(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — European carrier-neutral data center operator Interxion (www.interxion.com) and the Internet Neutral Exchange (www.inex.ie), a major Internet peering point in Ireland, have announced a partnership that will extend INEX’s infrastructure into Interxion’s two Dublin data centers, enabling Interxion customers to reduce latency and transit costs by peering directly with the 42 IP networks currently connected to INEX.
According to Interxion’s Tuesday announcement, existing INEX members will be able to deploy resilient connections to the exchange infrastructure in the security of Interxion’s existing DUB1 facility and the recently announced DUB2 data center. The new INEX POP will go live in DUB1 this month and DUB 2 on completion of the facility in early 2010, providing a total of more than 2,000 square meters (21,500 square feet) of equipped space, with significant additional space available for future expansion.
“INEX is dedicated to delivering a world class IP peering service to its members and key to this is ensuring that the exchange infrastructure is in place in the key data centers,” INEX chief executive officer Barry Rhodes said in a statement. “By hosting our newest POP in Interxion, we are reaching out to new prospective members for the exchange who are already located there and also providing our existing members with an additional alternative for resilient connections to the network in a world-class, carrier-neutral data center.”
Previously having points of presence in Dublin at Citywest and Kilcarbery Park, the added facilities will give INEX access to Interxion’s state-of-the-art, fault-tolerant and fully redundant infrastructure with an service level agreement of up to 99.999 percent and high-density power as standard. Currently housed with Interxion Ireland are 25 carriers and ISPs.
Interxion Ireland managing director Tanya Duncan said the new agreement with INEX re-affirms Interxion’s position as Ireland’s leading connectivity hub, which benefits Interxion customers and INEX members. “At Interxion, INEX members can build out secure, serviced network and content-delivery infrastructure as and when they need it, and Interxion customers can gain improvements in quality and cost-effectiveness by peering directly at INEX,” Duncan said in a statement.
Earlier this year, Netherlands-based Interxion has also been busy making other partnerships across Europe. Last month, it reached a high-profile agreement with International Internet exchange DE-CIX (www.de-cix.net), which moved its Internet exchange infrastructure into Interxion’s newest Frankfurt data center.
In Sweden, it reached an agreement in July with Scandinavian equity trading platform Burgundy to provide proximity hosting services from its Stockholm data center to provide market participants highly reliable, low-latency access.
It has also been expanding its physical infrastructure, opening its sixth Paris data center last month, bringing its total number of operational facilities across Europe to 25 data centers in 11 countries. Its recent expansion is largely fueled by an existing revolving credit facility of €135 million (almost $190 million), which was met by an additional €45 million ($63 million) subordinated credit facility in June, bringing its expansion financing to €150 million (about $250 million). As part of the expansion, Interxion recently added 400 square meters (more than 4,300 square feet) to its London data center.
