Digital Realty to Launch Service Exchange to Simplify Global Data Center and Cloud Interconnection

NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- MarketplaceLIVE – Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), a leading global provider of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, announced today the release of its Service Exchange, an interconnection platform that facilitates direct, private and secure connections to multiple cloud service providers – including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure – as well as telecommunications providers and other Digital Realty customers worldwide.

Service Exchange simplifies interconnection and makes access between interconnected services, providers and businesses more flexible, more scalable and easier to use than ever before.  Upon its launch later this year, Service Exchange will offer significantly greater performance, reliability and security for cloud services and data center access than the public internet. 

"Enterprises undertaking the digital transformation must be able to navigate growing concerns regarding network security issues, changing regulatory requirements, unpredictable performance and escalating operating costs," said Rick Villars, Vice President for Datacenter and Cloud at International Data Corporation.  "Digital Realty's Service Exchange will enable enterprises to tackle these concerns and efficiently manage high-performance interconnections between internal applications and cloud resources in a secure and cost-effective environment." 

Powered by Megaport

Service Exchange will be made available through a global partnership between Digital Realty and Megaport Limited's (ASX: MP1) U.S. subsidiary, which provides the elastic, SDN-based Ethernet fabric that enables interconnection between cloud providers and Digital Realty customers. 

"We're delighted to partner with Megaport to bring customers enhanced, easy-to-use interconnection services and SDN-enabled flexibility to their IT operations," said Chris Sharp, Digital Realty's Chief Technology Officer.  "The Service Exchange creates a simple, flexible and scalable solution for our customers, including those looking to make, jump-start or accelerate their digital transformations." 

"We look forward to working with Digital Realty on this pioneering initiative," said Denver Maddux, Megaport's Chief Executive Officer.  "Service Exchange is fully integrated with Megaport's ubiquitous elastic fabric, which enables Digital Realty customers around the world to easily access the newest interconnection services and cloud network solutions.  Megaport and Digital Realty have partnered to bring services, capabilities, SDN-enabled flexibility, and a great customer experience to IT operations in every business segment.  Digital Realty has a longstanding tradition of enabling rapid scalability through its global infrastructure platform, and these benefits are now being complemented by Megaport's similarly scalable interconnection platform.  The combination of these capabilities creates an innovative offering for the industry." 

Deployment and Use

Service Exchange offers customers access to multiple cloud service providers and other service providers through a single port that supports multiple virtual private connections ("Virtual Cross Connects") to service providers and data centers.  Customers can actively manage their Virtual Cross Connects through MarketplacePORTAL, Digital Realty's award-winning online customer platform, and scale the bandwidth of their connections up or down as needed.  

Scalable from a Single Cabinet to Multiple Megawatts

Digital Realty is an established leader in the large-footprint data center market, and the company recently expanded its colocation and interconnection product offerings with the acquisition of Telx in 2015 and a portfolio of eight high-quality, carrier-neutral colocation data centers in Europe earlier this year.  Digital Realty owns and operates more than 140 properties encompassing over 26 million square feet across 33 global metropolitan areas.  This worldwide presence and unique skillset represents a tremendously scalable offering and a significant market opportunity for Service Exchange, enabling customers to expand from a single cabinet to a multi-megawatt facility quickly and easily as their needs grow, with no change in providers and no interruption in service. 

Availability

Service Exchange will be available in 24 data centers across 15 markets by mid-year 2017, beginning with Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Ashburn, VA in the fourth quarter of 2016.  Service Exchange will be available in London and Phoenix in the first quarter of 2017, and in Amsterdam, Dublin, Miami, Singapore and Portland in the second quarter of 2017. 

About Digital Realty

Digital Realty supports the data center and colocation strategies of more than 2,000 firms across its secure, network-rich portfolio of data centers located throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia.  Digital Realty's clients include domestic and international companies of all sizes, ranging from financial services, cloud and information technology services, to manufacturing, energy, gaming, life sciences and consumer products. 

About Megaport

Megaport is the global leading provider of Elastic Interconnection services.  Using Software Defined Networking, the Company's global platform enables customers to rapidly connect their network to other services across the Megaport Fabric.  Services can be directly controlled by customers via mobile devices, their computer or Megaport's open API.  Megaport's extensive footprint in Australia, Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe provides a neutral platform that spans many key data centre providers across various markets.  Megaport is an Amazon AWS Technology Partner, Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute Partner, and Google Cloud Interconnect Partner. 

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to expected deployment, use, performance, benefits, timing and areas of availability of Service Exchange, and our partnership with Megaport.  These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the following: the impact of current global economic, credit and market conditions; current local economic conditions in the metropolitan areas in which we operate; decreases in information technology spending, including as a result of economic slowdowns or recession; adverse economic or real estate developments in our industry or the industry sectors that we sell to (including risks relating to decreasing real estate valuations and impairment charges); our dependence upon significant tenants; bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant or a significant number of smaller tenants; defaults on or non-renewal of leases by tenants; our failure to obtain necessary debt and equity financing; risks associated with using debt to fund our business activities, including re-financing and interest rate risks, our failure to repay debt when due, adverse changes in our credit ratings or our breach of covenants or other terms contained in our loan facilities and agreements; financial market fluctuations; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; the impact of the United Kingdom's referendum on withdrawal from the European Union on global financial markets and our business; our inability to manage our growth effectively; difficulty acquiring or operating properties in foreign jurisdictions; our failure to successfully integrate and operate acquired or developed properties or businesses; the suitability of our properties and data center infrastructure, delays or disruptions in connectivity, failure of our physical and information security infrastructure or services or availability of power; risks related to joint venture investments, including as a result of our lack of control of such investments; delays or unexpected costs in development of properties; decreased rental rates, increased operating costs or increased vacancy rates; increased competition or available supply of data center space; our inability to successfully develop and lease new properties and development space; difficulties in identifying properties to acquire and completing acquisitions; our inability to acquire off-market properties; our inability to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to reporting companies; our failure to maintain our status as a REIT; possible adverse changes to tax laws; restrictions on our ability to engage in certain business activities; environmental uncertainties and risks related to natural disasters; losses in excess of our insurance coverage; changes in foreign laws and regulations, including those related to taxation and real estate ownership and operation; and changes in local, state and federal regulatory requirements, including changes in real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates.  For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by the company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, as amended, and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2016 and June 30, 2016.  The company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 

For Additional Information / Media Inquiries:
Clive Over
Director, Product Marketing
Digital Realty
(415) 848-9456
[email protected]

Wilson Craig
SVP/GM
Mindshare PR
(408) 516-6182
[email protected]

Investor Relations:
John J. Stewart / Maria S. Lukens
Digital Realty
(415) 738-6500
[email protected]

Media Inquiries Regarding Megaport:
Email: [email protected]

Wendy Hill
Sapphire Communications
+614-2717-3203
[email protected]

SOURCE Digital Realty

Related Links

http://www.digitalrealty.com