Equinix opened its newest data center in Hong Kong on Wednesday, as it banks on its global platform ecosystem strategy to compete in the increasingly contested data center space.
The new International Business Exchange (IBX) data center, dubbed HK2, is Equinix’s second such data center in Hong Kong, and 11th in the Asia-Pacific region.
The first phase of HK2 – which entails an investment of $20 million (HK$156 million) – will provide 450 cabinet equivalents, expanding to 1,450 at full build-out, at a total investment of $63 million. Networks operating within HK2 include PCCW and Wharf T&T.
HK2 will offer Equinix services such as colocation, interconnection and peering and direct cross connect between networks, as well as the company’s recently launched Marketplace, which makes potential partners within the Equinix ecosystem easier to find and contact.
Hong Kong is already a hot spot for data center activity for local, regional and global players due to its role as a key hub for both internet connectivity and the financial sector. Equinix says HK2 was built to meet the increasing demand for premium colocation and interconnection data center services, particularly from financial services organizations and cloud service providers.
Equinix Asia-Pacific president Samuel Lee says Equinix’s key differentiator against carriers like Pacnet and OTT players like Google – who have been ramping up their data center strategies across Asia recently – is its “Platform Equinix” strategy that builds on both Equinix’s exchange model and its ecosystem of partners focusing on vertical market segments such as financial services and digital media.