Equinix
 | |
| Type: | Public, |
| Industry: | Internet, |
| Founded: | California, 1998 |
| Founder(s): | Jay Adelson & Al Avery |
| Headquarters: | One Lagoon Drive 4th Floor Redwood City, CA 94065 |
| Country: | USA |
| Employees: | 1921 as of Feb. 2011 |
| Revenue: | $1.2 billion as of 2010 [1] |
| Website: | www.equinix.com |
| Twitter: |  @equinix
|
| Key People | |
| Stephen M. Smith CEO & President Keith D. Taylor, Chief Financial Officer | |
Equinix, Inc., is a company providing data center services for the protection and connection of information assets for various businesses such as content providers, financial companies, and network service providers, including cloud and IT services companies. It operates international business data centers within 35 markets across North America, Europe, and Asia.[2]
History
Jay Adelson and Al Avery founded Equinix, Inc. on June 22, 1998. Their idea was to provide physical interconnection between networks on the internet through a neutral party which they called Neutral Internet Exchange (NIX). The founders guiding principles were equality, neutrality and eliminating the middle man with a vision to unite major networks and interconnect content companies. The first IBX Data Center was opened in Ashburn Virginia on July 27, 1999.[3]
Company Growth & Expansion
In order to attract networks, Equinix management used "match making" with content companies. AT & T and UUNet were the first two major networks interconnected using IBX Data Center, seven major companies followed and established a Point of Presence (PoP) in the company's data centers between 1999-2000. By August 2000, Equinix Initial Public Offering (IPO) raised over $270 million.[4]
On December On Dec. 31, Equinix acquired i-STT, a subsidiary of Singapore Technologies Telemedia which provides internet infrastructure services and Pihana Pacific, a data hosting and Web connection centers operator in Honolulu. [5]
In 2003, Equinix entered and expanded several network provider customer agreements with Telekom Malaysia, Nippon Telephone and Telegraph Corporation, REACH and Japan Telecom as well as with the its existing customers Hutchison Global Communications, PCCW, Asia Netcom, SingTel, StarHub and Internet Initiative Japan Inc. making the company's business offerings available in major Asian networks via IBX centers in Asia and the U.S. [6]
Between 2005 to 2007, the company leased seven new data centers, built next generation IBX centers that more equipped to handle high power density operations. It also opened new IBX centers in Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, acquired and expanded its data center in Tokyo and Singapore. Equinix also acquired IXEurope, a move intensifying its position to become one of the leading global data center and interconnection provider.[7]
Ten years after the company's inception, Equinix President and CEO, Steve Smitch announced the re-branding of Internet Business Exchange (IBX) data centers and will be called International Business Exchange. It also launched its first Global Roaming Exchange (GRX) center in North America at its Washington DC area IBX.[8]Equinix recorded a continuous growth its business, expanding its operations in different markets around the world.
Corporate Rankings
In 2009, Equinix was ranked as the 16th fastest growing tech company by Forbes.[9]
The company ranked 307 on the Deloitte' Technolgy Fast 500 in 2010. The ranking was based on the fiscal year revenue growth percentage from 2005–2009.[10]
ICANN and Equinix
Equinix senior network engineer Louis Lee served as Chairman of ICANN's Address Supporting Organization (ASO) Council from the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) region since 2004 to 2010.[11]
References