Equinix and Unitas Global Make On-Demand Network Access Even Easier

A lot has changed in the past decade or so when it comes to IT infrastructure. The emergence of virtualized environments such as cloud, software-defined networks (SDN) and virtual network functions (VNF) have made infrastructure on-demand possible. This is a game changer for today’s service providers and enterprises who need to collaborate with partners and make things easier, faster and more convenient for end users.

Even so, putting it all together in a distributed digital infrastructure capable of supporting multiple locations, applications, data sources, clouds and users can be a challenge. Many of our customers and partners have achieved this flexibility by leveraging software-defined interconnection via Equinix Fabric^TM  to privately interconnect digital infrastructure and connect to digital ecosystems of partners on Platform Equinix^®. And with the recent expansion of Equinix Fabric capabilities to provide improved access to partners, agility and automation, this will only get easier.

Now, in addition to connecting to the cloud of their choice on-demand, Equinix Fabric enables businesses to instantly connect to multiple network services such as those available on the Unitas Reach network through the Unitas Nexus^TM Marketplace platform.

On-demand connectivity just got easier

With thousands of network service providers (NSPs) worldwide, it’s not easy for enterprises to design and buy network connectivity. It can be a highly manual, and fragmented process, which is not conducive for businesses that need to move at software speed in a digital world.

To address this challenge, last year Equinix and Unitas unveiled the integration of Unitas’s Cloud Connectivity Marketplace with Equinix Fabric for simplifying last mile and IP access to connectivity. This enabled Equinix customers to seamlessly search, order and track provisioning of network connectivity from multiple providers through a single Equinix Fabric portal.

Today, I’m excited to share that we are making this process even easier by integrating the Unitas Nexus^TM Marketplace with Equinix Fabric. The Unitas Nexus Marketplace is an automated connectivity platform that provides Expedia-like visibility into available global network connectivity options with a single, streamlined view. It allows businesses to design, price and order network services connecting over 30 million edge locations in 85 countries to distributed applications across any cloud, hybrid multicloud or private cloud destination.

Once connected to Equinix Fabric, our joint customers can use the Unitas Nexus platform to check service availability and pricing from over 550 access and software-defined networks (SDN) to millions of cloud and edge locations, including 900 carrier-neutral data centers. Intelligent algorithms analyze a plethora of data inputs, including price, performance and the unique needs of each enterprise, to recommend an optimal design. This network reach from Unitas Global is now fully available to Equinix customers through Equinix Fabric, with direct access nodes in 19 Equinix International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers.

As a case in point, a small business could no longer efficiently support its growing number of staff who needed to remotely connect to its virtual office. The company engaged D R Jones Technologies, a Virginia-based IT consulting firm, to migrate its virtual office IT infrastructure from on-premises to a data center for improved scalability and availability. D R Jones already had a few customers in Equinix IBX data centers in Washington D.C., so it was a natural fit to deploy a dedicated rack in the DC13 IBX data center for this customer. In addition to space and power, D R Jones also needed to provision connectivity for its customer and was able to do so quickly and easily from the Equinix Fabric portal. With the click of a button, Dave Jones, President of D R Jones, was able to select and order IP network services from Unitas Nexus in minutes. Mary Stanhope, CMO at Unitas Global shares, “After we received his order from the Equinix Fabric portal, we were able to confirm his order and get his IP network ports configured in the same day.”

In the future, D R Jones hopes to expand their customer deployments on Platform Equinix. According to Dave Jones, “It’s not just the scalability and speed to provision services for my customers. What intrigues me the most about Equinix Fabric and Unitas Nexus is the flexibility to deploy and interconnect additional equipment on-demand. I can instantly spin up or down blocks of IP addresses at different speeds as needed. That’s a huge improvement over the days of waiting for physical wires to be installed and connected.”

Reach further faster with Equinix and Unitas Global

Equinix Fabric and Unitas Global is a winning combination for Platform Equinix customers who need to extend their reach. It translates into new routes of connectivity beyond what’s available on Platform Equinix – specifically global IP and Layer 2 access to 30 million edge locations, 550+ networks and 900+ data centers available through the Unitas Nexus Marketplace. Equinix Fabric participants also have the ability to connect to connect to digital ecosystems of networks (1,800+), clouds (2,900+), best-of-breed providers and more than half of the Fortune 500. This provides the seamless on-demand network access that modern enterprises need to stay agile in the digital economy.

Learn more about Equinix Fabric for Service Providers and download the data sheet.

Learn more about Equinix and Unitas Global.

You may also be interested in reading:

• Optimizing Microsoft Azure Interconnection for Greater Productivity [Equinix & Unitas ebook]
• How-to product documentation for Equinix Fabric and Unitas Global

[i] Business Wire, Unitas Global Unveils First Expedia-like Marketplace for Global Connectivity Solutions, Mar 2021.