ITWeb TV Biz: Equinix brings global connectivity to SA market

Equinix is one of the largest global datacentre and colocation providers for enterprise network and cloud computing. 

The company, headquartered in Redwood City, California, has expanded its footprint into South Africa, launching a new datacentre designed to bring these services closer to local organisations. It operates a global platform of over 260 datacentres, also known as International Business Exchanges (IBX), across six continents, all connected by a private backbone – the Equinix Fabric – that enables seamless connectivity to a vast ecosystem of over 10 000 enterprises globally. These include network providers, cloud and IT providers and all of the major enterprise verticals such as financial services, manufacturing, content, retail and so on.

This, according to Sandile Dube, MD at Equinix South Africa, gives businesses the ability to exchange data in a secure environment with a company that has led the market in terms of capability, infrastructure and connectivity.

“Equinix Fabric connects all our facilities in the regions where we operate – the Americas, EMEA, Asia Pacific, and now Africa,” he explains. “This connection provides South African businesses with a unified platform that empowers them to operate globally and take advantage of the benefits of being part of a global digital ecosystem.

Sandile Dube, MD of Equinix South Africa.

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“We enable South African organisations, providing them with entry into global markets and a wide range of digital services that can be consumed on a per-usage basis. It is unique and attests to the fact that Equinix is far beyond just a power and cooling datacentre infrastructure,” says Dube. “This level of access will help bolster the digital economy and play a role in overcoming some of the limitations that are inherent in the digital divide.”

Equinix is committed to contributing towards the development of digital skills, particularly among women and the youth. The goal is to play an important part in the creation of a thriving, local digital ecosystem that has long-term benefits for the country.

“I believe that there needs to be a lot more emphasis on how companies can make a tangible difference on the ground, and this is one of our priorities as a company,” says Dube.

“We also prioritise resilience and reliability as these are pivotal to the sustainability of the companies we serve,” he continues. “We deploy redundant infrastructure with robust security measures to ensure every client’s estate is secured. We also pride ourselves on our SLA-backed services and offer up to five 9s of uptime.”

Equinix is unique in its approach, global footprint and commitment to shared growth. The company provides customers with expert support, high performance, exceptional availability, and unmatched reliability with up to five 9s of uptime.

“Our business has grown rapidly in South Africa and we’re looking at expansion opportunities in the future,” concludes Dube. “We had customers sign up with us before we opened officially in South Africa and, now that we’re here, we are prioritising exceptional service delivery and a commitment to a superb experience.”

The ITWeb TV Biz video of this interview can be viewed here.