Colt Technology Services is combining its network footprint with Equinix Fabric to provide enterprises with end-to-end, on-demand connectivity.
Through the extended partnership, enterprises will have the ability to connect in near real time to their own premises—through the Colt IQ Network footprint of 29,000 on-net buildings—from Equinix's platform.
The last-mile service also includes connectivity to data centers that are outside of Equinix's footprint. The on-demand interconnection between Colt and Equinix Fabric uses an API from MEF to automate the end-to-end service.
The two companies said the collaboration would give enterprises more control over their digital infrastructures, which will create a better customer experience. It also provides enterprises with more network agility by creating a connected ecosystem.
Colt first teamed up with Equinix three years ago, and now the companies are evolving their offerings to help enterprises with their on-going digital transformations. The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated businesses' digital transformation efforts this year.
Equinix Fabric, which was previously known as Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric, provides access to a software-defined interconnection service spanning 237 data centers deployed near major internet exchanges across 46 geographies.
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Colt's On Demand bandwidth service allows customers to spin up additional bandwidth as needed in near real time. It first launched in Europe threes years ago and was rolled out into Asia Pacific in 2018 and then in the U.S. last year.
“Colt’s On Demand offering is one we are very proud of," said Colt's Peter Coppens, vice president product portfolio, in a statement. "Networks have long shifted from being a stagnant business cost to being a true enabler of organizations’ transformations, as they evolve. We know transformations this year have had to happen in some cases overnight, and this extended collaboration with Equinix will only further accelerate business growth and agility, something we both are fundamentally aligned on.”
The Colt IQ Network, which launched in 2016, connects high bandwidth services to more than 900 connected data centers across Europe, Asia and North America.
“This year has shown us, more than any other, the importance of agile infrastructure in facilitating a truly connected ecosystem," said Michael Winterson, vice president business development – EMEA and managing director for Equinix services, in a statement. "We are thrilled to work with providers like Colt, who share our vision to create transformative networking solutions that can power the fast-paced business landscape of today.”
The Colt On Demand offering with Equinix Fabric slated to be launched in Europe and Asia in the first quarter of next year.