Equinix, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute and EMC Bring Secure, Scalable, Reliable Storage to the Cloud without Compromise

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., June 15, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Cloud computing beckons the enterprise with promises of greater agility and cost savings. But many businesses worry cloud adoption also means less control over their data, decreased privacy and degraded performance.

The EMC/Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute/Equinixsolution, now available for deployment in Equinix International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers, can end those concerns without forcing compromise. It brings private storage to the public cloud by enabling businesses to build a hybrid cloud that maximizes their existing infrastructure, while delivering the efficiencies and flexibility of public cloud technology. Read more about Equinix's work with EMC in the full blog here: http://blog.equinix.com/2014/04/equinix-continues-to-progress-on-green-data-center-initiatives/

Here's how it works: Data is stored on the EMC platform, either on premises or in the cloud. Applications run in Microsoft Azure and are directly linked to enterprise storage by Azure ExpressRoute connections. It's all housed inside Equinix, which offers ExpressRoute in its IBX data center facilities in 16 global markets.  Functional testing with Isilon scale out NAS with some customers demonstrated improved throughput and performance. See the EMC white paper for details.

The addition of EMC to the industry-leading cloud ecosystem inside Equinix data centers expands the options available through the Equinix Cloud Exchange, an innovative software-defined connectivity platform that allows companies to make multiple connections to multiple clouds from multiple sites. With near real-time provisioning of cloud services and dynamic bandwidth allocation, the Equinix Cloud Exchange makes connecting to the cloud as simple, elastic and convenient as the cloud itself. Through the Exchange, companies can pick from the data center industry's largest selection of IaaS, SaaS and managed IT services, empowering them to connect to the clouds they want and adjust their portfolio of cloud services as business requirements change.

The combined EMC/Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute/Equinix solution completely bypasses the public Internet, bringing storage and applications into close proximity inside Equinix data centers.  The close proximity of EMC storage to Microsoft Azure via ExpressRoute in an Equinix IBX data center ensures improved application performance over the public Internet.  The result is highly compliant, highly scalable storage that will run like it's in an on-premises cabinet with low latency. The difference is, it will be running in an enterprise-grade cloud environment. By establishing a private connection between enterprise-grade storage and cloud compute, companies eliminate key barriers to hybrid and public cloud adoption, including data security and unpredictable network performance and latency. According to the 2014 Gartner Report, "Cloud SDN and the Evolution of Enterprise Networks", through 2015 at least 50% of cloud deployments will suffer from business-impacting performance issues, requiring extensive network redesign to address them. 

EMC's portfolio of products continues to earn the confidence of businesses. The EMC/Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute/Equinix solution builds on that reputation. It marries private storage with the public cloud in a way that aims to overcome the hesitations businesses have about large-scale cloud computing.  And it's more than just a way for customers to integrate the EMC technology they trust into the cloud. The solution also offers an opportunity for channel partners to expand their cloud businesses by bundling Equinix offerings with storage and managed services. With more than 55% of Fortune 500 companies already using Microsoft Azure, the opportunity for designing hybrid cloud and IT infrastructure that best fits an enterprise's unique needs – without compromise – is vast. 

Additional Resources

• Link to published white paper https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-36590
• For more information about Equinix and ExpressRoute http://www.equinix.com/solutions/partner-solutions/microsoft-windows-azure/
• Watch Equinix and Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute in action http://youtu.be/ju7k5yzLSGg
• For more information on Cloud Exchange
  http://www.equinix.com/solutions/by-services/interconnection/exchanges/equinix-cloud-exchange/
• For more information on EMC VMAX, VNX and Isilon
  http://www.emc.com/storage/symmetrix-vmax/symmetrix-vmax.htm
  http://www.emc.com/storage/vnx/vnx-series.htm
  http://www.emc.com/storage/isilon/isilon.htm

About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), connects more than 4,500 companies directly to their customers and partners inside the world's most networked data centers. Today, businesses leverage the Equinix interconnection platform in 32 strategic markets across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. 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.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140715/126950 
Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140102/MM39832LOGO

SOURCE Equinix