Overcoming Web3 Bottlenecks with Equinix Digital Services

Equinix launches bare metal as a service and virtual network functions in Mumbai to create digital synergy within Asia-Pacific

Hari Srinivasan
Overcoming Web3 Bottlenecks with Equinix Digital Services

Web3 promises to transform the way we interact, transact and collaborate online — poised to redefine the rules of engagement for a more equitable, efficient and resilient global ecosystem. One of the key issues that web3 aims to solve is the centralization of the Internet. Web3 envisions a more decentralized and democratized internet, where users have greater control over their data and digital assets. By leveraging blockchain, smart contracts and decentralized finance (DeFi), web3 seeks to reverse the trend of internet privatization and shift power back to individuals. Interconnection and digital infrastructure are essential for the development of web3 and blockchain, as they enable faster, cheaper and more secure data transmission and processing. Web3 and blockchain applications require high-speed broadband and mobile connectivity, as well as access to cloud services, edge computing and data APIs. The lack of supporting digital infrastructure has been an ongoing challenge that Equinix is tackling to increase web3 adoption as well as increasing the availability of digital tools for developers to enrich the ecosystem.

Digital enterprises play an instrumental role in providing the ecosystems web3 developers need to create new blockchain solutions. This is where Equinix can supply the scalable computing resources needed to fully leverage blockchain technologies to support the delivery of comprehensive and cutting-edge web3 infrastructure solutions that are globally available and reliable. Equinix Metal® has been instrumental in powering global blockchain web3 infrastructure solutions with the deployment of enterprise-grade nodes and application programming interfaces (APIs) that are optimized from bare metal to the content delivery network (CDN). This allows digital enterprises to take the cost and complexity out of running blockchain infrastructure, enabling them to offer energy renewable infrastructure to power decentralized application (dApp) web3 solutions with maximum uptime and minimal latency.

Many web3 developers leverage blockchain to address various challenges in society, sustainability and the economy. However, these blockchain applications are often data intensive as they need to store, process and verify large amounts of transactions and information on distributed networks – particularly cumbersome without the modern digital infrastructure in place. To ensure the security, performance and scalability of these applications, they further require a low-latency and high-throughput environment that can handle the computational and networking demands. The launch of Equinix Metal in Mumbai has made low-latency and high-throughput digital infrastructure available to digital enterprises and web3 service providers.

Through Equinix Startup Program, digital enterprises can leverage Equinix Metal to provide an interconnected environment for developers and digital leaders ­to adequately handle data-intensive workloads when building their web3 solutions. Blockchain developers can also tap into a global network to rapidly provision compute and networking infrastructure in domestic and international markets they wish to deploy in. With DevOps integrations, Kubernetes support and a rich API approach to cloud computing, Equinix provides digital enterprises with infrastructure that is easy to manage and control. Equinix Metal can offer enterprises the best of both worlds: a single server, a full cluster or a hybrid cloud solution. This way, they can run their applications with flexibility, reliability and efficiency.

Equinix Metal has played a substantial role in supporting digital enterprises to lower the barriers of entry for web3 developers. Digital enterprises are able to then offer a suite of blockchain infrastructure solutions including unlimited scalability, global availability, reliable remote procedure call (RPC) endpoints, purpose-built CDN and dedicated nodes. By running their web3 platform on Equinix Metal, these digital enterprises can efficiently handle large amounts of data required to facilitate their digital services while simultaneously delivering valuable insights to themselves and their users.

Equinix Metal allows them to extend their abilities and link their web3 platform to other sources and applications, cloud providers and web3 partners, providing their clients with seamless interfacing capabilities with other service providers. As they grow their global footprint and expand their reach to serve more customers in India and beyond, they can leverage Equinix’s digital services to establish digital footprints in locations that would be hard to reach otherwise. With a diverse array of supporting machine types available via Equinix’s digital portfolio, forward-looking enterprises can focus on developing the next generation of web3 applications and fostering innovation in the blockchain ecosystem.

Creating an even digital playing field

Digital transformation is poised to quickly and radically change nearly every sector of the global economy as digital capabilities improve and interconnection becomes accessible. As the demand for edge computing and deployment of emerging technology grows in Asia-Pacific, enterprises are increasingly seeking to quickly build and install digital infrastructure that can be consumed as a service, especially in India. Equinix recognizes the pivotal role of global interconnection in India’s growing importance as a digital hub, introducing Equinix Metal® and Equinix Network Edge in Mumbai to support startups with the digital capabilities they need to build scalable and globally available solutions. Enterprises will be able to utilize the global reach of Equinix’s ecosystems and digital services through the software-defined interconnection of Equinix Fabric® and cloud adjacency available on Platform Equinix® to deliver value quicker to their end customers whether in domestic or international markets. This strategic expansion is set to provide modern organizations and digital startups with an automated, “as-a-service” deployment method to build their foundational digital infrastructure. Consumed on-demand, enterprises can achieve their transformation goals easier and faster by eliminating the need for heavy upfront investments that strain IT budgets. By shifting from CAPEX to OPEX, digital enterprises will be able to decrease the costs for existing internal data infrastructure and incremental developments further down the line. Low-latency and private connectivity allow digital leaders to increase the pace of innovation by deploying digital infrastructure at software speed in proximity to primary data-generating sources. Gathered data can be securely moved for processing, algorithm training or insight generation — all without the need for any physical infrastructure.

The role of interconnection in Asia-Pacific’s digital future

The global digital economy is projected to continue expanding; enterprises in Asia-Pacific have a strong need for robust interconnection services. The demand for low-latency, high-performance infrastructure to support data-intensive workloads is on the rise, as businesses seek to leverage new technologies to drive innovation and gain a competitive edge. To succeed in the digital world, enterprises need to be agile, efficient and adaptable. Digital enterprises can achieve this by placing their infrastructure near their customers, connecting their data and applications seamlessly, and accessing services on demand. With Equinix digital services, Equinix’s partners can leverage the network-rich interconnection cloud ecosystem on Platform Equinix to deploy faster, innovate quicker and reach further in the region and beyond.

Subscribe to the Equinix Blog