Equinix Enables Ricoh to Launch Cloud Services for Digital Workplace Transformation

Ricoh is one such company that understands the importance of evolving its offerings to match the changing needs of its enterprise customers. The multicloud access available on Platform Equinix has enabled Ricoh to deliver one-stop cloud-based digital workplace services and Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions that can replace customers’ cumbersome manual and paper-based processes with streamlined record keeping through a single user portal.

Highlights/Key Facts

• As a leading provider of document management solutions, IT services, commercial and industrial printing, digital workplace services and communication solutions, Ricoh serves more than 30,000 small and medium businesses (SMBs) in Hong Kong. To better support the city’s digital workplace transformation, Ricoh is evolving its product portfolio to be more dynamic and agile. For this it needed to leverage modern multi and hybrid cloud technologies to streamline business processes, create value and provide greater workplace security.
• Many Ricoh customers require the highest standards of data privacy and security, in line with the latest ISO standards. Therefore, Ricoh prioritized performance and data security as a benchmark when searching for a partner to support its product launches. Equinix was selected because of its ability to provide interconnection options to multiple cloud and network service providers, reliable network uptime, as well as its ability to meet stringent security standards.
• With multicloud access from Equinix and IT consultancy from Kingviews, Ricoh has been able to deliver two new solutions designed to support the changing needs of its Hong Kong customers. The first is cloud-based Backup-as-a-Service (BUaaS), a monthly subscription service which enables customers to secure critical and sensitive documents by automatically backing them up to the cloud. The second is Cloud Workflow, a solution designed to help the human resources and finance teams of SMBs with critical business management process automation.
• By deploying in an Equinix International Business Exchange^TM (IBX^®) data center in Hong Kong, Ricoh can flexibly create direct and secure connections to more than 110 cloud service providers (CSPs) including the likes of Alibaba Cloud, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud and Tencent Cloud, to support large volumes of data transfer associated with its new services to provide customers with a stable and low-latency experience. As a result, Ricoh can better manage data bursts without causing any downtime or disruptions to its customers.
• Equinix Hong Kong is home to more than 85 network service providers. The network density and proximity has given Ricoh the flexibility to choose between network providers and offer faster load times with reductions in latency and minimal operational disruptions.
• Working with Equinix on its cloud-based BUaaS and Cloud Workflow services has given Ricoh confidence to continue investing in innovation. The company is now comfortable in its ability to scale up and provide other services to meet customer demands as the market evolves.

 Quotes

• Ricky Chong, Director, Marketing & Business Development, Ricoh:

“Ricoh has faithfully served Hong Kong businesses for nearly 55 years, during which time we have built up vast knowledge of the market and a deep understanding of our customers. In today’s fast-paced digital world, we needed to find partners that could support us in responding to the rapidly increasing demand for digital workplace solutions in Hong Kong. Thanks to the direct access to multiple clouds offered by Equinix and the IT consultancy of Kingviews, we have been able to do just that.”

• Alex Tam, Managing Director, Equinix Hong Kong: 

“With digital transformation expected to add US$9 billion to Hong Kong’s GDP by 2021,² businesses in the city are quickly embracing digitized services to gain competitive edge and deliver on consumer expectations. In a rapidly changing market, the ability to adapt is proving to be a key driver of business growth, and we have been delighted to work with Ricoh to keep it at the forefront of delivering digital workplace solutions designed to support the transformation of businesses in Hong Kong.”

Additional Resources

• Equinix Data Centers and Colocation Services [website]
• Equinix Hong Kong Data Centers [website]
• Ricoh’s Cloud Service [website]

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 52 markets across five continents, Equinix is where companies come together to realize new opportunities and accelerate their business, IT and cloud strategies. Equinix.hk

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 data 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 filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see recent Equinix 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.

Media Contact (Asia-Pacific)
Annie Ho
Equinix
+852 2970-7761
annho@ap.equinix.com

Media Contact (Hong Kong)
Karin Au
LEWIS
+852 3944-5021
equinixHK@teamlewis.com