Increased Internet connectivity to give Finnish businesses new ways to compete in the digital economy
REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and HELSINKI, Finland — September 29, 2016 — Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the global interconnection and data center company, today announced it will bring the Equinix Internet Exchange™ to Helsinki, Finland, launching in Q1 2017.
Equinix’s global interconnection platform – Platform Equinix™ – is comprised of more than 145 data centers and provides the leading public Internet exchange fabric in the world. Today, the Equinix Internet Exchange handles 5.6 terabits of peak traffic growing at over 35% per year, at 22 Internet Exchange Point (IXP) locations in 19 markets across APAC, North America and Europe where more than 1,300 networks, cloud and content providers peer worldwide. This service lowers overall IP transit costs and delivers enhanced end-to-end network performance, speed and reliability. By providing this additional connectivity, Equinix continues to play a central role in advancing the digital economy's interconnected era, in which businesses are demanding increasing levels of interconnection to accelerate business performance.
Highlights / Key Facts
* Global Internet traffic is increasing at a compound annual rate of more than 33% between 2012 and 20161 and IP traffic will continue to grow at 22% per year over the next three years, increasing almost three-fold in the period 2015-20202. According to the 451 Research report, Interconnection 101, “to deal with the large amount of Internet traffic and keep up with the significant growth, networks are peering with a greater number of interconnections at any specific location, and they are interconnecting in more locations.”
* In addition to housing this public peering fabric, Equinix’s carrier-neutral global data centers are the chosen home for the world’s leading network service providers, content and digital media companies, enterprises, financial firms, and cloud computing platforms to privately peer in its exchange points around the world. By bringing the Equinix Internet Exchange with 2.4Tbps of capacity to Finland , companies that are located in the Nordics will be able to more easily consume or sell their services seamlessly to the rest of Europe and abroad.
* Equinix currently operates six data centers in Finland, all in the Helsinki metropolitan area, which offer campus and metro-wide connectivity, providing customers with the full range of interconnection options ― buying transit from an ISP, using Equinix Internet Exchange for public peering, or peering privately over cross connects ― all without having to move equipment or changing data center facilities. Customers can take advantage of cost savings and performance improvements by migrating large public peering partners to private network interconnection with the Equinix campus cross-connect system.
* Equinix’s Helsinki data centers are also facilitating Internet connectivity growth locally by anchoring the new Cinia submarine cable system, C-Lion1, between Finland and Germany, providing a bridge between Russia, the Baltic countries, and network nodes in Central Europe. With a record-breaking capacity of 144 Tbps and round trip rate of less than 20 milliseconds between Helsinki and Frankfurt, Equinix customers will be able to take advantage of enhanced international capacity, network latency and performance, as well as Finland’s climatic and competitive power pricing benefits.
About Equinix Finland
* Earlier this month, Equinix announced that it is seeing significant momentum in the company's involvement as a strategic partner in submarine cable projects such as C-Lion1. It has been selected as an interconnection partner in more than 10 current submarine cable projects and will provide direct access to an aggregation of networks and clouds at Equinix IBX data centers that are located in proximity to the coastal termination points. Equinix data centers are ideal for landing submarine cables, providing a one-stop shop for operators' needs, from cable landing station to backhaul and interconnection.
* In January 2016, Equinix completed the acquisition of TelecityGroup plc in a transaction valued at approximately $3.8 billion (£2.6 billion). The addition of TelecityGroup's 34+ data centers, net of the divestment, more than doubled Equinix's capacity in Europe, fortifying its position as the largest retail colocation provider in the region and in the world.
* As the result of the Telecity acquisition, Equinix added seven new markets in Europe to its portfolio, including Dublin, Helsinki, Istanbul, Manchester, Sofia, Stockholm and Warsaw. Equinix now operates 145+ data centers in 40 markets, providing customers even more ways to connect with other businesses around the world on Platform Equinix.
Quotes
* Taneli Vuorinen, senior vice president, Cinia Group:
“With the C-Lion1 submarine cable connecting Finland and Germany, Cinia has built the Northern Digital Highway, which sets Finland on the top of the list for global digital pioneers when choosing a favorable location for data intensive operations. We are delighted to connect directly to Equinix IBX data centers in Frankfurt and Helsinki, as well as to the new Equinix Internet Exchange in Helsinki. This global footprint of highly reliable data centers, combined with reliable and low-latency connectivity services, establish business ecosystems which are ideally suited for digital operations across enterprise, carrier and financial markets. As the submarine cable was partly funded by the Finnish government, the connection is expected to benefit Finland’s national economy through significant indirect effects in several industries.”
* Alpo Akujärvi, head of industry, data centers, Invest in Finland: “We warmly welcome the Equinix Internet Exchange to Finland as a milestone in our mission to attract data center operators and data-intensive organizations to locate in the Nordic countries. Innovation is deep in the heart of the Finnish society, and we strive to build digital infrastructure and digital expertise to enable secure, reliable, cost-efficient, and environmentally conscious business operations. With close to 70% of electricity produced from renewable sources in the Nordic countries and heat recovery systems already in operation at several data center facilities, our green approach goes well beyond just cool climate.”
* Eric Schwartz, president EMEA, Equinix:
“The growth and rapid evolution of the digital economy demands ever-increasing levels of network performance and capacity. Equinix will help address this challenge by opening the Equinix Internet Exchange in Helsinki, which will build on the success we’ve had developing Internet Exchanges in Zurich and Paris. This, combined with the power of Platform Equinix, will enable businesses in Finland to meet their global digital transformation objectives and optimize digital relationships.”
* Sami Holopainen, managing director, Finland, Equinix:
“During the last three years, we have invested more than 70 million euros in data centers in Finland. The strategic position between the East and the West provides organizations based in Central Europe with both an ideal location for their data and the shortest route to Russian and Asian markets. The increased
connectivity provided by the introduction of the Equinix Internet Exchange in Helsinki will give local businesses even more ways to connect to partners throughout their digital supply chain.”
Additional Resources
* What Makes Finland a Cool Data Center Destination? [blog]
* Equinix Expands Data Center Leadership Position With Close of Telecity Acquisition [press release]
* Cinia Connects to Equinix Data Centers in Frankfurt and Helsinki [press release]
* Resources from Invest in Finland about Finland as data center location [website]
* Equinix Internet Exchange [data sheet]
About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) connects the world’s leading businesses to their customers, employees and partners inside the most interconnected data centers. In 40 markets across five continents, Equinix is where companies come together to realize new opportunities and accelerate their business, IT and cloud strategies. 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 centers and developing, deploying and delivering Equinix services; unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies we have acquired or will acquire into Equinix; a failure to receive significant revenue from customers in recently built out or acquired data centers; 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; and other risks described from time to time in Equinix’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see Equinix’s recent 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.
Equinix and IBX are registered trademarks of Equinix, Inc.
International Business Exchange is a trademark of Equinix, Inc.
Equinix Press Contacts
Liam Rose (EMEA) +44 (0) 207 618 9602 liam.rose@eu.equinix.com
Juha Frey (Finland)
NetProfile for Equinix
+358 40 572 4674 juha@netprofile.fi
Equinix Investor Relations Contacts
Katrina Rymill +1 (650) 598-6583 krymill@equinix.com
Paul Thomas
+1 (650) 598-6442
pthomas@equinix.com
