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Customer Success

Google Cloud and Vision AI power new opportunities for imgix

imgix was looking for a team of domain experts to sustain their next decade of operations. The company needed to move from on-prem systems to a scalable cloud platform that could support machine vision and AI capabilities, as well as high-velocity worldwide use. Pythian helped imgix set up and train its initial Vision AI models and finalize several use cases that would leverage Vision AI and Cloud Spanner. The vast computing power available has made the process far faster and more comprehensive than any human user could manage.

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Overview

imgix

 Industries

Internet

From online marketplaces and popular media, to social networking sites and retail apps, images dominate the internet. In fact, their exponential growth has many companies struggling to manage all their visual assets. Combine that volume of pictures with the variety of devices and screens now in use, and it is clear why high demand exists for image management tools. imgix solves those challenges with a robust platform that renders images at optimal size and quality, regardless of a user’s browser or device.  

With image volumes growing, imgix needed to: 

  • Move beyond on-prem constraints. 
    The same systems that powered their sleek, real-time image rendering were unable to support new capabilities like AI.
  • Automate image search and organization. 
    As more customers built deep image archives, the ability to understand, catalog, and find images grew in importance.
  • Choose the right technology for future growth.
    Company leadership knew today’s architecture decisions would have long-term impacts.

Pythian quickly grasped imgix’s needs, validated their approach, and offered additional ideas. They recommended valuable tools—from Kubernetes to Terraform—to streamline development efforts. Pythian also shared examples and best practices to help imgix understand their options.

What we did

Unleashed new opportunities by helping the tech innovator: 

  • Validate decisions with Google experts. Pythian’s experienced team helped imgix understand the potential within each application and create the ideal tech stack to achieve their goals
  • Unleash the power of the cloud. Moving to Google Cloud provided the much-needed flexibility and scalability to introduce new functionality and support growth 
  • Apply the muscle of AI. Using Google Vision AI and Google Cloud Spanner, imgix can now “see,” analyze and even auto-tag vast amounts of image content to reduce manual effort and improve its user experience 
 

Technologies used

 
 
  • Google Cloud 
  • Cloud Spanner
  • Google Vision API
  • Kubernetes
  • HashiCorp Terraform

Key Outcomes

Pythian definitely understands what we’re trying to do. We were able to make really critical decisions after just a few hours. That was huge. 

 – Chris Zacharias, CEO, imgix 

Established a platform for growth. 

The company’s thoughtful and disciplined approach, combined with proven Google solutions, lets imgix move forward with confidence. 

Empowered customers with new tools. 

Developers and businesses can now automate image tagging, improve image search, and create a stronger user experience. 

Continued a track record of innovation. 

By applying the power of AI and Google Cloud, imgix continues to improve the quality and ease of image use across the internet. 

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No matter your business, no matter the challenge: Pythian’s solutions drive results.