Public Health Ontario
Infrastructure modernization and zero-downtime deployments for a mission-critical public health platform.
Public Health Ontario (PHO) is the Ontario Government agency responsible for providing scientific and technical advice to medical workers and shaping public health policies. PHO operates 11 laboratory sites across Ontario, with its primary website serving as the central hub for digital engagement with the public on matters related to public health. During COVID-19, demand spikes exposed limitations in their legacy platform and infrastructure. TechGuilds partnered with PHO to stabilize and modernize the environment, improve scalability and performance, enable zero-downtime releases, and strengthen identity and security capabilities.
72→88%
GTmetrix performance
99.99%
Uptime achieved
Zero
Downtime deployments
2
Sitecore upgrades
Challenge
PHO faced major traffic surges causing performance degradation and outages, an outdated Sitecore 8.2 that could not meet modern operational and scalability expectations, and the need to improve resilience, maintainability, and security while minimizing disruption to public access.
Approach
Discovery and current-state assessment
A comprehensive infrastructure and application audit identified bottlenecks, risks, and constraints. Improvement opportunities were documented and tied directly to availability, performance, and operational resilience.
Infrastructure modernization and platform upgrade
TechGuilds recommended moving from legacy hosting patterns toward cloud-based, containerized infrastructure. The platform was upgraded from Sitecore 8.2 to Sitecore 10.0.1, the first of two major version migrations TechGuilds would lead for PHO. Infrastructure was transitioned to Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to support scalable deployments. Coveo Enterprise Search was upgraded, and Web Forms for Marketers (WFFM) was replaced with Sitecore Forms.
Zero-downtime deployments and ongoing support
Zero-downtime deployment practices were implemented to keep critical information continuously available. TechGuilds established an ongoing Super Care™ retainer for monitoring, stabilization, and iterative enhancements. In fall 2025, the partnership extended to a second major platform upgrade, bringing PHO from Sitecore 10.0.1 to 10.4.1. Over five years, TechGuilds has been PHO's trusted platform partner: the team responsible for keeping a mission-critical public health platform stable, current, and continuously improving.
Results
GTmetrix performance score improved from 72% to 88%.
Improved traffic capacity and resilience during peak demand.
Zero-downtime deployments achieved: updates without interrupting public access.
A stronger foundation for secure, governed access across PHO digital services.