In 2011, Razer decided to launch an application called Synapse 2.0 that would enable gamers to configure Razer peripherals to optimize their performance for individual games, and to store these settings in a secure, stable, easily accessible location. Gamers could apply stored settings to peripherals such as mice or keyboards when they wanted to participate in events such as “LAN parties,” where people with compatible PCs or game consoles could set up a local area network (LAN) to participate in multiplayer games. To make the Synapse 2.0 application available to gamers, Razer needed an infrastructure that could scale up quickly and was accessible worldwide. “Based on our team’s extensive experience with on-premises data centers, we decided not to deliver the service from a physical infrastructure. We had a key performance indicator of growing the number of Synapse 2.0 users from zero to 1 million in 12 months, and a physical infrastructure would not allow us to meet this objective,” says Goh.

Razer planned to use the Synapse 2.0 project as a benchmark for future applications and websites and to grow its presence in international markets. “We had a small team, a tight budget, and an ambitious expansion schedule. We needed a scalable, cost-effective infrastructure that could help us minimize development and deployment times,” says Goh.