Joe Conaty, CEO
At Commerce Architects, one of our core brand promises is "No Surprises." This commitment permeates everything we do, from software delivery timelines to feature functionality, from performance monitoring to build processes. We will not allow a customer to be surprised by an end user being the first to report a performance problem. And we will not allow them to be surprised by a build that goes sideways. To fulfill this promise, we've embedded a DevOps mindset into our company's DNA, employing a range of processes and strategies that ensure seamless software development and deployment.
The Evolution of DevOps
Fifteen years ago, the software development landscape looked vastly different. Separate teams handled Operations, Software Engineering, and QA testing. This siloed approach often led to communication gaps and inefficiencies:
Software engineers wrote code and deployed to test environments.
QA teams were responsible for defect detection through manual and automated testing.
Operations teams managed production deployment and troubleshooting.
While some automation existed, it was primarily owned by the operations team. This setup created a disconnect: operations lacked in-depth knowledge of the software, making effective troubleshooting and prioritization of issues challenging.
The Commerce Architects engineering teams were never comfortable with this lack of ownership over the application. We became the best of friends with the QA and operations teams and inevitably built the connective tissue to allow us to fulfill our "No Surprises" brand promise.
The Modern DevOps Landscape
Today, the DevOps landscape has transformed dramatically:
Infrastructure-as-code tools like Terraform enable developer-friendly cloud resource provisioning.
SaaS platforms such as New Relic offer comprehensive application monitoring.
Alert management systems like PagerDuty streamline on-call rotations and escalation processes.
Advanced test automation frameworks support both frontend and backend unit testing, as well as full integration testing.
With all these tools available, we believe the software engineer has the power to fully own the quality, delivery, care, and feeding of any custom application we write. And that’s exactly what our engineers do for our clients.
Our Commitment to DevOps Excellence
We feel so strongly about this that we're willing to put our money where our mouth is. For one of our largest clients, processing over 100,000 orders daily and billions in annual sales, our application developers:
Wrote the code and unit tests
Set up CI/CD pipelines
Created Terraform scripts for cloud resource provisioning
Configured monitoring and alerting systems
Our confidence in the quality and reliability of these cloud-based microservices is so high that we've committed to being on-call for production issues.
Nurturing DevOps Skills
We ensure that all new engineers joining Commerce Architects receive comprehensive training in DevOps practices. We provide:
Dedicated training programs
Access to subject matter experts
Hands-on experience with real-world DevOps challenges
This approach equips our team with the skills and confidence to deliver elegant, modern DevOps solutions for any project requirement.
By integrating DevOps principles into our core practices, Commerce Architects helps our clients build smarter and launch faster. Our "No Surprises" promise isn't just a tagline—it's a commitment backed by a team of skilled engineers ready to tackle any DevOps challenge.
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