NAVER Business Platform Expands Cloud Business via Platform Equinix

SINGAPORE — August 21, 2019 — Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the global interconnection and data center company, announced today that NAVER Business Platform (NBP), South Korea’s leading IT and cloud service provider, and a subsidiary company of NAVER, the country’s largest web search engine and one of the world’s top ten most innovative companies by Forbes, has expanded its global cloud business via Platform Equinix^®. NBP has leveraged Equinix’s global footprint and is now deployed in key countries like Singapore, Japan, Germany and the United States. As a result, NBP has significantly enhanced user experience with consistent uptime and zero disruption in global markets.

NBP was first established as a subsidiary company of NAVER to provide specialized IT infrastructure and cloud services in 2009. From supporting the needs of NAVER and its global mobile services such as the mobile messenger LINE—currently with over 200 million users around the world—and video messenger SNOW, NBP grew and expanded to provide a public cloud service called NAVER Cloud Platform in April 2017.

Leveraging Equinix’s global footprint, NAVER Cloud Platform today offers 124 cloud services across 25 categories for customers across the world. It has also seen a significant increase in cloud service consumption globally, which resulted in a 20-fold jump in average network bandwidth usage. Coupled with a growing base of customers originating and operating outside of its home country of South Korea, NBP decided to deploy its infrastructure and leverage the strength and connectivity of Platform Equinix to meet its customers’ cross-border cloud demands.

Highlights/Key Facts 

• With a growing global presence, NBP needed to rapidly expand its cloud infrastructure to deliver a consistent user experience to its customers wherever they are. Equinix’s global footprint made it a natural choice for NBP to deploy its systems and cloud services seamlessly. NBP selected Equinix for its world-class International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center facilities and colocation services, as well as its connectivity to multiple network service providers (NSPs) in every location.
• NBP focused on maintaining its high level of service and customer satisfaction across all geographies. To scale, the company needed to distribute its infrastructure to key hubs around the world in order to reduce latency and maintain user experience. Connectivity with NSPs was critical to ensure high network redundancy with zero downtime. NBP’s customers are also increasingly exploring hybrid cloud solutions with connectivity to multiple cloud service providers (CSPs).
• Through Equinix Internet Exchange™ (IX), NBP and its customers can access an ecosystem of more than 1,800 networks across the globe. Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric™ (ECX Fabric™) also provides NBP and its customers with on-demand and secure connections to more than 1,600 participants across all regions around the world, including the world’s largest CSPs.
• ECX Fabric allows NBP to offer its international customers doing business in different countries direct connectivity to multiple CSPs in just minutes, especially by those implementing hybrid cloud solutions. Customers can also establish network connections on demand between any two ECX Fabric locations within a metro or globally via software-defined interconnection, offering high levels of scalability, agility and connectivity.
• The Global Interconnection Index (GXI) Volume 2, a market study published by Equinix, predicts that Cloud & IT Services will have the highest interconnection bandwidth amongst other industries, reaching 1,382 Terabits per second (Tbps) by 2021. Enterprises connecting to Cloud & IT Providers is also expected to grow at 98% CAGR from 2017 to 2021.
• NAVER Cloud Platform today is South Korea’s leading public cloud through strategic investment and technology development, complemented by NBP’s experience in operating NAVER and its affiliate companies’ IT infrastructure and cloud services. NBP is setting its sights to be a top global cloud services provider within the next five years. NBP will look to develop and deliver more customized hybrid cloud services to its customers across various industries, such as government and public organizations, finance, medical, gaming and communication sectors, on Platform Equinix.

Quotes

• Kwang Pyo Hong, Head of Global IT and BIZ Planning, NAVER Business Platform
  ​“A key priority of NAVER Business Platform’s growth strategy is to expand our cloud services business globally and bring it closer to our worldwide customers who demand high-performing and reliable connectivity to network and cloud service providers with zero downtime. With Equinix’s solid infrastructure and extensive experience in enabling cloud companies to scale, they are the best partner for us to have as we continue our journey to achieve our ambition.”
• Jeremy Deutsch, President of Asia-Pacific, Equinix
  “Through Equinix’s proven platform of interconnected data centers and connectivity to network and cloud service providers, NAVER Business Platform is able to expand beyond its home market of South Korea quickly. We are confident that we will further enable NBP to realize its ambition not only to be the top cloud service provider in South Korea, but also one of the top global cloud service providers in the near future.”       
• Chris Jang, Country Manager, Equinix Korea
  “We are honored to be part of the global expansion journey of NAVER Business Platform, as it seeks to address the cloud demands of today’s customers around the world. Our global footprint and solid track record with supporting CSP customers to expand their businesses, as well as our proximity to multiple NSPs, made Equinix the simple and sensible choice for NBP to embrace the vast opportunities presented by the digital era.” 

Additional Resources

• NAVER customer success story [case study]
• NAVER customer video [video]
• Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric™ Data Sheet [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. On this global platform for digital business, companies come together across more than 50 markets on five continents to reach everywhere, interconnect everyone and integrate everything they need to create their digital futures. Equinix.sg

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies or new ventures we have acquired or will acquire into the Equinix platform; unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to expansion into new markets; the challenges of acquiring, operating and constructing IBX data centers and developing, deploying and delivering Equinix services; 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.