nClouds AWS Case Study
Custom CMS Web Application, Booking Engine and MLS Integration
Tamarack is an independent, all-season destination situated on 3,500 acres, located 90 miles north of Boise in Tamarack, Idaho. From on-site lodging, dining and event space to the full range of outdoor recreation in the Idaho mountains, there is adventure for any season.
The winter brings 2,800 feet of vertical on 2,000 mountain acres for skiers and snowboarders, along with Nordic and snowshoe trails. During the summer, the resort is home to mountain biking, ziplining, hiking, rafting and watersports on Lake Cascade.
The resort faced significant digital fragmentation, with multiple applications offering disjointed user experiences. This inconsistency hindered guests’ ability to discover resort activities, book accommodations, and explore real estate opportunities. For Tamarack staff, managing content across these varied systems was cumbersome and inefficient.
01
We utilized IAM to efficiently manage a team of 15 technical users, controlling their access permissions and roles. This ensured that each member had the appropriate level of access to AWS services relevant to their responsibilities, enhancing security and operational efficiency.
02
Served as our central code repository, enabling us to securely store and manage the application’s source code.
Played a crucial role in our Continuous Integration (CI) process, automatically testing code changes to ensure high-quality builds.
Integral to our Continuous Delivery (CD) strategy, it automated the deployment process, ensuring a streamlined and error-free delivery of updates to the application.
03
We deployed the application on EC2 instances, benefiting from their scalability and reliability. This allowed us to efficiently manage website traffic and resource allocation, ensuring high availability and optimal performance.
04
RDS was our choice for a reliable and scalable database solution. It facilitated easy management of our database needs, including automated backups and maintenance, ensuring data integrity and high availability.
05
We used CloudFront to host and deliver high-quality, beautiful images of the resort. This content delivery network (CDN) significantly improved the load times of these images, enhancing the user experience by providing fast and reliable access to visual content.
06
The backbone of our Infrastructure-As-A-Code approach. We used CloudFormation templates to not only create our entire AWS setup but also to replicate environments for testing purposes. This automated and repeatable process allowed us to efficiently manage and scale our infrastructure, ensuring consistency across development, testing, and production environments.
The new CMS and booking engine have dramatically transformed how Tamarack engages with its guests and manages its digital presence. The platform supports several hundred daily users, who now enjoy a seamless interface for discovering information about the resort, upcoming events, real estate listings, and subscribing to updates. Our solution also helped with creating a more user-friendly experience across all devices and improved organic traffic using custom-built SEO features.
The consolidation of various services into a single platform significantly simplifies both internal processes and user navigation, leading to increased efficiency and satisfaction.
By opting for a custom-built CMS and booking engine, we were able to tailor the functionality precisely to Tamarack’s unique requirements, ensuring a perfect fit for their operational workflow and guest engagement strategies.
The project underscored the importance of a unified, intuitive user interface in enhancing guest interaction with the resort’s digital offerings. A well-designed UI/UX is crucial for converting visitors into loyal customers.
The integration of a custom MLS into the CMS provided the resort with valuable insights into guest preferences and real estate interests, informing better business decisions and marketing strategies.
