Equinix and Google Cloud Accelerate Commodities Supply Chain

One critical outcome of enterprise digital transformation is its impact on DevOps organizations as they undertake application modernization initiatives. Application modernization is critical to realizing greater productivity, innovation, time to market and cost efficiencies. It can best be achieved by deploying hybrid multicloud architectures that enable organizations to bridge the gap between traditional on-premises infrastructures and cloud environments, resulting in a robust digital infrastructure that can support both existing and emerging application development technologies in harmony.

This is the environment that commodities supply chain Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers, such as Navarik, require to optimize and modernize their application development in support of real-time data transfer and analytics. Navarik needed to streamline its application development in the cloud, while at the same time provide ultra-fast data exchange and analytics processing from a variety of data sources to deliver valuable insights to its customers on commodities inspections and shipments.

Application modernization needs a direct assist from the cloud

Many DevOps organizations do not have direct access to all the compute, storage, or application APIs and tools required to modernize their application development. Many developers require an assist from a comprehensive cloud platform such as long-time Equinix partner, Google Cloud. Google Cloud tools such as Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE) and BigQuery provide the critical resources required for enterprise application modernization.

By leveraging dedicated connectivity to those fundamental Google Cloud resources via Equinix Fabric™ and Google Cloud Interconnect (GCI), developers can facilitate application migration to the cloud. Building and interconnecting digital infrastructure that incorporates interconnected hybrid multicloud architectures is what accelerates application modernization and gives businesses a competitive advantage. Such is the case with global commodities information provider, Navarik.

Accelerating the commodities supply chain

Navarik provides real-time commodities tracking and inspection data intelligence-as-a-service to its customers. It was the first SaaS company to recognize the critical need for cargo inspection management in the energy space, specifically the petroleum sector, and has expanded to support other commodities and build a suite of products enabling efficiencies across multiple industries.

Its streaming data processing platform required seamless access to Google Cloud to accelerate and optimize the availability of its data processing and analysis applications for its customers (sellers, buyers, traders). Navarik also required secure and resilient integration between its on-premises software platform and multiple Google Cloud services over fast, low-latency connections via Equinix Fabric and GCI to meet the critical on-demand information requirements of its global customers.

We spoke to Richard Halldearn, CEO of Navarik Corp, about his company’s solution with Google and Equinix and he said, “Google Cloud on Platform Equinix provided us the agility and the shared platform infrastructure that allowed us to use technologies we wouldn’t be able to access on our own and respond faster to our customers.”

Building a distributed, data access and analysis infrastructure

Direct and secure interconnection between Navarik’s data processing platform and Google Cloud services was critical. Many of the world’s largest oil companies rely on Navarik’s flagship product, Navarik Inspection™, for business process automation and data intelligence to help them optimize trade with their counterparties and achieve better performance from their inspection firms, terminals and vessels.

Platform Equinix gave Navarik proximate access to Google Cloud and redundant, private interconnection via the Equinix Fabric and GCI. The solution also supported a remote disaster recovery environment for Navarik’s large volume data transactional and operational database. The Equinix and Google Cloud hybrid IT infrastructure (see diagram below) provided Navarik with a high-performance, scalable and resilient, SaaS-based data streaming platform with greater security and availability for its global customers.

 Navarik’ s Streaming Data Platform Integration with Google Cloud on Platform Equinix

Fast hybrid cloud application development

By leveraging agile access to Kubernetes container and microservices tools, Navarik developers could set up a new Google Cloud Service endpoint in about 50 minutes versus two to four weeks. And a new API endpoint can be added to the infrastructure in less than 15 minutes to quickly provision new customer services in markets worldwide.

Equinix Fabric and GCI also provided Navarik with single-digit latency (average 5 milliseconds) when moving data between Navarik’s streaming data infrastructure with distributed data sources (systems, internet of things (IoT) devices, satellites, etc.), and the Oracle database and Google Cloud application development, data processing and analytics services.

Streaming data services, enhanced by Google data analytics, delivered real-time information to inspectors, buyers and sellers on location, as they need it. For example, inspectors will know if a ship is going to be late to arrive at its destination and the cause of the delay, such as a collision.

Large volumes of data now flow securely from multiple IoT devices into Navarik’s data streaming cloud platform over dedicated, private connections, avoiding the data leaks and cyberattacks typical of public internet connections. Multihomed Equinix Fabric software-defined interconnection between Navarik on-premises streaming data and Google Cloud environments delivers the security and resiliency required for continuous operations.

Said Richard Halldearn, “Equinix provided us with the low-latency, private interconnection that gives us the extra peace of mind we need to serve our large oil and gas customers. And it is a fantastic company to work with given its expertise and partnerships with leading network and cloud providers.”

In addition to reading the Navarik Case Study, you can also see how Equinix and Google worked together to deliver Navarik a solution that accelerated their digital transformation to deliver real-time data analytics solutions to their customers.

Interconnecting enterprise workloads to Google Cloud

As Google’s leading interconnection partner, connecting more enterprise workloads to Google Cloud than any other provider, Equinix provides direct connections to Google Cloud in 37 metros through Equinix Fabric and GCI (see map below). Enterprises can also collocate equipment for hybrid multicloud workloads less than 2 milliseconds from the nearest Google Cloud location by leveraging network automation for hybrid multicloud architectures.