Equinix has formed a strategic alliance with Emirates Integrated Telecommunications (also known as du) to deliver data center and interconnection services to customers in the Middle East via a new carrier-neutral hub.
As part of the deal, Equinix has acquired a newly built data center facility in Dubai. This new International Business Exchange (IBX) has capacity of 44,000 square feet and approximately 650 cabinets. The first phase of the data center is expected to be completed and open for business by January 1, 2013. Equinix expects to invest approximately US$40 million for the acquisition, upgrade and future expansion of this site.
Additionally, du has created a new “datamena” — a new transit zone, which allows international customers to host and distribute content, and to trade data capacity in a cost effective way. datamena services will only be available in the data centers in the alliance. Along with investments in the datamena hub, du has also secured the capability to offer its enterprise customers du managed data center services and data center capacity.
Osman Sultan, CEO for du, said, “The alliance enables our customers to expand their digital footprint from a location where some of the fastest-growing markets in the world intersect. The introduction of datamena and a carrier-neutral data center will act as a catalyst for the next stage of internet development in the region. This resonates with the UAE’s vision of enhancing its role as a regional business hub and to be one of the best places to do business in the world.”
- In September 2012, DE-CIX, Frankfurt’s massive Internet Exchange, announced a collaboration with UAE-IX, an Internet exchange in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
UAE-IX is a neutral Internet traffic exchange platform that interconnects global networks and, above all, network operators and content providers in the Gulf region. UAE-IX is using a fully redundant switching platform located in a neutral secure data center in Dubai. The new Internet Exchange will reduce latency times by up to 80 per cent and costs by up to 70 per cent for Gulf providers.
The companies noted that many Internet service providers in the region have had to exchange their traffic via Europe, Asia or North America, leading to high latency rates. Initiated by the UAE’s Telecommunication Regulatory Authority (TRA) and supported by DE-CIX, UAE-IX delivers a highly available local alternative for regional traffic exchange, localizing Internet content.
