Equinix Makes it Easy for Companies to Run Kubernetes on Bare Metal Everywhere

Rhea-AI Summary

Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) has expanded its Kubernetes ecosystem on Equinix Metal, enhancing support for hybrid and multicloud workloads. This initiative aids over 10,000 customers in deploying applications closer to users and networks. Key partnerships with providers like Amazon EKS Anywhere, Google Anthos, and SUSE Rancher enable seamless integration and improved management capabilities. The expansion reflects Equinix's commitment to a partner-first strategy, ensuring businesses can operate effectively across diverse infrastructures. This positions Equinix as a leader in digital infrastructure solutions.

Positive

• Expanded Kubernetes ecosystem enhances operational efficiency for over 10,000 customers.
• Strategic partnerships with leading providers boost hybrid multicloud capabilities.
• Equinix Metal offers automated access to interconnected infrastructure, streamlining deployment processes.

Negative

• None.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Oct. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), the world's digital infrastructure company™, today announced it has expanded its neutral ecosystem of technologies and partner solutions that support the deployment, management and operations of Kubernetes on Equinix Metal. As a de facto standard for hybrid and multicloud workloads, Kubernetes helps organizations operate and scale their applications across any infrastructure. By expanding support for Kubernetes solutions from leading providers on Equinix Metal, Equinix is making it easier for its more than 10,000 customers to move applications to the edge and closer to the clouds, users, networks and partners that matter most to their business.

"Kubernetes is the go-to deployment substrate for new and evolving applications," said Mark Coleman, Senior Director of Developer Relations at Equinix Metal. "While Kubernetes initially matured in the public cloud with developer-first companies, leaders across all industries are increasingly utilizing it to accelerate their move toward the edge and operate complex hybrid and multicloud infrastructures. Offering first-class support for Kubernetes on Equinix Metal through a wide variety of partners helps our global customers move faster while maintaining flexibility."

Building upon more than 20 years of history activating advantage for customers through a neutral, partner-led strategy, Equinix is expanding its Kubernetes ecosystem to help companies simplify hybrid multicloud deployments on a global scale. With fully documented and tested partner solutions by Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) Anywhere, Google Cloud's Anthos, Mirantis Container Cloud, SUSE Rancher and K3s, Canonical Kubernetes, IBM Cloud Satellite, Platform9, Rafay and others now available on Equinix Metal, global businesses have both the choice and the stability required to create advantage with their digital infrastructure.

Highlights/Key Facts:

• Equinix Metal is an automated, interconnected and secure bare metal service that applies a developer and API-first mindset to foundational infrastructure and provides a fully automated way for digital businesses to access the value of Platform Equinix® via its leading collection of DevOps and open-source integrations.

• As more global businesses adopt hybrid multicloud as the architecture of choice, enterprise and cloud native companies alike are turning to Equinix to deliver interconnected digital infrastructure on demand from an ecosystem of providers. To make it easier for companies to run Kubernetes on bare metal and extend their hybrid cloud options, Equinix is continuing to pursue a neutral, partner-first strategy by integrating a variety of solutions from leading Kubernetes providers with Equinix Metal.

• Key activities powering the expanded ecosystem of Kubernetes solutions available on Equinix Metal include:

• Equinix Metal included as a launch partner solution for Amazon EKS Anywhere in September 2021. Amazon EKS Anywhere can currently run on VMware vSphere, with support for bare metal expected in 2022.
• Mirantis Container Cloud updated in August 2021 to include Equinix Metal as a default deployment option.
• SUSE Rancher 2.6 announced September 2021 includes an updated UI and powerful new features, including an updated provider for Equinix Metal and associated technical guide.
• In August 2021, the Canonical Juju 2.9.8 release enabled users to deploy, integrate and manage Kubernetes, as well as container and VM-native applications, on Equinix Metal.
• In November 2020, Google Cloud announced general availability of Anthos on bare metal, with Anthos enabled to be deployed on Equinix Metal directly.
• In August 2021, Equinix Metal certified as a solution to run IBM and Red Hat applications with an initial focus on Red Hat OpenShift, delivered via IBM Cloud Satellite.
• In August 2021, the Equinix Metal product was added as a supported cloud within Platform9 Managed Kubernetes (PMK). This followed a new Terraform Module for deploying PMK on Equinix Metal in February 2021.
• The Equinix Metal team joined the major public clouds as a fully supported infrastructure provider on the Gardener Project in September 2021.
• Rafay, Kinvolk Lokomotive, CodeZero and Joyent Triton updated their support in Q3 2021, including documentation and technical guides for deploying on Equinix Metal.
• Cloud Provider Equinix Metal (CPEM) 3.2 released in July 2021 and included dozens of improvements to enable the Equinix Metal partner ecosystem.

• Equinix investments in the cloud native community continue to reinforce the company's commitment to fueling Open Source innovation, including Tinkerbell, a bare metal provisioning platform Equinix donated to the Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) program as a sandbox project in November 2020.

• Additionally, in November 2020 Equinix tripled its investment in the CNCF's Community Infrastructure Lab (CIL), enabling innovators throughout the CNCF community to access up to US$1 Million of powerful on-demand infrastructure resources per year across Equinix's global footprint.

Quotes:

• Justin Head, VP of DevOps, Super League Gaming
  "We've been impressed with how easy the Equinix Metal team has made deploying and managing Kubernetes on bare metal. The work they have done on the Cluster API made it even easier than expected, and their support has been top notch. We also appreciated the freedom to choose a cutting-edge Kubernetes networking option early on, which is now becoming an industry standard. This ability to stay out in front helps us ensure dynamic, real-time content and video game experiences for our end users at Super League, at scale, wherever in the world they live."

• Sheng Liang, President of Engineering and Innovation, SUSE
  "Providing our customers with an intuitive experience when running cloud-native workloads across diverse infrastructure has been core to the Rancher value proposition since the beginning of the Kubernetes story. Having partnered with the Equinix Metal team since the early days, it's great to see their reach grow alongside SUSE Rancher's. With Equinix Metal available in global metro locations, our customers can deploy SUSE Rancher to span from core data center through near edge, and then go all the way to the far edge with K3s."

• Regis Paquette, VP Global Alliances, Public Cloud and Channels, Canonical 
  "As a long-time Equinix partner, we have witnessed the wide adoption of Ubuntu on Equinix Metal. The integration of Canonical's Charmed Operator framework with Equinix Metal provides a multicloud orchestration solution for traditional and cloud native workloads with bare metal performance. We are excited our partnership now also allows us to provide a managed Kubernetes service on Equinix Metal for customers who prefer to focus on the applications and business outcomes only."

Additional Resources

• Going Hybrid with Kubernetes [blog]
• Equinix Metal [website]
• Equinix Metal Expansion Equips Digital Leaders to Harness Physical Infrastructure at Software Speed [press release]
• Equinix Triples Investment in Cloud Native Computing Foundation to Fuel Open Source Innovation [press release]
• Equinix Kubernetes Partner Solutions [website]
• Join us at Equinix booth (S70) at KubeConNA '21

About Equinix 
Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX) is the world's digital infrastructure company, enabling digital leaders to harness a trusted platform to bring together and interconnect the foundational infrastructure that powers their success. Equinix enables today's businesses to access all the right places, partners and possibilities they need to accelerate advantage. With Equinix, they can scale with agility, speed the launch of digital services, deliver world-class experiences and multiply their value.

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 recent expansion has Equinix announced for its services?

Equinix announced an expansion of its Kubernetes ecosystem on Equinix Metal to improve hybrid and multicloud service support.

How does the Kubernetes expansion benefit Equinix customers?

The expansion allows Equinix's over 10,000 customers to deploy applications closer to users and networks, enhancing operational efficiency.

What partners are involved in Equinix's Kubernetes expansion?

Key partners in the expansion include Amazon EKS Anywhere, Google Cloud's Anthos, and SUSE Rancher.

What is Equinix Metal?

Equinix Metal is an automated, interconnected bare metal service designed to optimize the deployment and management of applications.

On what date was the Equinix Metal Kubernetes expansion announced?

The expansion was announced on October 4, 2021.