Client's Testimonial

"Our website is our business. It was slow, crashing during peak traffic, and we couldn't find anyone who could fix it without proposing a million-dollar rewrite. Developers.dev came in, stabilized the platform in weeks, and then laid out a clear, affordable plan to modernize it. They saved our peak sales season and gave our application a new lease on life. They are miracle workers."

CTO, Automotive Parts Retailer

Client Overview

The client is a US-based, mid-market retailer of specialty automotive parts with an annual revenue of $75M. Their entire business operation, from online sales to inventory management, runs on a custom-built CakePHP 2 application developed nearly a decade ago. This platform was struggling to handle increased traffic, was difficult to update, and posed significant security risks due to its outdated codebase.

Problem

The client's CakePHP 2 application was experiencing frequent crashes, slow performance (10+ second page loads), and was incompatible with modern PHP versions, making it vulnerable to security threats. Their previous developers had left, and they lacked the in-house expertise to manage the fragile, business-critical system.

Key Challenges

Instability:

The site would crash during promotional periods, leading to significant revenue loss.

Performance Bottlenecks:

Slow database queries and inefficient code were frustrating users and hurting SEO.

Security Risks:

Running on an unsupported version of CakePHP and PHP exposed them to major vulnerabilities.

Lack of Maintainability:

The codebase was poorly documented and difficult to modify, making even small feature updates risky and time-consuming.

Our Solution

Developers.dev was engaged for a project rescue and modernization initiative. We assigned a dedicated POD consisting of two Senior CakePHP Developers, a DevOps Engineer, and a QA Analyst.

🎯 Stabilization First:

We immediately performed a deep performance and security audit, identifying and fixing the most critical bottlenecks and vulnerabilities.

⚙️ Infrastructure Upgrade:

Our DevOps expert migrated the application from a single, overloaded server to a scalable AWS environment with a load balancer and separate database instance.

🧹 Code Refactoring:

Our developers systematically refactored the worst-performing sections of the application, optimizing database queries and implementing a caching layer with Redis.

🗺️ Strategic Upgrade Path:

We created a phased plan to upgrade the application from CakePHP 2 to CakePHP 4, ensuring business continuity at every step.

Implementation and Execution

Phase 0 (Weeks 1-4): Audit & Stabilize.

We implemented monitoring (New Relic), optimized server configurations, and patched critical security holes.

Phase 1 (Weeks 5-12): Performance Overhaul.

We rewrote the top 10 slowest database queries, introduced Redis caching for product data, and optimized frontend assets.

Phase 2 (Month 4-6): PHP Version Upgrade.

We carefully upgraded the application environment to a supported PHP version, fixing all compatibility issues.

Phase 3 (Month 7-Ongoing): Incremental CakePHP Upgrade.

We began the process of migrating the application to CakePHP 4, module by module, starting with the admin panel.

CI/CD Implementation:

We set up a Jenkins pipeline to automate testing and deployment, reducing manual errors.

Agile Process:

We ran two-week sprints with daily stand-ups and bi-weekly demos to ensure full transparency with the client.

Positive Outcome

⏱️ Zero Downtime:

The application has had 99.99% uptime since our engagement, even during Black Friday sales.

🚀 80% Performance Improvement:

Average page load time was reduced from over 10 seconds to under 2 seconds.

🔒 Enhanced Security:

The platform is now running on a supported, secure version of PHP and is no longer an immediate liability.

⚙️ Renewed Feature Velocity:

The client is now able to confidently add new features, such as integration with a new payment gateway, which was impossible before.

Why Choose Us

✅ Vetted, In-House Experts:

Our team had the deep legacy expertise required.

🌿 "Ecosystem" Model:

The combination of Dev, DevOps, and QA was critical.

📈 Verifiable Process Maturity:

Our phased, risk-averse approach ensured business continuity.

👍 Zero-Risk Trial & Guarantee:

The client saw immediate value in the first two weeks.

⏰ Seamless Time Zone Alignment:

Daily stand-ups kept the US-based client perfectly in sync.

🛡️ Full IP & Data Security:

We operated within their secure AWS environment.

💻 Deep Legacy Modernization Expertise:

This project was a classic example of our core strength.

🤖 AI-Augmented Delivery:

We used AI tools to help identify code smells during refactoring.

🗓️ Proven Track Record Since 2007:

Our experience with such projects gave the client confidence.

Conclusion

By focusing on stabilization before a full rewrite, Developers.dev saved the client's core business from technical failure. Our expert CakePHP team not only fixed the immediate problems but also provided a strategic, long-term path for modernization, turning a major liability into a scalable asset.

Stabilizing and Scaling a Business-Critical CakePHP 2 E-commerce Platform to Handle 300% Traffic Growth

Industry E-commerce & Retail