Brian Lillie, CIO Cloud is enabling government agencies to transform the way IT services are delivered and consumed, simultaneously realizing reduced costs and improved operational agility. However, as agencies opt for numerous cloud services to unravel different advantages, they often find it difficult to combine them in one seamless cloud experience. Creating the right balance of private, public and hybrid clouds is top of mind for government IT, and addressing this need is Equinix, a Redwood City-based company that weaves different clouds into one hybrid environment. “Equinix is the only place where government agencies can connect directly to multiple clouds and gain all the benefits without security concerns, internet performance bottlenecks and the risk of vendor lock-in,” extols Brian Lillie, CIO, Equinix.
The company’s Equinix Cloud Exchange is an advanced interconnection solution that enables seamless, on-demand, and direct access to multiple clouds and networks across the globe. Establishing private, high-performance connections with cloud providers through Cloud Exchange lets government agencies build sophisticated hybrid cloud solutions inside an Equinix IBX. “Equinix was one of the first data center providers to offer private access to both Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, and we have grown to offer direct connections to all the leading clouds providers,” says Lillie. Equinix’s Cloud Exchange provides direct connection to Azure for Government via ExpressRoute and also offers direct connection to AWS GovCloud.
We have the scale that enables us to tackle problems anywhere,”Amy Swift, Business Development Executive, EverGreene
Equinix Cloud Exchange benefits agencies through more reliable, secure, and higher performance connections when compared to the public internet. The solution enables near real-time provisioning of virtual circuits in 200Mbps, 500Mbps and 1Gbps increments, with greater control to monitor and provision via the Equinix Cloud Exchange Portal and APIs. It easily scales for one-to-many multi-cloud deployments.
Further, the company offers Equinix Performance Hub, an extension of an organization’s network into Equinix International Business Exchange (IBX) data center.
We have the scale that enables us to tackle problems anywhere,”Amy Swift, Business Development Executive, EverGreene
It enables agencies to securely and reliably connect to the network and cloud providers, using off-the-shelf networking. It also increases network efficiency, helping agencies in simplifying their networks and gaining access to the cloud. Performance Hub allows organizations to choose from numerous networks, cloud providers and IT service providers. The solution provides design guidelines that demonstrate how users can integrate key Equinix and partner technologies, such as carrier-neutral IBX data centers, colocation services, networking, security, and load balancing into their data center architecture, supporting various IT initiatives. “Equinix specializes in building and shaping the interconnection infrastructure of the internet,” remarks Lillie.
A Forrester study, “The Total Economic Impact (TEI) of Equinix Interconnection Solutions,” offers evidence of the benefits of direct interconnection. Greater interconnection enabled higher systems uptime (supporting 99.9999 percent on average), with 15 percent fewer network incidents and outages, leading to reduced labor costs. Major cost reductions were realized by migrating to a multi-cloud interconnection strategy to deploy and scale applications with lower-cost cloud service providers, versus running them internally. Direct and Secure Interconnection also has a significant positive financial impact on the organization. A recent survey, Enterprise of the Future, commissioned by Equinix, showed that more than a third (37 percent) of businesses that have deployed interconnection solutions reported at least $10 million in value created.
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We have the depth of knowledge that enables us to dispatch the right crew with the right expertise as needed, nationwide,”Amy Swift, Business Development Executive, EverGreene
For the road ahead, the company aims to continue innovating and bringing the value of interconnection to all industries. “We are currently working on a solution that will bring data processing to the edge, helping organizations as they grapple with the onslaught of data brought on by industry advancements such as the Internet of Things,” concludes Lillie.
REDWOOD CITY - Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), announced an expanded relationship with Southern Cross Cables Limited (Southern Cross) to provide a key U.S.-based interconnectivity access point for the Southern Cross NEXT (SX NEXT) submarine cable system. SX NEXT will leverage Equinix's next-generation cable landing station (CLS) architecture, enabling rapid provisioning and cost savings for the cable network provider.
Currently, nearly all intercontinental telecommunications traffic, approximately 99%, is transmitted through undersea fiber-optic cables, while the remaining fraction, less than 1%, relies on satellite systems1. To meet the growing demand for a low-latency digital economy, Equinix and Southern Cross are dedicated to ensuring that their undersea cables have minimal carbon footprints. They achieve this by prioritizing sustainability in their designs and adhering to shared sustainability metrics, as recommended by Sustainability Subsea Networks.
The SX NEXT cable stands out as the route with the lowest latency for connecting Australia and New Zealand to Los Angeles in the United States. It accomplishes this connection through Equinix's LA4 Los Angeles International Business Exchange® (IBX®) data center. Southern Cross has a longstanding partnership with Equinix due to the latter's global presence, expertise in delivering cutting-edge undersea infrastructure, and access to extensive and diverse networks, cloud services, financial institutions, and IT service providers. The SX NEXT cable significantly enhances network performance across various industries in the region and increases the overall capacity of Southern Cross' existing Trans-Pacific network by approximately 500%. Southern Cross also relies on Platform Equinix® to provide essential on-ramps to its network ecosystem at data centers such as SY1 and SY5 in Sydney, as well as SV1 and SV8 in Silicon Valley, and LA1 in Los Angeles.
With the recent introduction of 400GbE (Layer 1 and 2) capability on the Southern Cross network, customers can now take advantage of secure, high-speed 400G data center connections between key Equinix facilities in Sydney, Australia, and the U.S. West Coast.
Key Highlights / Facts: • Globally, the momentum of undersea cable infrastructure continues to grow as digital transformation remains a top priority for businesses. Equinix's extensive network includes 250 IBX and xScale® data centers across 32 countries in 71 global markets. These locations serve as the metro edge points of presence (PoPs) necessary for delivering low-latency interconnections to handle the increasing volume of internet traffic. Equinix offers undersea cable owners and operators the capability to establish cable landing stations that bridge continents and facilitate global business interconnections.
• Since entering the undersea cable business in 2015, Equinix has been awarded contracts for 50 subsea cable projects. Over 50 Equinix metros are CLS enabled, meaning they are strategically located close to coastlines, making them ideal for CLS deployments.
• The demand for increased capacity between Australia and the U.S. is driven by the rising need for cloud services, digital content, and e-commerce capabilities. This trend reflects the maturation of the Australian digital economy. Content providers are the primary consumers of trans-Pacific bandwidth, accounting for nearly 78% of the total bandwidth in 2022^2. This shift began in 2015 when content providers started dominating the market, surpassing internet backbone providers. The gap between these two groups has continued to widen as content providers experience rapid growth.
• Over the past five years, trans-Pacific demand has grown at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 41%, significantly surpassing the 26% CAGR of internet backbone providers. In 2021, the Australian Government announced a substantial investment of A$1.2 billion to expand Australia's digital economy by 2030. This investment includes funding for infrastructure, skills development, cybersecurity measures, regulations, and digital trade.
• According to the Global Interconnection Index (GXI) 2023, an annual market study by Equinix, global interconnection bandwidth—measuring private connectivity for data exchange between organizations—is projected to reach over 27,762 terabits per second (Tbps) by 2025. This forecast represents a five-year CAGR of 40%, equivalent to exchanging more than 110 zettabytes of data annually. To put this into perspective, it's enough bandwidth to support over 50 million autonomous cars, each exchanging more than 2,000 terabytes (TB) of data per year. This projected growth highlights organizations' efforts to reevaluate their business strategies and invest in future-proof infrastructure on technology platforms.
Quotes:
Craige Sloots, Director, Marketing & Strategy, Southern Cross
"We place high value on working with an industry leader that not only has a significant global presence but understands the intricacies of business in the Pacific region. Equinix's deep industry knowledge and robust digital ecosystems—where businesses come together to exchange data, unlock collaboration opportunities, and form new markets—enables us to provide innovative technology and network solutions to minimize latency and improve performance for our customers. Trans-Pacific subsea connectivity will continue to be a key enabler in the region for many years to come, and we're excited about this next phase of interconnection through our work with Equinix."
Tim Stronge, VP of Research, TeleGeography
"Bandwidth demand continues to rise at a rapid pace on the Trans-Pacific route. Demand experienced more than a threefold increase from 2018 to 2022, with the route utilizing 255 Tbps of capacity last year alone. With the ever-increasing demand for data transmission and the burgeoning digital economies of the Asia-Pacific region and North America, subsea cables have become critical infrastructure. These undersea networks are designed to handle immense data volumes at lightning-fast speeds, facilitating seamless international communication and powering the growth of industries like cloud computing, e-commerce, and digital entertainment. As technology advances and new players enter the field, the trans-Pacific subsea cable landscape continues to evolve, promising even greater connectivity and opportunities for innovation in the years to come."
Jim Poole, Vice President, Business Development, Equinix
"As bandwidth reaches unprecedented levels, the volume of subsea cable construction has reached its highest point in the 165-year history of this medium. Major projects are bringing new capacity into emerging and high-growth markets such as Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. And in well-established subsea cable corridors—including the Pacific—there's new construction to keep up with the growing demand. By supplementing existing trans-Pacific routes, the Southern Cross NEXT cable provides seamless and accelerated interconnection across Platform Equinix, with an opportunity to help boost the digital economy in those regions."