Equinix Expands Collaboration with VMware to Help Enterprises Accelerate Digital Transformation

Rhea-AI Summary

Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) announced an expanded partnership with VMware to enhance digital transformation for enterprises. VMware's SD-WAN Edge will now be available as a virtual network function on Equinix's Network Edge, promoting easy deployment of network services without physical hardware. This collaboration aims to support agile, flexible enterprise networks, optimizing connectivity between remote users and applications. The integration enables global connectivity through Equinix's data centers, enhancing business continuity amid increasing demands for digital solutions.

Positive

• Expanded collaboration with VMware enhances digital transformation capabilities.
• VMware SD-WAN Edge available on Equinix's Network Edge allows for rapid deployment without physical infrastructure.
• Integration promotes greater global network connectivity for enterprise applications.

Negative

• None.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the global interconnection and data center company, today announced an expanded collaboration with VMware to help enterprises accelerate digital transformation. As part of this expansion, VMware will offer its SD-WAN Edge as a virtual network function (VNF) on Equinix's Network Edge. VMware is also extending its presence in Equinix International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data centers across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East to enable greater connectivity for customers on a global scale.

As enterprises worldwide pursue digital transformation initiatives, they increasingly embrace cloud-style models and services to meet their objectives. With employees and customers dispersed across geographic locations and different cloud providers, there is unrelenting pressure on enterprise networks to become more agile, flexible and easier to deploy and manage. To meet these evolving demands, Equinix is collaborating with VMware to offer an easy-to-consume solution to enterprises, service providers and partners that empowers remote workforces, reduces disruption, and increases business continuity efforts for companies at the digital edge.

The VMware SD-WAN™ by VeloCloud® solution now available on Equinix's Network Edge is an enterprise-grade virtual SD-WAN edge service that helps enterprises manage their own direct peering relationships with the cloud service providers of their choice via Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric® (ECX Fabric®) or Equinix Marketplace. It allows enterprises to enhance application performance for remote users within minutes, and without any upfront capital expenses. By delivering fast, optimized and secure site-to-applications at the edge via private interconnection, enterprises can deploy the solution to gain the consistent and predictable network performance required to meet their digital business needs.

Highlights/Key Facts:

• Designed to accelerate digital transformation for global businesses, Network Edge by Equinix offers enterprises a new way to deploy virtual network services, within minutes, at the digital edge without a physical data center deployment or hardware requirements.

• Network Edge enables companies to reduce capital expenses and scale IT and network services globally by virtually deploying a digital-ready infrastructure. By utilizing network functions virtualization (NFV), Network Edge offers customers the choice of virtual network services from multiple vendors.

• The VMware SD-WAN by VeloCloud solution delivers high-performance, reliable branch access to cloud services, private data centers, and SaaS-based enterprise applications. Offered on Network Edge, global companies can bring their own VMware SD-WAN license and deploy the solution in minutes, optimizing network connectivity between site and applications while eliminating the complexities of managing hardware and connecting to multicloud environments. 

• Expanding on VMware's secure-access service edge (SASE) vision, Equinix and VMware will also enable provisioning and accessibility of SASE components via Network Edge, ECX Fabric and other connectivity options available through a single pane of glass on the VMware Orchestrator portal.

• Equinix has been collaborating with VMware since 2013 to enable hybrid cloud infrastructures, helping Global 2000 enterprises and partners address the increasing volume and complexity of application workloads and data. 

• Equinix is a Gold-level sponsor at VMworld 2020, taking place September 29 – October 1, 2020. During the virtual event, Equinix will showcase its digital transformation solutions in the Equinix Booth, located in the VMworld 2020 Virtual Hub. Additionally, Equinix speakers will be participating in session #VCNE3168S during the event titled, "Accelerate Your Journey to the Hybrid Multicloud: VMware and Equinix Achieve Scale at the Edge."

Quotes:

• Sanjay Uppal, Senior Vice President & General Manager, VeloCloud Business Unit, VMware
  "We are thrilled to work with Equinix to help enterprises accelerate their digital transformation initiatives and offer new world-class capabilities within the Equinix IBX facilities. With VMware SD-WAN Edge now available as a virtual network service on Equinix's Network Edge, enterprises, partners and service providers alike will be able to have unique, globally available network solutions optimized for intrinsically secure access to any public, private or SaaS cloud for remote and branch users."

• Bill Long, Senior Vice President, Product Management, Equinix
  "An entire architectural shift driven by data transformation is happening across the IT landscape today. By expanding our collaboration with VMware to deliver an innovative new solution that empowers remote workforces, reduces disruption and enables business continuity, we can help companies deploy a digital ready infrastructure at the edge within minutes in order to accelerate their digital transformation efforts anywhere in the world."

• Brad Casemore, Research Vice President, Datacenter Networks, IDC
  "Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the long-term growth prospects for the SD-WAN market remain exceptionally robust. Driven by the ubiquitous imperative of digital transformation, a growing number of organizations worldwide are looking to scale initial deployments, which often begin with a limited number of sites, to encompass all branch offices supported by their WAN. As they do so, they prize agility, resilience and operational simplicity. VMware's SD-WAN by VeloCloud solution, now available on Equinix's Network Edge, is designed to address those needs and help organizations dynamically scale their IT infrastructure in lockstep with the demands of digital business."

Additional Resources

• Equinix Unveils Virtual Network Services on Platform Equinix [press release]
• Equinix and VMware Partner to Accelerate Enterprise Hybrid Cloud Transformations [press release]
• Platform Ecosystems Fuel Enterprise Adoption for Hybrid MultiCloud [blog]
• Equinix to Offer Private Connectivity to VMware Cloud on AWS via AWS Direct Connect [press release]

About Equinix
Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX) connects the world's leading businesses to their customers, employees and partners inside the most-interconnected data centers. On this global platform for digital business, companies come together across more than 55 markets on five continents to reach everywhere, interconnect everyone and integrate everything they need to create their digital futures. www.equinix.com.

VMware, VMware SD-WAN, VeloCloud, VMware Orchestrator and VMworld are registered trademarks or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other marks and names mentioned herein may be trademarks of their respective companies.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the challenges of acquiring, operating and constructing IBX data centers and developing, deploying and delivering Equinix products and solutions; unanticipated costs or difficulties relating to the integration of companies we have acquired or will acquire into Equinix; a failure to receive significant revenues from customers in recently built out or acquired data centers; a failure to complete any financing arrangements contemplated from time to time; competition from existing and new competitors; the ability to generate sufficient cash flow or otherwise obtain funds to repay new or outstanding indebtedness; the loss or decline in business from our key customers; risks related to our taxation as a REIT; and other risks described from time to time in Equinix filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In particular, see recent Equinix quarterly and annual reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which are available upon request from Equinix. Equinix does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking information contained in this press release.

 

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SOURCE Equinix, Inc.

FAQ

What is the purpose of the collaboration between Equinix and VMware?

The collaboration aims to enhance digital transformation for enterprises by integrating VMware's SD-WAN Edge as a virtual network service on Equinix's Network Edge.

How does VMware SD-WAN Edge benefit enterprises on Equinix's platform?

VMware SD-WAN Edge allows enterprises to deploy virtual network services quickly and efficiently, enhancing connectivity for remote users without requiring physical hardware.

What markets are affected by the Equinix and VMware partnership?

The partnership impacts enterprises globally, as Equinix extends VMware's presence across its data centers in the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East.

What financial benefits can enterprises expect from the new solution offered by Equinix and VMware?

Enterprises can expect reduced capital expenses and enhanced application performance, leading to increased operational efficiency while managing their own direct peering relationships.