Equinix opens its 11th IBX data center in Tokyo

 Global interconnection and data center company Equinix has announced the opening of its 11th International Business Exchange data center in Tokyo, Japan, named TY11, as part of the company's ongoing commitment to expanding its global footprint.

The $70 million first phase of TY11 provides a capacity of 950 cabinets and colocation space of approximately 39,800 square feet (approximately 3,700 square meters). Upon completion of the planned future phases, the facility is expected to provide a total capacity of more than 3,500 cabinets and colocation space of more than 153,800 square feet (approximately 14,300 square meters), becoming the largest IBX data center to date in Japan.

Driven by flourishing technology innovation and cloud adoption, Tokyo is the world's largest retail colocation market by revenue, ahead of major international cities like New York and London.

With more and more global and local cloud service providers (CSPs) expanding their businesses in Japan, the country is forecast to be one of the largest geographic public cloud markets in 2019 with cloud spend reaching $7.4 billion.

Japan is also embracing advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence and robust network connectivity to power the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the government's 'Society 5.0' initiative, and the upcoming rollout of 5G services which are expected to generate huge amounts of data.

"At Equinix, we continue to expand our footprint as we strive to help our customers capture the opportunities of the digital era. Asia-Pacific has always been a highly strategic and thriving market for us, thanks in part to its burgeoning digital market, which is driving demand for interconnection and data center services," says Karl Strohmeyer, chief customer and revenue officer, Equinix.

"We are excited to continue our investments and expansions in the region, and we are delighted to provide our customers in Japan with cutting-edge interconnection services and peace of mind over the resiliency of their IT infrastructure," he says.

With the addition of TY11, Equinix now operates a total of 11 data centers in Tokyo and two in Osaka. The expanded footprint in this vibrant market will play a key role in accelerating the country's cloud adoption and transformation in today's digital era.

In close proximity to the Tokyo central business district, the TY11 IBX data center will enable CSPs to move their services closer to their customers at the digital edge via Platform Equinix' and provide the highest quality of interconnection and data center services to ensure seamless, consistent and secure data transfer.

TY11 is situated in Ariake, a district in Koto ward, which is close to key venues for the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Located in an emergency evacuation area, TY11 is earthquake-resistant and equipped with multiple anti-disaster measures. It provides a high level of security and operational excellence in the event of natural disasters, enhancing business continuity and stability for customers.

"The new addition of the TY11 datacenter in the Tokyo metro area will enhance Equinix's interconnection capability and further expand its ecosystem of Internet Exchanges, service providers and enterprises. Interconnectivity and rich ecosystems of global tenants are major differentiators and value propositions of the company," says Mimei Ito, research manager, IT Services, IDC Japan .

"The new Equinix datacenter in Tokyo reflects the importance of the city as a regional hub for financial services and internet service providers. It also demonstrates Equinix's success in winning customers and expanding capacity in this important metro."

Equinix has a long-term goal of using 100% clean and renewable energy for its global platform and continues to make advancements in the way it designs, builds and operates its data centers with high energy efficiency standards.

TY11 offers a wide range of connectivity options, including Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric'' (ECX Fabric''), which allows businesses to set up on-demand and secure connections to more than 1,500 participants across all regions around the world.

TY11 benefits from direct connection to TY2, which is home to a dense network ecosystem, offering customers private and secure access to more than 80 network service providers within Platform Equinix. Directly connected to TY4, TY11 provides customers with direct and secure access to more than 285 cloud and IT service providers in Japan including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Teradata.

Customers in TY11 can benefit from connectivity to Japan's largest financial ecosystem with more than 85 financial services providers, and access to the heart of Tokyo's trading landscape, including key financial exchanges TFX and TOCOM.
Equinix data centers form a leading network hub in Tokyo, which is designed to meet rising internet exchange demands from international and domestic network operators. The hub houses the leading regional internet exchanges including Japan Network 
Access Point (JPNAP), Japan Internet Exchange (JPIX) and Broadband Internet Exchange (BBIX).

"With cloud services becoming increasingly crucial to global and local businesses who are eager to reach business partners and customers worldwide, an always-on, distributed IT infrastructure is extremely important to ensure real-time data delivery in today's fast-paced economy," says Kei Furuta, managing director, Equinix North Asia.

"With the upcoming Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the 'Society 5.0' initiative and the arrival of 5G, interconnection will also play a crucial role in enabling seamless and secure interactions. We are thrilled about the opening of TY11, and we look forward to accelerating cloud adoption and innovation in Japan."