Growth in data traffic, device ownership and mobile usage are perpetual news items in this digital age, and it doesn’t look like those trends will be fading anytime soon.
The latest Cisco Visual Networking Index forecast envisions a steadily expanding digital world, as data traffic accelerates, devices proliferate and people consume an astonishing amount of content. Here are some of Cisco’s projections for 2015-2020:
- The number of devices and connections will rise globally from 2.2 per capita to 3.4. Meanwhile, mobile traffic will account for 16% of total IP traffic, up from 5%.
- Global IP video traffic will increase from 51 exabytes per month to 158.9 exabytes per month. The compound annual growth rate of IP video traffic will be 26%.
- In 2020, the gigabyte equivalent of every movie ever made will cross global IP networks every two minutes.
In a time when digital demands are global and constantly growing, Equinix and Verizon are announcing a new partnership that aims to help both company’s customers capitalize on and benefit from these trends. Specifically, Verizon has agreed to resell Equinix colocation and interconnection services.
This collaboration builds on a long-time partnership that includes our pending agreement to buy 29 Verizon data centers, a deal expected to close this spring. The new reseller agreement also looks to capitalize on the strengths of both companies, including the capabilities and reach of Equinix’s global data center and interconnection platform, and the security, network and advanced communications services of Verizon, the largest wireless carrier in the U.S.
Here are a few benefits we see the new partnership bringing our customers as they work to navigate a fast-evolving digital landscape:
Superior cloud options
The Verizon network is fast, safe and built to ease cloud migrations for the enterprise. It also enables companies to implement new hybrid cloud strategies and gain the quick access to multi-cloud ecosystems needed to innovate and meet market demands. Platform Equinix™, meanwhile, is where those cloud ecosystems thrive. Verizon customers can connect via Equinix directly to a host of top cloud providers, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud and Google Cloud Services.
Ecosystem advantages
The combination of Verizon’s leading mobile network and Platform Equinix’s collection of rich digital ecosystems will benefit customers of both companies.
- Advertising Technology: Increased access to the Equinix Advertising Exchange (Ad-IX) online advertising ecosystem can help ad content providers on the Verizon network find the right partners and quickly deliver relevant ads to targets in Verizon’s 140 million-plus mobile subscriber base. Meanwhile, that opens up opportunities for Equinix customers in the Ad-IX ecosystem to be that partner and expand their services.
- Financial Services: In a world where milliseconds count, securities exchanges depend on Equinix to provide interconnection among buyers and sellers. Meanwhile, digital payment providers demand stringent security and regulatory compliance. The new Verizon-Equinix partnership will have a unique capability to deliver an elevated experience to mobile users trading securities and making or receiving digital payments.
- Consumer Content and Digital Media: Services such as Netflix, Uber and Airbnb rely on highly distributed systems with interrelated customer databases, digital payment processing and business logic. These services also typically reside in multiple private and public clouds and require interconnection that occurs in milliseconds and has a level of security, scalability and reliability that cannot currently be delivered by legacy enterprise networks or the internet. The Verizon-Equinix relationship will ensure the best possible user experience for video streaming, ordering transportation or reserving lodging space.
The combination and availability of these ecosystems will deliver unparalleled innovation and expansion for Verizon customers.
Nexus point for the Internet of Things
Equinix is poised to be a nexus point in the complex world of the Internet of Things (IoT), where applications, data and transmissions interact with hardware sensors, devices and microservices. Managing these interactions and interconnections will involve networks, private IoT platforms and cloud-based IoT platforms. Imagine a scenario where a homeowner remotely adjusts the temperature in their home with their Verizon mobile device. Connecting people to applications that are interacting with remote hardware devices will soon be a daily occurrence, and Verizon and Equinix will be ready.
Global reach
Equinix’s data center footprint is unmatched among colocation providers, with 150 data centers in 41 markets on five continents. That means Equinix data centers can take Verizon customers almost anywhere – and also be near them. That matters when content delivery companies on the Verizon network are trying to get as close as possible to their subscribers, because proximity is essential to delivering the best possible connectivity. And it can help enterprises on the Verizon network store and analyze data closer to where it’s created, for low-latency connectivity and the ability to act on information in real time. Combining Verizon’s superior network and Equinix’s superior reach creates a path to better performance and higher customer satisfaction.
Our new agreement with Verizon is the latest step in a partnership that we think will improve opportunity and interconnection for customers of both companies. Read the press release for more details.
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