As digital commerce continues to evolve, IT infrastructure plays a critical role in ensuring seamless operations, cost efficiency, and innovation. Cafe24, a leader in e-commerce solutions, has consistently pushed the boundaries of infrastructure optimization to better serve its merchants and customers.

To gain deeper insights into Cafe24’s IT transformation journey, we spoke with Mr. Sanghyun Cho, Head of Infra Strategy Business Division, Cafe24, about the company’s transition from legacy infrastructure to Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI). In this interview, Sanghyun shares the key challenges, decision-making process, and real-world impact of adopting Arcfra’s solution.

Click the video link to watch highlighted Q&As.

Full Interview Transcript

Arcfra: Please introduce yourself.

Cafe24: I am Sanghyun Cho, responsible for the procurement and contracts of IT infrastructure, including hardware and software, at Cafe24.

Arcfra: What kind of architecture has been adopted for your infrastructure, and what role does hyper-convergence play?

Cafe24: Cafe24 has traditionally developed much of its infrastructure in-house.

Although we have deployed nearly 200 nodes of Arcfra HCI systems, we still operate many internally developed systems based on legacy infrastructure.

With the adoption of Arcfra, Cafe24 is transitioning its legacy systems to HCI. In this process, Arcfra serves three key roles:

1. Optimizing IDC space utilization, reducing operational costs.

2. Supporting continuous upgrades, ensuring system stability.

3. Reallocating human resources efficiently, improving the work environment.

Arcfra: How is Cafe24 driving IT and infrastructure innovation in its industry? What are the key achievements and future directions?

Cafe24: Since its establishment in 1999, Cafe24 has been a leading force in Korea’s e-commerce service industry.

Through simplified infrastructure and service automation, it has led the e-commerce market for the past 25 years.

It continues to drive innovation in the service environment through ongoing development investment.

In particular, it has formed strategic partnerships with Google and Naver.

In 2024, it gained recognition as a market leader by launching the world’s first “YouTube Shopping-exclusive store creation feature.”

Arcfra: Why did Cafe24 consider hyper-converged architecture for its enterprise system?

Cafe24: Before adopting HCI, Cafe24 was operating over 30,000 legacy hardware systems developed in-house.

As the scale of the infrastructure grew, it became necessary to reduce IDC operating costs and respond stably to rapid infrastructure changes.

In that process, various hyperconverged architectures were reviewed.

It was recognized that the adoption of a hyperconverged architecture capable of maintaining a stable partnership was necessary.

Moreover, as the stability and efficiency of hyperconverged architecture have been proven over nearly the past 10 years, trust in its adoption has increased.

Arcfra: What were the key factors driving Cafe24’s adoption of HCI?

Cafe24: Cafe24 approached this decision from three key perspectives:

1. IDC Utilization

• High-density infrastructure allows efficient colocation within data centers.
• HCI consolidation minimizes movement, improving management efficiency.

2. Workforce Optimization & Efficiency

• By assigning engineers to more technically intensive tasks rather than infrastructure setup, work efficiency can be improved.
• For example, instead of having engineers repeatedly install OS on 1,000 servers, assigning them to more technically challenging and rewarding tasks can enhance their capabilities and increase job satisfaction.

3. Operational Time Savings

• By leveraging Arcfra’s capabilities (e.g., OS installation, cluster setup, system monitoring), we reduce workload, improving overall operational efficiency.

Arcfra: Why is hyper-converged infrastructure the optimal IT solution for your industry?

Cafe24: The three key factors mentioned above can also serve as the answer to this question.

These core elements ultimately lead to cost savings and improved operational efficiency.

They help reduce unnecessary tasks for engineers and lessen the stress associated with operations.

For further insights into stress reduction, I recommend exploring Arcfra’s core technologies.

Arcfra: What are Cafe24’s key criteria when selecting vendors and products?

Cafe24: All fundamental factors we can think of must be taken into account.

No matter how good the technology is, it’s difficult without cost support. And even with great cost advantages, I believe technological superiority and vision are still essential.

All hardware and solutions used by Cafe24 must meet the following criteria:

1. Seamless integration into our operational and service environment.

2. Long-term cost efficiency.

3. Enhanced service effectiveness.

Arcfra: Why did Cafe24 choose Arcfra as its enterprise solution provider?

Cafe24: Arcfra provided the optimal combination of technology and cost-effectiveness for our infrastructure needs.

During testing, Arcfra demonstrated high-level technical support, and its post-deployment stability was a key factor in our decision to expand its use.

Additionally, Cafe24 values partnerships where we can act both as a customer and a collaborator, which was a crucial consideration in choosing Arcfra.

Arcfra: Can you share insights into how the partnership with Arcfra was established?

Cafe24: As an engineer, I have personally experienced the stress and pressure of system management. The anxiety of pressing Enter before executing a major system operation is something only those in the field can fully understand.

I wanted to ensure engineers could focus on more meaningful and impactful tasks.

While I cannot disclose internal details, we evaluated multiple technologies over several years, tested various environments, and ultimately determined that Arcfra was the best solution.

Arcfra: How did Cafe24 implement Arcfra solutions?

Cafe24: When Cafe24 first reviewed Arcfra, there was doubt within the organization about whether adoption was possible.

We started with a 3-node test, and immediately after completing it, we adopted the 3-node license as the minimum standard for the cluster.

After the initial operations, Cafe24 saw we were approaching the mentioned standards, and within a month, we expanded the licenses.

Since then, cluster expansions have continued.

Arcfra: Why did Cafe24 decide to expand its use of Arcfra after the initial deployment?

Cafe24: Two main reasons.

1. Operational staff requested expansion, indicating high technical satisfaction and operational efficiency.

2. Executive leadership supported the expansion, recognizing its cost efficiency and strategic value.

Arcfra: How has your experience been collaborating with Arcfra in terms of product, operations, and service? What factors contributed to maintaining a long-term partnership?

Cafe24: Technical support for Arcfra’s initial setup and operation is very important.

Since deployment, Cafe24’s in-house team has been trained to install and manage Arcfra clusters, with continued support and updates from Arcfra ensuring long-term stability.

This operational system and communication stability form the foundation of the strong partnership between the two companies.

In particular, regular communication between engineers and executives has built trust, which we believe is the basis of the ongoing partnership.

Cost is also an essential factor that cannot be overlooked.

Since the initial adoption of the Arcfra license, a stable and reasonable cost structure has been maintained, and Cafe24 has a high level of trust in this.

Arcfra: What positive impact has Arcfra had on Cafe24’s business and IT operations?

Cafe24: Cafe24 has achieved remarkable results in improving its IT infrastructure and work environment by leveraging Arcfra’s technological strengths.

First, by enhancing the stability of its service environment, the company was able to focus more on innovative tasks, and it achieved significant improvements in infrastructure through cost savings.

While it cannot be quantified in concrete numbers, the reduction in operational stress for engineers is regarded within Cafe24 as the most significant achievement.

Arcfra: What are Cafe24’s future collaboration plans with Arcfra?

Cafe24: Cafe24 recognizes Arcfra’s growth in the Korean market and wants to contribute as both a customer and a partner.

By combining our expertise, we aim to build even more innovative IT environments and provide stable, high-quality services to our customers.

Cafe24 will continue sharing its experience at Arcfra’s upcoming events.

Arcfra: What are your thoughts on Arcfra’s company culture, employees, and services?

Cafe24: We see Arcfra as a company with a broad and strong technical spectrum. Despite its small team size, it is highly agile and responsive, which aligns perfectly with what we look for in a partner.

At Cafe24, we prefer to work with companies that can walk alongside us as both a customer and a partner.

We have an excellent in-house technical support team, and we want to maximize our internal expertise while effectively operating the solutions we adopt.

Additionally, Arcfra has consistently demonstrated quick adaptability to fast-changing technological environments, which has been highly satisfying. Their high-level technical support, fast response times, and stable system operations have also been key factors in our satisfaction.

Arcfra: How would you describe Arcfra’s company, sales, and engineering teams in a few words?

Cafe24: “Family” and “Shadow.”

• Like family, they are trustworthy partners who collaborate closely on our infrastructure strategy.

• Like a shadow, they are always there when we need them.

To express my gratitude, I even brought a traditional Korean spoon set as a gift for Arcfra employees, as they feel like a true family to me.