Equinix Study: 75% of Digital Leaders in Ireland Expect Long-term Changes to Where and How People Work

DUBLIN, Ireland – May 17, 2021 – Equinix, Inc  (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world's digital infrastructure company™, today announced the findings of its annual global study of the views of IT decision-makers on the biggest technology trends affecting businesses worldwide and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on digital infrastructure plans.

Surveying 2,600 IT decision-makers from diverse enterprises across 26 countries in the Americas, Asia-Pacific and EMEA regions, the study reveals that:

• 62% of businesses in Ireland have rearchitected their IT infrastructure to meet new remote and hybrid working demands, with tech budgets increasing to accelerate digital transformation
• 75% of digital leaders in Ireland believe there will be long-term changes to where and how people work within their organisation
• 49% of companies in Ireland still intend to expand into new regions, countries or metros, despite the disruption experienced as a result of COVID-19

Digital transformation in the post-pandemic future

Digitisation and business investment in digital infrastructure have increased as a result of COVID-19. 54% of the digital leaders surveyed in Ireland said they have accelerated digital transformation plans because of the pandemic, while 44% said their budgets have been increased to satisfy the rapid growth in digital demands.

There has also been a major overhaul of IT strategies in Ireland to meet the challenges emerging from the pandemic. Almost two-thirds, (62%) said they have revised their IT strategy as a result of COVID-19, while 51% said they want to invest in technology to be more agile post-COVID.

Asked about their biggest priorities for their organisation’s digital strategy, 84% of respondents in Ireland reported improving their organisations’ cyber security was a top priority, with 45% saying they see interconnection as a key facilitator of digital transformation.

Concerns that the pandemic will have put the brakes on companies’ expansion plans—lessened

• 49% of businesses in Ireland still have plans to expand into new regions, countries or metros, according to the digital leaders surveyed.
• Of that 49%, more than half (53%) plan to achieve this virtually, rather than by investing in physical IT infrastructure in-market

Utilising interconnection for success

• 49% of IT leaders in Ireland said they believe interconnection—the direct and private exchange of data between organisations—will help them to navigate the challenges they face due to COVID-19.
• Those stating interconnection can help their business gain competitive advantage within the marketplace increased to 46%, up from 36% last year.

Maurice Mortell, Managing Director, Ireland and Emerging Markets, Equinix, said: “Our research shows that IT leaders in Ireland have been preparing for a digital, interconnected future since well before the pandemic. This preparation is now being put to use as we embrace digital transformation at a pace that is multiple times faster than expected.

“It is very clear to business leaders that interconnection through multi-cloud adoption is key to transformation. Every day, we see new solutions being designed and offered to customers, which is not only accelerating the rate of transformation but also building confidence in the future of new and intelligent technologies. The enterprises that can successfully pivot to digital now are the ones that will have a competitive edge post-COVID.”

The Global Interconnection Index (GXI) Volume 4, a market study recently published by Equinix, forecasts that overall interconnection bandwidth—the measure of private connectivity for the transfer of data between organizations—will achieve a 45% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) from 2019 to 2023, globally. The expected growth is driven by digital transformation, and specifically by greater demands from enterprises extending their digital infrastructure from centralized locations to distributed edge locations.

To read more about the Global Tech Trends Survey, or download a copy, please visit: https://www.equinix.com/resources/infopapers/equinix-tech-trends-survey

Additional Quotes

• Eugene Bergen Henegouwen, President, EMEA, Equinix:
  “As digital leaders around the world are focused on digitising their organisations to respond to the challenges created by the pandemic, it’s clear from this study that interconnection is very important to this transformation. The fact that over half of IT decision-makers in EMEA said interconnection will help them to navigate the challenges faced as a result of COVID-19, with almost half believing it to be key to their organisation’s survival, shows interconnection has become business-critical to many enterprises, and we believe it will continue to be so as we recover and rebuild following this terrible pandemic.”

About the Study
The independent study, commissioned by Equinix, surveyed 2,600 IT decision-makers in diverse enterprises across the Americas (Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Mexico, U.S.), Asia-Pacific (Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore) and EMEA (Bulgaria, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, UAE, U.K.). Respondents were selected for participation from Dynata’s online panel. The survey was conducted online between 17 December 2020 and 08 January 2021.

About Equinix
Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) is the world’s digital infrastructure company, enabling digital leaders to harness a trusted platform to bring together and interconnect the foundational infrastructure that powers their success. Equinix enables today’s businesses to access all the right places, partners and possibilities they need to accelerate advantage. With Equinix, they can scale with agility, speed the launch of digital services, deliver world-class experiences and multiply their value.

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 products and solutions, unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies we have acquired or will acquire into Equinix; a failure to receive significant revenues from customers in recently built out or acquired data centers; a 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; risks related to our taxation as a REIT; 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 contacts

Jess Sullivan (EMEA)
+44 7876 712861
Jess.Sullivan@eu.equinix.com

Rochelle Vaz (Comit)
+353 894850190
rochelle@comit.ie

Investor Relations

Katrina Rymill
+1 (650) 598-6583
krymill@equinix.com

Chip Newcom
+1 (650) 598-6262
cnewcom@equinix.com