Enterprises are increasingly relying on hybrid multicloud architectures to optimize performance, costs, security and efficiency across different workloads. According to the Flexera 2021 State of Cloud Report, 92% of enterprises currently have a multicloud strategy in place.[i]
While the benefits may be obvious, hybrid multicloud can also create additional problems for organizations to solve. For example, enterprises may have difficulty identifying the best way to move data to and from cloud providers. This can be particularly challenging when working with multiple cloud partners simultaneously.
For businesses just getting started with hybrid multicloud, using internet access to connect to cloud partners may look like a straightforward choice: it provides a cheap and simple way for organizations to connect to cloud resources without placing additional demands on IT. This is generally good enough to get them started and to support testing and validation workloads, but enterprises that trust high-priority production workloads to the public internet may find it does not deliver the performance, security or resiliency they require, especially when transferring between multiple clouds and on-premises infrastructure. For these workloads, they need a networking option that consistently provides fast, secure and reliable high performance across their global digital infrastructure.
With Equinix Fabric™ software-defined interconnection, enterprises can access private, dedicated on-ramps to a wide array of cloud service provider partners, all from a single location. In fact, the Equinix ecosystem of partners currently includes more than 3,000 cloud and IT service providers, making it easy to find the right partner for each hybrid multicloud use case. Equinix Fabric also helps ensure that cloud connectivity is available when and where you need it: Equinix Fabric is currently offered in more than 50 metros across the globe, and it can be created in minutes and adjusted on the fly.
Equinix Fabric supports multiple virtual connections via a single physical port to save on making individual physical connections to network and cloud providers. It can also be configured with redundant physical connections to support high availability and disaster recovery environments. Businesses can also leverage Equinix Fabric on-ramps using virtualized solutions: Equinix Metal™ allows customers to deploy automated, interconnected bare-metal-as-a-service (BMaaS) infrastructure at software speed, while Network Edge services from Equinix give customers access to virtual network functions (VNF) devices from leading providers via an easy-to-use dashboard.
The following are just a few examples of the cloud partner on-ramps available through Equinix Fabric, and how those on-ramps support a wide array of use cases.
Equinix and AWS support container-driven application development
Equinix and AWS worked together to enable customers to run Amazon Elastic Container Service (ECS) Anywhere on Equinix Metal. Enterprises can now host their ECS Anywhere environment in any one of 18 Equinix Metal metros, and then connect their ECS instances to the AWS Cloud with AWS Direct Connect and Equinix Fabric.
Together, ECS Anywhere and Equinix Metal empower customers to build container-based applications locally and scale them globally, supported by consistent high-performance, low-latency interconnection from Equinix Fabric.
Equinix and Cisco enable software-defined cloud interconnection
Equinix and Cisco are longtime strategic alliance partners that recently expanded their partnership with the launch of Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect on Equinix Fabric and Network Edge services from Equinix. This new solution will help our joint customers take advantage of SD-WAN private interconnection, which offers the level of security that highly vulnerable cloud workloads require, while also providing the flexibility to scale bandwidth dynamically.
In addition, the Equinix interconnection offerings are tightly integrated with Cisco vManage, an SD-WAN controller with a single-pane-of-glass dashboard. This allows enterprises to deploy, configure and manage their end-to-end SD-WAN environments simply and efficiently.
Equinix and Google Cloud help enterprises digitally transform
Equinix and Google Cloud empower our mutual customers to pursue hybrid multicloud use cases that can help maximize agility, innovation and growth. For instance, Equinix interconnection solutions make it easier to deploy Google Anthos, which enables advanced use cases with Kubernetes at the edge. One way to achieve this is by using a basic Terraform template to automate the deployment of Anthos on Equinix Metal.
Equinix can also help enterprises seamlessly connect the database of their choice—running anywhere—with applications on Google Cloud. With secure, proximate interconnection from Equinix Fabric and Google Cloud Interconnect (GCI), on-premises databases and cloud environments can function as extensions of one another.
Enterprises can use Equinix Fabric and GCI to deploy Apigee, allowing them to take a smarter, more consistent approach to API management. With global access to the right APIs in the right places, our customers can develop new data-driven services quickly and easily, while providing a consistent, exceptional user experience across endpoints.
Equinix and IBM accelerate hybrid cloud journeys
Equinix and IBM have collaborated to help our mutual customers tackle their biggest digital transformation challenges head-on. These customers can deploy IBM Cloud Satellite on Equinix Fabric, making it easy for them to connect IBM Cloud to their physical or digital infrastructures, even if they’re operating in a metro with no native IBM Cloud Direct Link presence.
In addition, Equinix Metal is certified to run IBM and Red Hat applications, with an initial focus on Red Hat OpenShift. This offers another valuable option for enterprises looking to maximize the flexibility of their hybrid cloud environments, while also keeping complexity to a minimum.
Equinix and Microsoft Azure help enterprises architect for resilience, performance and agility
Equinix and Microsoft Azure share a dedication to helping customers build resilient, highly available cloud environments. We believe that an interconnected cloud strategy based on Equinix and Microsoft offerings can help organizations break through silos to interconnect securely and directly with their distributed digital infrastructure and partner ecosystem, a key factor in ensuring enterprise resiliency.
Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute and Equinix Fabric also work together to enable the interconnected digital infrastructure needed to support Azure VMware Solution. By seamlessly integrating on-premises VMware and cloud-based Azure VMware Solution workloads, enterprises can accelerate application modernization while continuing to leverage existing VMware investments.
Equinix and Microsoft also partner to provide the cloud migration capabilities customers need to deploy hybrid multicloud environments with speed and agility. For instance, we served as the third partner in SAP cloud migration on Microsoft Azure, helping to remove obstacles that slow down SAP migration by implementing low-latency private interconnection between SAP customers and SAP HANA on Azure.
Equinix and NetApp offer storage as a service for hybrid cloud environments
Equinix and NetApp recently expanded our partnership to support the needs of our joint customers pursuing hybrid multicloud architectures. Those customers can now select Equinix International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers and Equinix Fabric to support their NetApp Keystone Flex Subscription.
This storage-as-a-service offering delivers a cloud-like experience on premises, while also maintaining close connectivity with the cloud. Equinix Fabric software-defined interconnection helps optimize NetApp Keystone’s flexibility, security and cost benefits by empowering customers to quickly and easily deploy storage where it’s needed most, anywhere across their hybrid multicloud architecture.
Equinix and Oracle Cloud modernize databases for the hybrid multicloud era
Equinix and Oracle Cloud partnered to help enterprises take a cloud-adjacent approach to their digital infrastructure. By aligning Oracle Exadata on Equinix Fabric adjacent to the cloud, customers get the best of both worlds: the elasticity of cloud environments from multiple providers with the cost-efficiency and processing power of Exadata on premises.
In addition, decoupling storage from compute ensures that only workloads need to move, not the underlying data. This can help meet regulatory requirements and keep vulnerable data safe from exposure.
Architect a cloud on-ramp with Equinix to meet the needs of your business
As these use cases demonstrate, Equinix can help businesses grow by finding private on-ramps to the cloud partners of their choice. In addition, the Equinix Marketplace makes finding the right cloud partner quick and simple, while our digital advisory services help create expertly architected digital infrastructure solutions that empower customers to accelerate their digital transformations.
To learn more about how Equinix Fabric can provide the reliable, low-latency interconnection that hybrid multicloud demands, check out the Equinix Fabric data sheet.
[i] Flexera, 2021 State of the Cloud Report. March 2021.
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