Habitat3 helps application developers, SaaS providers and digital businesses design and build AWS platforms from the ground up.
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We work with your development team to understand how the application will be built, deployed, scaled and operated, then create the AWS architecture and engineering foundations required to support it.
From Landing Zones and cloud architecture through to Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, security, monitoring and developer handover, we provide the AWS platform your team needs to build on.
Start with the application—not the infrastructure
A new AWS platform should be designed around the requirements of the application that will run on it.
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Before deciding which AWS services to deploy, Habitat3 works with your developers and technical stakeholders to understand questions such as:
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How is the application being developed?
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What languages, frameworks and development tools will be used?
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How will releases reach production?
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What databases and data services are required?
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What levels of availability and resilience are expected?
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How quickly might usage grow?
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What security or compliance requirements apply?
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What environments will developers need?
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Who will operate the platform after launch?
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What should be automated from the beginning?
These requirements shape the architecture.
The result is an AWS platform designed to support the application and the people building it—not an application forced to fit a generic cloud environment.
What good platform engineering provides
A clear architecture
AWS services and platform components selected around the requirements of the application.
Faster software delivery
Development and deployment workflows designed to support regular, reliable releases.
Secure foundations
Identity, networking, logging and governance established from the beginning.
Operational visibility
Monitoring, logging, backup and alerting built into the platform before production.
Repeatable infrastructure
Infrastructure defined through code rather than relying on manual configuration.
Room to grow
Architecture capable of evolving as users, workloads, developers and business requirements increase.
Platform engineering connects development and cloud infrastructure
Platform engineering sits between the application your developers are building and the AWS services required to run it.​ Habitat3 focuses on creating a consistent technical foundation that allows developers to work effectively without needing to become AWS infrastructure specialists themselves.
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That foundation may combine:
AWS Architecture
The compute, networking, data, security and resilience services supporting the application.
Infrastructure as Code
Repeatable AWS environments managed through Terraform and version-controlled configuration.
Developer Environments
Consistent development, test, staging and production environments.
CI/CD
Automated workflows connecting source code, testing and deployment.
Security & Governance
Identity, permissions, logging, account structure and platform guardrails.
Observability & Operations
Monitoring, backup, alerting and operational controls required after launch.
These capabilities work together as one platform rather than separate technical projects.
Habitat3’s platform engineering process
Discover → Architect → Secure → Build → Automate → Handover → Operate
Discover
We work with your development and business teams to understand the application, technology choices, expected workloads, deployment requirements and growth plans.
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Architect
We design the AWS platform around those requirements, covering compute, networking, databases, storage, availability and integration.
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Secure
We establish the AWS foundation, identity controls, logging, governance and security settings required to protect the environment.
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Build
Habitat3 engineers deploy the agreed AWS architecture and supporting platform services.
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Automate
Infrastructure is codified and deployment workflows are automated wherever practical.
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Handover
Your developers receive the access, documentation and environment required to build, test and release the application.
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Operate
Once the platform is in production, Habitat3 Cloud Operations can provide ongoing AWS monitoring, support and improvement.
Platform engineering solutions
Design the AWS architecture
Build the platform around the application
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The architecture is the blueprint for the environment your developers will use.
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Habitat3 works with your team to translate application and business requirements into an AWS architecture that considers:
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expected traffic and workload patterns
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application components
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data requirements
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availability objectives
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scalability
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security
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development workflows
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integration requirements
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backup and disaster recovery
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cloud costs
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operational responsibilities
Depending on the application, the resulting environment may use virtual servers, containers, serverless services or a combination of AWS technologies.
The goal is not to deploy the most complicated architecture available. It is to create the right platform for the application.
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Related service: Architect Your AWS Platform
Establish a secure AWS Landing Zone
Start with the right AWS foundation
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Before application workloads are deployed, Habitat3 can establish the account, identity, security and governance foundations that will support them.
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A Landing Zone provides a structured starting point for AWS environments and can include:
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AWS account structure
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identity and access management
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networking foundations
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security logging
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governance controls
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centralised monitoring
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separation of workloads and environments
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backup and operational standards
Starting with these foundations makes it easier to maintain consistent controls as the platform grows.
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Related service: AWS Landing Zone Deployments
Build the infrastructure with Terraform
Make the platform repeatable from day one
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Manually deploying AWS resources can be fast initially, but it can become difficult to reproduce and maintain as the platform grows.
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Habitat3 uses Infrastructure as Code to turn the agreed AWS architecture into version-controlled configuration.
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Terraform can be used to define areas such as:
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networking
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compute
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containers
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databases
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storage
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security controls
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IAM
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load balancing
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monitoring
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environment configuration
This creates a platform that can be reviewed, changed and reproduced through a more controlled engineering process.
It also gives application teams a clearer understanding of how their underlying infrastructure has been constructed.
Related service: Terraform on AWS​
Related service: Build Using Infrastructure as Code
Create the right application hosting model
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Choose infrastructure that suits how the application is being built
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Different applications require different hosting approaches.
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Habitat3 helps determine which AWS model is appropriate based on the technology stack, expected usage and operational requirements.
The platform may include:
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Server-based applications
Amazon EC2 and supporting AWS services can provide a flexible environment for applications that require traditional server infrastructure.
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Containerised applications
Amazon ECS and AWS Fargate can provide a consistent way to package, deploy and scale suitable application workloads.
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Serverless applications
AWS Lambda and supporting managed services may be appropriate where event-driven or highly elastic architecture makes sense.
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Hybrid architectures
Many modern platforms use a combination of these approaches across different components.
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We select services according to the application requirements rather than adopting a single architecture by default.
Create environments developers can actually use
Give development teams a consistent place to build and deploy
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A well-designed platform should make life easier for the people developing the application.
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Habitat3 works with developers to establish the environments and access they need while maintaining appropriate separation and security.
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This may include:
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development environments
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test environments
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staging environments
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production
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developer AWS access
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application secrets
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environment variables
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database connectivity
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deployment permissions
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logging access
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monitoring visibility
Infrastructure can be standardised so environments share the same underlying architecture while allowing configuration to differ where necessary.
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This reduces the gap between “it works in development” and what actually runs in production.
Build CI/CD into the platform
Create a clear path from code to production
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Platform engineering should consider how application releases will happen before the first production launch.
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Habitat3 helps development teams connect source control, testing, infrastructure and AWS deployment through CI/CD workflows.
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This may include:
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build pipelines
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automated testing
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deployment workflows
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approval stages
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Infrastructure as Code integration
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environment-specific deployments
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application configuration
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secrets management
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rollback processes
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release visibility
The objective is to create a predictable path for software changes to move through development, testing and production.
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Related service: CI/CD Pipeline Consulting
Build for availability and resilience
Decide what reliability means before the platform goes live
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The level of resilience required for an application should be designed intentionally.
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A startup MVP may have very different requirements from an established SaaS platform supporting enterprise customers.
Habitat3 works with customers to define requirements for:
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application availability
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redundancy
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Availability Zones
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autoscaling
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backup
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database recovery
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infrastructure recovery
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monitoring
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incident response
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disaster recovery
We then design these requirements into the platform architecture rather than attempting to retrofit them after an outage or customer requirement exposes a gap.
Build security into the platform
Establish controls before developers and customers arrive
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Security is easier to manage when it is part of the original platform design.
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Habitat3 can establish controls across:
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AWS identity and access
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least-privilege permissions
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MFA
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network security
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application exposure
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encryption
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secrets management
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logging
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threat detection
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security monitoring
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backup
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governance
These controls can provide a stronger foundation as the organisation adds developers, customers, AWS accounts and workloads.
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For SaaS businesses in particular, establishing stronger security practices early can also make it easier to respond to future customer security and governance requirements.
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Related service: Security & Compliance
Build monitoring and operations in from the beginning
Know how the platform is behaving when it reaches production
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Monitoring should not be something added after an application becomes important.
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Habitat3 incorporates operational visibility into the platform design so development and operational teams have information about how the environment is behaving.
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This may include:
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infrastructure monitoring
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application metrics
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logging
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dashboards
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alerts
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database monitoring
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backup status
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deployment visibility
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cost monitoring
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security findings
The objective is to make the platform observable and supportable before production demand increases.
After launch, Habitat3 Cloud Operations can provide ongoing monitoring, infrastructure support and operational improvement.
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Related service: AWS Cloud Operations
Design with AWS cost in mind
Build a platform the business can afford to grow
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AWS architecture influences long-term cloud costs.
The cheapest configuration at launch is not always the most efficient platform as the application grows, and unnecessarily complex architecture can create costs before they provide any benefit.
Habitat3 considers cost alongside:
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expected workload
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scalability
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resilience
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database requirements
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development environments
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storage
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data transfer
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backup
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operating effort
This helps establish a platform appropriate for the current stage of the business while allowing it to evolve as demand increases.
Building platforms for SaaS
AWS foundations that support a growing SaaS product
SaaS platforms introduce specific infrastructure considerations because one underlying application environment may support many customers.
Platform requirements can include:
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customer-data security
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tenancy design
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changing application demand
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frequent software releases
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environment consistency
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enterprise customer requirements
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backup and recovery
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cost visibility
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monitoring
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operational support
Habitat3 works with SaaS developers to build AWS infrastructure that supports both the product being developed today and the platform the business expects to operate as it grows.
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Related page: SaaS Platform Hosting on AWS
Building platforms for AI and data applications
AI and data products may create a different set of infrastructure requirements.
A platform could require:
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scalable data storage
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data pipelines
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specialised compute
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model services
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APIs
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application integration
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analytics
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access controls
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monitoring
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changing compute demand
Habitat3 can design the AWS foundation around these requirements and integrate AI services into the wider platform architecture rather than treating AI infrastructure as an isolated environment.
Related page: AI on AWS
A platform designed for launch—and what comes after
Building a new product often requires balancing two priorities.
The platform must be practical enough to launch without unnecessary complexity, but it also needs enough structure that early decisions do not become barriers as the business grows.
Habitat3 helps establish the foundations that matter from the beginning while avoiding architecture that is more complicated than the application currently requires.
As the product evolves, the platform can then expand through:
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additional environments
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stronger resilience
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greater automation
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new AWS services
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additional regions
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improved security controls
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expanded monitoring
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more sophisticated Cloud Operations
The objective is to create a platform that can evolve rather than one that needs to be replaced as soon as the product succeeds.
Common platform engineering scenarios
“Our developers are building a new SaaS product”
We design and deploy the AWS platform around the product architecture, development workflow and expected growth.
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“We have developers, but no dedicated AWS infrastructure team”
Habitat3 provides the AWS architecture and engineering capability while your developers focus on the application.
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“We need AWS infrastructure before development can progress”
We establish the Landing Zone, architecture, environments and developer access required to start building.
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“We want to avoid building everything manually in AWS”
Habitat3 can establish the platform using Terraform and Infrastructure as Code from the outset.
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“We need a repeatable deployment process”
We help connect development workflows to AWS through CI/CD and automated deployment practices.
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“We expect the application to grow quickly”
The architecture can be designed with appropriate scalability, availability and operational visibility from the beginning.
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“We need a secure platform for enterprise customers”
We establish identity, logging, governance, network and security controls that provide a stronger foundation for future customer requirements.
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“We need someone to operate the platform after launch”
Habitat3 Cloud Operations can provide ongoing AWS monitoring, support and infrastructure management once the application enters production.
Who Platform Engineering is for
Habitat3 Platform Engineering is particularly suited to:
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SaaS companies building new products
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software developers creating cloud applications
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startups moving from concept or MVP into production
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web and mobile application providers
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ecommerce businesses
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AI and data platforms
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development agencies requiring AWS infrastructure expertise
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organisations building new digital services
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teams without dedicated AWS platform engineers
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businesses preparing a new application for production
We work directly with founders, CTOs, engineering leaders, technical managers and software-development teams.
Business Outcomes
Faster path to production
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Developers have a defined AWS environment in which to build, test and deploy.
Repeatable infrastructure
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AWS architecture is captured through code rather than relying on manual configuration.
Stronger security
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Identity, networking, logging and governance are established as part of the original platform.
More reliable releases
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Application delivery is supported through consistent environments and CI/CD automation.
Greater developer productivity
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Developers can concentrate on the application rather than repeatedly solving AWS infrastructure problems.
Better operational readiness
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Monitoring, backup, logging and support requirements are considered before production.
Easier scalability
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The platform has an architecture that can evolve as users and workloads grow.
Reduced technical risk
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Important infrastructure decisions are designed and documented rather than evolving accidentally.
How Habitat3 works with your development team
Habitat3 builds the AWS platform. Your developers build the application.
The two teams work closely together because infrastructure and application requirements influence each other.
Habitat3
Habitat3 typically takes responsibility for:
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AWS architecture
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Landing Zone and account foundations
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networking
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AWS infrastructure deployment
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Terraform and Infrastructure as Code
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security and governance
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CI/CD infrastructure and integration
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monitoring and operational controls
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cloud-cost considerations
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developer AWS access
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Cloud Operations after launch
Your development team
Your developers typically retain responsibility for:
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application code
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application architecture
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application testing
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feature development
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application dependencies
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framework and language decisions
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application-specific configuration
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validating deployments
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product roadmap
We work together during discovery and implementation so the AWS platform aligns with how the application actually needs to operate.
From platform engineering to Cloud Operations
Launching the application is not the end of the platform lifecycle.
Once customers are using the service, the AWS environment needs to be monitored, maintained and continuously improved.
Habitat3 Cloud Operations can provide ongoing support across:
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monitoring and alerts
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infrastructure support
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incidents
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patching
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backups
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AWS security visibility
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cost optimisation
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infrastructure changes
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technical advice
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ongoing platform improvement
This means the same AWS capability involved in establishing the platform can continue supporting it as the product grows.
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Related service: AWS Cloud Operations
Our experience delivers results
We Are All Elemental
Building a cloud-native platform for launch and growth
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Habitat3 helped online learning platform We Are All Elemental launch on AWS using a highly available cloud architecture designed to support future growth.
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The engagement demonstrates the role of platform engineering in giving an application team a secure and scalable AWS foundation on which to build and operate its digital product.​
Why Habitat3?
Habitat3 works alongside software and digital businesses to design, build, automate, secure and operate AWS platforms.
Our Platform Engineering approach combines:
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AWS architecture
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hands-on infrastructure engineering
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AWS Landing Zones
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Terraform and Infrastructure as Code
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CI/CD and deployment automation
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security and governance
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monitoring and operational readiness
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ongoing Cloud Operations
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close collaboration with application developers
We focus on building AWS platforms that support both the technology being developed and the team responsible for developing it.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is platform engineering?
Platform engineering is the design and development of the infrastructure, automation and technical services that application-development teams use to build, deploy and operate software.
On AWS, this can include cloud architecture, networking, Infrastructure as Code, CI/CD, security, monitoring and development environments.
How is platform engineering different from application development?
Application developers build the software and product functionality.
Platform engineering builds the AWS environment and delivery foundations that support that software.
Habitat3 focuses primarily on the AWS platform while working closely with the application-development team.
Can Habitat3 build the AWS platform before our application is finished?
Yes.
In many projects, the application and cloud platform are developed in parallel.
Habitat3 works with your development team to understand the expected application architecture and creates the AWS environments required for development, testing and production.
Can Habitat3 work with our existing development team?
Yes.
Habitat3 commonly works alongside internal developers and external application-development partners.
We focus on the AWS architecture, infrastructure, automation, security and operations while collaborating with developers on the interfaces between the application and platform.
Do you use Infrastructure as Code when building new AWS platforms?
Yes.
Habitat3 can use Terraform and Infrastructure as Code to define and deploy AWS infrastructure in a repeatable and version-controlled way.
Related service: Terraform on AWS
Can Habitat3 build CI/CD pipelines for our developers?
Yes.
Habitat3 can help design and implement CI/CD pipelines connecting source control, testing, Infrastructure as Code and AWS deployment.
Related service: CI/CD Pipeline Consulting
Can Habitat3 build container platforms on AWS?
Yes.
Where containers are appropriate for the application, Habitat3 can design AWS infrastructure using services such as Amazon ECS and AWS Fargate and integrate the environment into the development and deployment workflow.
Do we need an AWS Landing Zone for a new application?
It depends on the application, organisation and expected AWS environment.
For production platforms—particularly those expected to grow or support multiple environments—a structured AWS foundation can provide clearer account separation, identity controls, security logging and governance.
Habitat3 can determine the appropriate level of Landing Zone design during the architecture process.
Can Habitat3 design the database and data infrastructure?
Yes.
Habitat3 can design the AWS infrastructure supporting application databases, storage and related data services.
Application-level data modelling generally remains the responsibility of the development team.
Can the platform be designed for high availability?
Yes.
Availability and resilience requirements are established during the architecture process and can be designed into areas such as compute, databases, networking, backups and deployment architecture.
The appropriate design depends on the business impact of downtime and the budget available.
Can Habitat3 build a platform for a SaaS application?
Yes.
SaaS platforms are a core use case for Habitat3 Platform Engineering.
We can design the AWS infrastructure around the application, customer-data requirements, scalability, deployment processes, security and ongoing operational needs.
Can Habitat3 support the platform after it launches?
Yes.
Habitat3 Cloud Operations can provide ongoing monitoring, infrastructure support, backup oversight, security visibility, cost management and AWS engineering after the platform reaches production.
Give your developers the AWS platform they need to build
The application is your developers’ focus. The AWS platform is ours.
Talk to Habitat3 about designing and building the architecture, infrastructure, security and automation required to take your application from development into production and beyond.