Validate Your IT Infrastructure to Prevent Missteps

These days, continuous change and increasing complexity are constant variables for IT teams. Whether they’re supporting the expansion of the business, new product or solution offerings, AI training and inference, or proof-of-concept (PoC) testing, managing the financial and operational risks associated with solving infrastructure challenges is crucial.

As IT infrastructure continues to evolve in lockstep with businesses, IT teams must also meet expanding requirements for seamless connectivity and compute power to ensure low latency, high performance and scalability. Companies may need to make CAPEX investments in hardware, add new network service providers for hybrid multicloud connectivity, or migrate applications from on-premises data centers to new platforms.

Furthermore, training AI models and running inference require hardware that can handle high-density compute in various environments, including in the cloud, in high-performance data centers (HPDCs) and at the edge. Private connectivity with high bandwidth and low latency is also necessary to ensure essential capacity and the ability to move data quickly and securely across distributed infrastructure.

Determining the best way forward can raise tough questions or uncertainty that delay purchasing decisions. Validating distributed infrastructure deployments, including connectivity and compute power, in a non-production environment before committing to a full-scale live production environment is a strategic approach to reducing deployment risks.

Test-drive technology and IT infrastructure use cases

Enterprises can deploy a digital infrastructure proof of concept in a non-production environment at Equinix Solution Validation Centers™ (SVCs) in 20 global markets. SVCs are comprehensive test facilities that replicate Equinix IBX® colocation data center environments and include our digital service capabilities. Essentially, we help businesses try before they buy.

Our technical experts assist businesses in evaluating technologies or solutions before launching full-scale deployments, enabling them to validate their infrastructure designs before adoption. Not only can businesses adapt their infrastructure quickly and cost-effectively, but they can also save themselves the time and costs associated with going down the wrong path.

The SVC team also works with enterprises, partners and our internal teams on other use cases that range from testing product and solution concepts to executing innovation. Together, we transform whiteboard sketches into real-world solutions. By taking this approach, companies can solve complex problems while mitigating risk through trusted collaboration with the SVC team, the use of cutting-edge platforms, and applying proven processes.

Our work spans five key areas:

1.    Enterprise proofs of concept: Helping companies build confidence before scaling

An insurance and wealth management company wanted to validate a virtualized network performance hub architecture for remote deployments. This initiative aimed to establish dedicated cloud connectivity with public peering to access a leading CRM platform’s advanced infrastructure solution, while validating a digital network point of presence for remote deployment in a specific Equinix data center location. Additional objectives included evaluating various Equinix Network Edge® security solutions and considering options for an optimal infrastructure approach.

2.    Partner solutions: Co-creating new or enhanced offerings with our partners

A technology partner and satellite manufacturer needed to cross-connect network infrastructure with satellite ground stations. This innovative three-way partnership integrated enterprise-grade networking hardware and service assurance solutions with satellite-based backhaul connectivity, all converging at a central Equinix IBX® colocation data center where Equinix Fabric®, our Network as a Service solution, enabled seamless internet and cloud access. The solution provides comprehensive end-to-end visibility from cloud to core network, using AI/ML for anomaly detection and root cause analysis, while collecting high-precision performance data to ensure optimal digital experiences for customers.

3.    Field enablement: Building demo environments for event use

This initiative enables Equinix partner marketing teams to establish and connect dedicated environments specifically designed for demonstrations and training sessions at both internal events and external industry conferences. The program has supported 20 hands-on educational events this year, providing technical professionals with practical experience in our digital infrastructure services, including Equinix Fabric software-defined interconnection, Equinix Fabric Cloud Router virtual routing capabilities and Equinix Network Edge network virtualization technologies, while enhancing our presence at industry events worldwide.

4.    Incubation: Collaborating on designing, testing and refining internal tools and products

When Equinix builds new products, the logical choice for comprehensive testing is at our SVC locations. Prior to launch, the product team deployed Equinix Fabric Cloud Router in the Equinix Fabric portal to validate cloud-to-cloud routing with primary cloud service providers, including route exchanges and data transfers. Doing so ensured this digital service was ready to launch with customers.

5.    AI infrastructure framework: Exploring how to advance AI initiatives

As organizations focus on developing AI capabilities quickly, implementation uncertainties exist. By leveraging our AI-ready data centers for hardware and network component testing and our managed infrastructure services expertise, companies can accelerate their AI initiatives. This collaborative approach delivers verified architectural frameworks and integration patterns that significantly reduce deployment risk and accelerate time to value for enterprise AI implementations.

We’re continuously exploring the possibilities for expanding how companies can use the Solution Validation Centers in ways that meet their current business demands and help them future-proof their digital strategies.

Advancing from testing to a live production environment

Once companies have completed their testing, we make it easy for them to quickly migrate into full-scale production inside any of our 270+ Equinix IBX® colocation data centers located worldwide. It’s simply a matter of replicating the IT infrastructure they deployed in the Solution Validation Center.

Our global footprint of high-performance data centers provides access to our diverse interconnection services and multicloud networking portfolio, as well as a rich ecosystem of cloud and network services providers, technology companies and industry partners. Additionally, our industry-leading portfolio of on-ramps connect businesses to the major cloud providers.

To learn more about how Equinix is helping customers advance their AI initiatives, read our white paper: The engine of AI powering innovation at scale: High-performance data centers.