From IBM:

Equinix and IBM Accelerate Adoption of Hybrid Cloud Computing Initiatives

Enterprises benefit from direct access to IBM Cloud through Equinix Cloud Exchange, which now features enhanced API functionality

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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. and ARMONK, New York - 17 Dec 2014: Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the global interconnection and data center company, together with IBM ((NYSE: IBM) today announced an agreement to provide enterprises direct access to the full portfolio of cloudservices from SoftLayer, an IBM Company, via the Equinix Cloud Exchange™ in nine markets worldwide spanning the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. Equinix also announced Cloud Exchange enhancements, including API functionality that makes it easier for service providers to use a single interface to the Cloud Exchange, resulting in scalable, private and secure connections to their cloud services with near real-time provisioning. 

Equinix and SoftLayer previously partnered to offer customers direct cloud connection inside Equinix International Business Exchange (IBX) data centers via SoftLayer’s Direct Link service, a dedicated network connection.  By extending the partnership to include additional secure and dynamic connections through Cloud Exchange, SoftLayer provides its customers with the ability to easily move production workloads in and out of the cloud, thus better enabling them to fully realize their hybrid cloud strategies.

Studies show enterprise cloud deployments are on the rise.  In fact, in a recent survey of more than 650 IT decision makers, the vast majority (77 percent) said they plan to implement multi-cloud architectures in the coming year. Yet, while enterprise cloud deployments continue to grow, many enterprise CIOs still cite security and performance concerns as a major barrier to cloud adoption. Equinix Cloud Exchange helps alleviate these concerns by providing direct access to multiple cloud and network service providers through a single port.  This enables quick, cost-effective access to the cloud in a secure, high-performance environment that CIOs require.  

Newly added API functionality enables cloud service providers to efficiently use Cloud Exchange on a broader scale, thus making it easier and more efficient to offer their cloud services via the platform.

“Equinix Cloud Exchange continues to build momentum with secure, low-latency connections to multiple cloud providers, and adding IBM SoftLayer to our growing portfolio will continue to help our enterprise customer realize the benefits of the cloud,” said Ihab Tarazi, Chief Technology Officer, Equinix. “SoftLayer, with its broad reach into the enterprise market and proven success in networking will be a great asset to Cloud Exchange, enabling customers to seamlessly replicate data between markets. Our direct access capabilities to cloud services such as SoftLayer, provide enterprise customer with a choice of multiple clouds to better enable their hybrid cloud strategies.”

The SoftLayer platform is designed to give customers complete access and control over theinfrastructure that they need to build in the cloud. By offering a connection to SoftLayer’s cloud services via the Equinix Cloud Exchange, SoftLayer provides its customers additional choices, a global network that extends beyond the 40 cloud centers that IBM has committed to establishing, and peace of mind through a secure, low latency connection to the cloud. 

The Equinix Cloud Exchange is currently available in 17 markets globally – Amsterdam, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris,  Seattle, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto and Washington D.C. – with expansions planned to Osaka, Sao Paulo and Zurich.  Access to SoftLayer cloud services will be available through the Equinix Cloud Exchange in nine markets spanning the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific, including Amsterdam, Chicago, Dallas, Paris, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.

 “SoftLayer has maintained a long-standing commitment to providing advanced network capabilities to the enterprise as part of our core service offering,” said Sonny Fulkerson, Chief Information Officer for SoftLayer, an IBM Company. “By extending our Direct Link offerings to now include access via the Equinix Cloud Exchange capabilities, we further our goal to improve the flexibility, performance, security and reliability of enterprise connections to SoftLayer.”

About Equinix Cloud Exchange

The Equinix Cloud Exchange is an advanced interconnection solution that enables seamless, on-demand and direct access to multiple clouds, across multiple networks around the globe. By combining the automated interconnection of cloud, network and managed service providers with advanced service orchestration for the first time, the Equinix Cloud Exchange provides enterprises with simple, scalable, direct access to the multiple cloud services they need to build highly flexible hybrid cloud solutions. This removes the security, performance and vendor lock-in concerns holding many organizations back from fully adopting and reaping the benefits of cloud services. For more information on the Equinix Cloud Exchange, please visithttp://www.equinix.com/solutions/by-services/interconnection/exchanges/equinix-cloud-exchange/.

About IBM Cloud Computing

IBM is the global leader in open enterprise cloud enabling secure data and infrastructure integration in the cloud. For more information about cloud offerings from IBM, visithttp://www.ibm.com/cloud. Follow us on Twitter at @IBMcloud and on our blog atwww.thoughtsoncloud.com. Join the conversation #ibmcloud.

About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (NASDAQ: EQIX), connects more than 4,500 companies directly to their customers and partners inside the world's most networked data centers. Today, businesses leverage the Equinix interconnection platform in 32 strategic markets across the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific. www.equinix.com.