MONTREAL — Canadian National has announced a seven-year deal with Google Cloud to modernize the railroad’s technology infrastructure and improve customers’ ability to ship and track cargo moves.
CN says the move will use Google Cloud’s expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics to provide customers and supply-chain partners with planning, shipping, tracking, and payment. It will lead to simplified ordering and automated tracking to improve predictive maintenance capabilities.
The railroad will move its technology infrastructure to the cloud, allowing it to simplify its information technology, gain efficiency, and reduce product-delivery lead times.
“Our partnership with Google Cloud is central to our strategic plan, and reinforces our commitment to digitalizing scheduled railroading and building the premier railway of the 21st century by investing in technologies that deliver high-quality service to customers, improve safety, and create capacity,” Dominique Malenfant, CN’s executive vice president and chief information and technology officer, said in a press release.
Given recent developments, I trust that these plans will have a definitive backup plan in place for when the cloud connection goes down. (Murphy’s law says when, not if).
When it’s good, it’s very, very good, but when it’s bad — Oops.