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Software & Cloud Development

Web application development

A web application does work rather than just displaying content: it signs users in, applies business rules, stores data and talks to other systems. We design and build web applications that are secure by default, scale with demand, and can be maintained by people other than the original developers.

Discuss your project How the work is delivered

A good fit if

  • Customers, partners or staff need to complete transactions, submit requests or manage records online.
  • You are building a software product (SaaS) and need an architecture that supports many client organizations.
  • A desktop or legacy application needs to move to the browser.
  • You need dashboards that bring together data held in several systems.
  • The application must handle large data volumes or many users at once.

Another approach may suit you better if

  • Your needs are mainly publishing and managing content. Our web development service fits that better.
  • A packaged SaaS product already covers the workflow with configuration.
  • The budget will not stretch to security testing and ongoing maintenance, which any public-facing application needs.

What this service is

Web application development is the design and engineering of software that runs in the browser and does real work: customer self-service portals, booking and ordering systems, case and claims management, internal workflow tools, reporting dashboards and complete software products sold as a service. Unlike a content website, a web application holds business rules and data, and it has to stay secure and available while people rely on it.

We build web applications, either as a complete delivery team or alongside your internal developers. Where the application supports an existing process, we connect it to the systems that already hold the data, such as Prometheus ERP, a CRM or Microsoft 365, instead of creating another place to type the same information.

What we build

  • Customer and partner portals where users manage accounts, orders, applications, documents or payments.
  • Internal workflow tools for approvals, scheduling, inspections and case management.
  • Dashboards and reporting tools that combine data from several systems in one view.
  • SaaS products with multi-tenant architecture, subscription management and administration consoles.
  • Legacy desktop replacements that move an old application to the browser without losing its business rules. See custom software development.
  • Real-time features such as live status boards, notifications, messaging and collaborative editing, built on WebSockets or managed real-time services. Our article on engineering real-time, high-availability streaming platforms explains the design choices involved.

Most applications also need bilingual interfaces, exports to finance and reporting tools, and accessibility to WCAG 2.2 AA, and we plan for these from the first release rather than adding them later.

Large-scale web applications

Some applications serve a small team; others serve thousands of users, process large data volumes or must stay available around the clock. For large-scale applications we design stateless services that can scale horizontally, caching and content delivery networks for speed, queues for work that should not block users, databases designed for the real query patterns, and observability so problems are visible before users report them. Hosting is usually on AWS in Canadian regions, with infrastructure defined as code so environments are consistent.

Technology

Typical front ends use React, Next.js, Angular or Vue with TypeScript. Back ends use Node.js, Python (Django or FastAPI), .NET or Java (Spring), with PostgreSQL, Redis and message queues. We deploy with containers or serverless services and automate testing and releases through CI/CD pipelines. We choose a stack your organization can support in the long run, not the newest option.

Security and privacy by design

Security is part of the architecture, not a final checklist. We apply least-privilege access, encrypt data in transit and at rest, validate every input, log security-relevant events and test against OWASP guidance. Privacy requirements under PIPEDA and applicable provincial laws shape what data is collected and how long it is kept. This is general information, not legal advice.

The benefits follow: staff and customers get work done faster, the application scales with your organization, costs are planned in phases with estimates in CAD, and your data is protected. Managed-service clients can include their applications in 24/7 monitoring and support, with response targets set in the service agreement. For good user experience from the start, pair this service with UI and UX design.

What is included

The exact list is agreed in writing for each project. These are the usual deliverables and the usual boundaries.

Typical deliverables

  • A discovery summary with user roles and prioritized features for the first release.
  • An architecture document covering the front end, APIs, data stores, hosting, identity and integrations.
  • User flows and clickable prototypes for the key tasks.
  • The application, built iteratively, with a documented API that other systems can use.
  • Authentication with single sign-on (OpenID Connect or SAML), multi-factor support and role-based permissions.
  • Audit logging, error monitoring and performance dashboards.
  • Infrastructure as code and a CI/CD pipeline.
  • Security testing against an OWASP ASVS-based checklist, and load testing for expected peaks.
  • Documentation, an operations runbook and a handover session.

Not included unless agreed separately

  • Licences, cloud hosting and third-party services, billed to you with your approval.
  • Independent penetration testing, which we coordinate with a tester you choose and which is billed separately.
  • Content writing and translation.
  • Support and enhancements after handover, unless covered by a separate agreement.

What we will need from you

Most delays in this kind of work come from access and decisions, not from the technical build. Knowing these early keeps the project predictable.

  • A product owner who can prioritize features and accept releases.
  • Access to your identity provider and the systems the application must connect to.
  • Realistic test data, with personal information removed or replaced.
  • Decisions on hosting region and data residency, informed by your privacy advisers.
Delivery

How the work is delivered

Each stage ends with something you can review before the next one starts.

  1. Discover and design

    Understand users, tasks and rules, then prototype the key flows and test them with real users before code is written.

    Output: Discovery summary and tested prototypes.

  2. Architect

    Choose the front end, services, data stores and hosting, and plan identity, integrations, security controls and scaling.

    Output: Architecture document and backlog.

  3. Build in iterations

    Features are built in short iterations and demonstrated in a shared test environment. The pipeline deploys every change the same way.

    Output: Working increments and pipeline.

  4. Harden and test

    Security, load, accessibility and failure testing, with findings fixed or formally accepted before release.

    Output: Test evidence and release approval.

  5. Release and operate

    A planned release with monitoring and alerts in place, followed by handover or an ongoing support agreement.

    Output: Production release and runbook.

Testing and handover

  • Permissions are tested for every role, including attempts to reach data the role should not see.
  • The application is load tested at expected peak use, and the results and remaining headroom are documented.
  • Security findings are resolved, or accepted in writing by you with a reason and a review date.
  • Monitoring and alerts go to named people, and each alert is explained in the runbook.
  • The whole environment can be rebuilt from the repository and infrastructure code.

What affects the cost

We do not publish package prices. Each estimate is based on an agreed scope, in Canadian dollars, with taxes shown separately. These are the things that move the number most:

  • The number of user roles, workflows and business rules.
  • Integrations with ERP, CRM, payment, identity and other systems.
  • Multi-tenancy, if you are building a product for many client organizations.
  • Scale and availability requirements, including peak loads.
  • Audit, privacy and compliance requirements.
  • Real-time features such as live updates, chat or collaborative editing.

Questions buyers usually ask

Should the application be a single-page app or server-rendered?

It depends on the users and the content. Server rendering is often faster to first view and easier for search engines, while single-page apps suit highly interactive tools. Many modern frameworks combine both, and we choose per application.

Can the application work on phones or offline?

Every application we build is responsive. A progressive web app can be installed on a phone and cache data for limited offline use. If users need full offline work or deep device features, a mobile app may be the better choice, and we will say so.

How do you build SaaS products for many client organizations?

We design tenant isolation into the data model, permissions and hosting from the start, choosing between shared and separate databases based on your security and cost needs. Retrofitting multi-tenancy later is expensive, so we settle it early.

Where is our data hosted?

Usually in a Canadian cloud region, such as AWS Canada Central in Montréal or Canada West in Calgary. Region choice supports data residency but does not settle it alone, because backups, support access and third-party services also matter. We document where each type of data lives.

What makes a web application large-scale?

Many simultaneous users, large data volumes, heavy integration traffic or strict availability needs. These call for stateless services, caching, queues, careful database design and good monitoring, and we plan for the scale you expect plus room to grow.

Service

AWS deployment and cloud engineering

Secure, well-architected AWS environments in Canadian regions, built as code, with clear shared-responsibility boundaries and cost controls from day one.

Service

UI and UX design

User research, UX audits, prototypes, design systems and accessible interfaces for business software, portals, ERP screens and mobile apps.

Planning a portal, dashboard or SaaS product?

Tell us who will use the application, what it must do and which systems it connects to. We will reply to arrange a discovery conversation before anything is priced.

Discuss a web application