Source: itbrief.com.au (original coverage, October 2019)
What Is Cloudscene’s Cloud Pathfinder?
Cloudscene launched the Cloud Pathfinder app to help enterprises quickly identify service providers that can deliver connectivity to Google Cloud from any data center or on-net building anywhere in the world. The tool is designed to remove one of the most common friction points in enterprise cloud adoption: knowing exactly which carriers and network providers can connect a specific physical location to Google Cloud’s global infrastructure.
How Cloud Pathfinder Works
The workflow is straightforward:
- Address search: A user enters a physical address or selects a data center location.
- Provider discovery: The app queries Cloudscene’s database and surfaces service providers capable of delivering connectivity from that location to a Google Cloud node.
- Shortlisting: Users can shortlist relevant providers directly within the app.
- Outreach: Enterprises contact shortlisted connectivity partners directly to request a quote.
The data underpinning Cloud Pathfinder comes from the connectivity information of more than 6,500 service providers listed on Cloudscene’s platform. Importantly, service providers can log in and manage their own data directly, which is intended to keep the information current and accurate over time.
The Cloudscene Platform Behind It
Cloudscene operates an independent market intelligence platform that aggregates data on data centers, service providers, network fabrics, and cloud on-ramps. Cloud Pathfinder is integrated with this broader dataset, giving enterprises visibility into connectivity options for both colocation data centers and on-net buildings — locations already served by a provider’s fiber or network infrastructure.
Why Google Cloud Partnered with Cloudscene
According to Google Cloud product manager Kerry Takenaka at the time of the announcement:
“Google Cloud has chosen Cloudscene to support our strategy to bring the cloud one step closer to the enterprise. By enabling our customers with an app like Cloud Pathfinder, we’re empowering the enterprise in their cloud adoption journey.”
Kerry Takenaka, Product Manager, Google Cloud
The partnership reflects a broader industry trend: cloud providers working with third-party marketplace and intelligence platforms to reduce the complexity of procuring last-mile or dedicated network connectivity.
What This Means for Service Providers and Data Center Operators
Cloudscene explicitly encourages data center operators, network fabrics, and service providers to claim and keep their profiles updated on the platform. Providers with on-net buildings are also urged to submit lists of connected locations — via spreadsheet, JSON file, or API — so those locations appear in Cloud Pathfinder search results.
For a service provider, visibility in Cloud Pathfinder is effectively free inbound lead generation: enterprises searching for Google Cloud connectivity can find and shortlist that provider without the provider needing to run targeted outreach campaigns.
Roadmap: Latency Metrics via ThousandEyes
At launch, Cloud Pathfinder focused on provider discovery. The announced next phase planned to incorporate latency metrics provided by ThousandEyes, surfacing network performance data within search results to help enterprises make more informed shortlisting decisions — not just based on which providers are available, but on how well their networks actually perform to the relevant Google Cloud nodes.
Broader Context: Streamlining Telecom Procurement
Cloudscene CEO Belle Lajoie positioned Cloud Pathfinder as the first phase of a wider procurement vision:
“Cloudscene’s Cloud Pathfinder app is the first phase of our wider procurement solution that will streamline the way the telecommunications industry communicates and transacts. Cloudscene’s goal is to revolutionize the way enterprises buy cloud and connectivity services and providing the industry with trusted data is critical to this strategy.”
Belle Lajoie, CEO, Cloudscene
For DevOps and infrastructure teams, tools like Cloud Pathfinder matter because network connectivity decisions — particularly around dedicated interconnects and private peering — directly affect latency, reliability, and egress cost for cloud workloads. Having a neutral, searchable database of provider options reduces the research time typically involved in evaluating cloud networking paths.
Key Takeaways
- Cloud Pathfinder is a Cloudscene app that maps Google Cloud connectivity options from any address or data center globally.
- Data is sourced from 6,500+ service providers and is kept current by providers managing their own listings.
- Enterprises can discover, shortlist, and contact connectivity partners directly from the app.
- A planned second phase will add ThousandEyes latency data to search results.
- Service providers should claim and update their Cloudscene profiles to appear in results.