taking care of that part of what we’re doing allows us to get our application into the hands of more people, impacting the lives of more families and children… and continuing to dream about what’s next.”
Vu is a Systems Engineer here at Cloudforce and has an ever-growing resume of experience in IT. Since completing his bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and Organization Management from George Mason University, Vu has acquired multiple renowned certifications including the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and the Microsoft Certified: Azure Solutions Architect Expert.
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