REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 19, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the global interconnection and data center company, today announced an expanded collaboration with IBM Cloud to bring private and scalable connectivity to global enterprises at the digital edge via Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric™ (ECX Fabric™). This expansion builds upon the long-standing Equinix and IBM relationship where IBM Cloud Direct Link Exchange is deployed in more Equinix International Business Exchange™ (IBX^®) data centers worldwide than any other Direct Link Exchange provider.

Companies today are using cloud platforms, and many are using a hybrid cloud strategy with a combination of public, private and on-premises capabilities. A hybrid cloud strategy addresses major enterprise concerns as they move more of their applications to the cloud, including security concerns, data protection and protocols, availability, and cloud management.  To enable hybrid cloud deployments for enterprises, Equinix and IBM are leveraging the global ECX Fabric to provide private connectivity to IBM Cloud, including Direct Link Exchange, Direct Link Dedicated and Direct Link Dedicated Hosting.

Additionally, Equinix has joined the IBM Cloud Direct Link Service Provider Program, providing at least one Direct Link point of presence in each of IBM's strategic markets and enabling private connections to IBM Cloud that meet the digital transformation needs of many enterprises today. With these moves, customers in 16 metros around the world can now create a secure, private cloud onramp to connect to IBM Cloud. Effectively bypassing the public internet, customers can utilize ECX Fabric to implement low-latency, hybrid cloud solutions that connect directly to IBM Cloud and help dynamically scale their IT infrastructure at the digital edge.

Highlights / Key Facts

• ECX Fabric is an on-demand, SDN-enabled interconnection service that allows any business to connect between its own distributed infrastructure and any other company's distributed infrastructure, including the world's largest network service and cloud providers, on Platform Equinix^®.
• Direct Link, IBM Cloud's private interconnection service, provides customers with a connection to their enterprises' on-premises network or private data center to the IBM Cloud platform. By utilizing ECX Fabric, IBM Cloud Direct Link customers can benefit from secured and scalable network availability to the IBM Cloud platform.
• The IBM Cloud Direct Link Dedicated Hosting solution offered within Equinix IBX data centers provides space, power and connectivity with direct access to IBM Cloud via ECX Fabric. This improves network performance, providing companies with the secured, customized support needed for dedicated workloads that require predictable latency. Together, this allows global businesses to leverage emerging technologies like AI, data analytics, Blockchain and the full suite of IBM Cloud services, knowing their data is secured with enterprise-grade security.
• IBM Cloud has deployed more Direct Link locations with Equinix than with any other provider. Current metros include Amsterdam, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Melbourne, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington, D.C.
• Direct and private connectivity to strategic cloud service providers like IBM Cloud is essential as digital transformation fuels higher demand for localized digital services at the edge. According to the Global Interconnection Index (GXI) Volume 2, a market study published recently by Equinix, interconnection between enterprises and cloud and IT providers is projected to grow 98% per annum through 2021, supporting businesses building out new digital services and migrating existing workloads to third-party cloud platforms.

Quotes

• Gabriel Montanti, Global Offering Executive, IBM Cloud
  "Enterprises are rapidly building next-generation applications on the cloud that leverage Blockchain, AI, IoT, machine learning and more. With the ability to directly connect to business-critical applications from multiple points of presence within Equinix data centers located in key global metros, our customers can anticipate to more effectively integrate hybrid cloud strategies designed for improved security, reliability and performance."
• Royce Thomas, SVP, Strategic Alliances and Global Account Management, Equinix
  "Our extended collaboration to offer direct and private connectivity to the IBM Cloud Direct Link service via ECX Fabric is a key enabler to enterprise digital transformation efforts. With the global reach of the Equinix interconnection platform, combined with IBM Cloud, we can help enterprises deploy hybrid cloud solutions and scale their digital businesses at the edge with robust security."

Additional Resources

• Learn More About Equinix and IBM Cloud [website]
• Learn more about ECX Fabric [website]
• Learn more about Platform Equinix [website]
• Global Interconnection Index Volume 2 [market study]

About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) connects the world's leading businesses to their customers, employees and partners inside the most-interconnected data centers. On this global platform for digital business, companies come together across more than 50 markets on five continents to reach everywhere, interconnect everyone and integrate everything they need to create their digital futures. www.equinix.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the challenges of acquiring, operating and constructing IBX data centers and developing, deploying and delivering Equinix products and solutions; unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies we have acquired or will acquire into Equinix; a failure to receive significant revenues from customers in recently built out or acquired data centers; a failure to complete any financing arrangements contemplated from time to time; competition from existing and new competitors; the ability to generate sufficient cash flow or otherwise obtain funds to repay new or outstanding indebtedness; the loss or decline in business from our key customers; risks related to our taxation as a REIT; and other risks described from time to time in Equinix filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see recent Equinix quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available upon request from Equinix. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

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SOURCE Equinix, Inc.