Michelin Powers Real-Time Data with Confluent Cloud

Michelin, a global leader in tire manufacturing and sustainable mobility solutions, faced significant challenges in managing its real-time inventory system using open-source Apache Kafka. The operational complexity, high costs, and scalability limitations of maintaining Kafka infrastructure in-house prompted Michelin to seek a more efficient and cloud-native solution.

To overcome these hurdles, Michelin chose Confluent Cloud, a fully managed Kafka service, to streamline its data streaming operations. By migrating to Confluent Cloud in a Microsoft Azure environment, Michelin was able to centralize data streaming, reduce operational overhead, and free up valuable technical resources. This strategic move not only addressed the immediate challenges but also accelerated Michelin's journey toward becoming a data-first and digital business.

The implementation of Confluent Cloud has yielded remarkable results for Michelin. The company estimates a 35% cost savings compared to on-premises Kafka operations, significantly reducing its total cost of ownership (TCO). Furthermore, Confluent Cloud's resilient architecture, boasting a 99.99% uptime SLA, has enhanced the reliability and availability of Michelin's critical applications. The elastic scalability of Confluent Cloud, supporting 10TB/day of throughput, has enabled Michelin to drive faster time to market and refocus its Kafka-dedicated teams on higher-value tasks.

Yves Caseau, Group Chief Digital & Information Officer at Michelin, emphasizes the transformative impact of Confluent Cloud: "Confluent plays an integral role in accelerating our journey to becoming a data-first and digital business…We use Confluent Cloud as an essential piece of our data infrastructure to unlock data and stream it in real time."

Value Results:

• Cost Savings: Estimated 35% reduction in operational costs compared to on-premises Kafka.

• Increased Uptime: Resilient architecture with 99.99% uptime, ensuring high availability for critical applications.

• Improved Scalability: Elastic scalability supports 10TB/day of throughput, enabling faster time to market.

• Reduced Operational Burden: Offloading Kafka infrastructure maintenance frees up technical resources for higher-value tasks.

• Accelerated Digital Transformation: Confluent Cloud facilitates Michelin's journey to becoming a data-first and digital business.