Equinix Experiences Significant Growth in AWS Direct Connections - Achieves APN Advanced Technology Partner Status

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., April 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the global interconnection and data center company, today announced that it has become an Advanced Technology Partner in the AWS Partner Network (APN).  The Advanced designation is the highest level an APN Technology Partner can achieve, and it underscores Equinix's ongoing commitment to serving AWS customers by providing direct and secure access inside its global footprint of International Business Exchange (IBX^®) data centers.  Equinix first began offering AWS Direct Connect in 2011, and has since witnessed substantial growth in connections to the cloud.  In fact, since the beginning of 2016, customer connections to AWS via the Equinix Cloud Exchange have grown by more than 250%.

Enterprises are increasingly incorporating cloud-based solutions as part of their overall IT infrastructure.  In fact, a recent IDC cloud survey, CloudView 2016, shows that 58% of all organizations surveyed are embracing cloud, using public or private cloud for more than one or two small applications or workloads, up from 24% from 14 months ago.* By providing direct access to AWS cloud inside Equinix data centers, Equinix helps its enterprise customers advance their cloud strategies and capitalize on these cloud benefits by seamlessly incorporating cloud services into their existing architectures.

Highlights / Key Facts

• In the past several months, Equinix added availability of AWS Direct Connect in three new markets – Chicago, London and Munich. With the addition of these markets, Equinix now offers Direct Connect across 14 metros. The Chicago AWS Direct Connect capability will be part of AWS's AWS US East (Ohio) Region, and the London and Munich access points will serve customers in these critical European markets. 
• To obtain Advanced Technology Partner status, AWS requires partners to meet stringent criteria, including the ability to demonstrate success in providing AWS services to a wide range of customers and use cases.  Additionally, partners must complete a technical solution validation by AWS.  As part of this esteemed group of partners, Equinix will have access to a wide range of collaborative joint sales and marketing programs, which enables it to deliver AWS Direct Connect to a broader group of potential customers, worldwide, thus strengthening Equinix's position in cloud interconnection services.
• By directly and securely connecting to AWS via AWS Direct Connect, customers can take advantage of
• Predictable performance and user experience with dedicated, low-latency, high bandwidth direct connections to AWS
• Enhanced compliance by connecting privately to AWS and keeping data within region, without going over the public internet
• With the addition of Chicago, London and Munich, Equinix now offers the AWS Direct Connect service in 14 markets, including Amsterdam, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Los Angeles, London, Munich, Osaka, Seattle, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia. Additionally, AWS GovCloud is available in all US AWS Direct Connect locations.  Equinix customers in these metros will be able to lower network costs into and out of AWS and take advantage of reduced AWS Direct Connect data transfer rates.
• Equinix will be showcasing its interconnection capabilities at this week's AWS Summit San Francisco, taking place April 18-19, 2017 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco.

Quotes

• Greg Adgate, vice president, global technology partners and alliances, Equinix:
  "As one of the first data center providers to enable direct access to AWS via its AWS Direct Connect service, we have strived to continue to bring access to all our enterprise customers, worldwide.  We are honored to have reached Advanced Technology Partner status.  Through our collaboration with AWS, we are providing additional ways for our global customers to achieve improved performance of their cloud-based applications."
• Robert Mahowald, group vice president, applications and cloud business models, IDC:
  "In our recent research, we are seeing a strong trend within enterprise IT to move applications and workloads off premises onto cloud platforms such as AWS, to achieve cost and application performance benefits.  Equinix is helping enterprise customers easily make this transition by enabling direct, low-latency, secure connections to cloud services, like AWS Direct Connect, within its global footprint of data centers."

Additional Resources

• Maximizing Cloud Impact - A New Paradigm for Connecting Clouds within the Enterprise [white paper]
• More about Equinix and AWS  [web page]
• AWS Direct Connect Coverage Map [graphic]
• Take the Fast Lane to AWS [blog]

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 41 markets worldwide, Equinix is where companies come together to realize new opportunities and accelerate their business, IT and cloud strategies. http://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.

*Source: IDC CloudView 2016 Survey.