Ivo Ivanov is Chief Executive Officer of DE-CIX and Chairman of the Board of the DE-CIX Group AG. Prior to these positions, Ivanov was Chief Operating Officer of DE- CIX and Chief Executive Officer of DE-CIX International, where he was responsible for the global business activities of the world’s leading Internet Exchange operator. Ivanov has more than 20 years of experience in the regulatory, legal, and commercial Internet environment. Having joined DE- CIX in 2007, he has in recent years been deeply involved in the establishment of DE-CIX sites in North and South America, Southern Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, as well as several DE-CIX consultancy projects in Africa, Asia, and Europe.
What is the significance of Atlantic Convergence 2024 to you?
The future is entirely digital, and digital requires the best infrastructure—not only in one country, not just along the Atlantic coast, but also spanning countries, regions, and continents. All of us need to come together in order to create the best digital infrastructure on the planet. It’s an “all for all” type of mentality, and this event signifies a massive push in this direction. At DE-CIX, we recently recognized Portugal as a global interconnection hub by being a gateway to both Europe and the World, and Lisbon is a particularly strong point of convergence for the different continents bordering the Atlantic Ocean. So, this conference—and hosting it in Lisbon—is an embodiment of working toward creating an interconnected, Pan-Atlantic infrastructure community that spans four continents.
The conference format itself also speaks to our goal of enabling more integration between different individuals, organizations, and communities. Instead of having a conference where panels happen here, exhibitions happen there, and meetings happen wherever there’s space, we centralized it all in one space through a unique approach. Somewhat like a silent disco, attendees wear headphones when they want to listen to presentations being streamed to them and unplug when they want to engage directly with others. This process means presentations aren’t disrupted by any surrounding conversations, but equally, networking isn’t disrupted by presentations.
How does DE-CIX fit into the overall interconnection ecosystem model, which encompasses the convergence of subsea and terrestrial fiber, neutral IX, and data centers?
Our goal at DE-CIX is to make interconnection easy, anywhere. We provide premium interconnection services and operate several carrier-neutral Internet Exchanges in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. From cloud connectivity, peering, and private interconnection to security and infrastructure-as-a-service, we work with data centers, Internet service providers, resellers, managed service providers, and other partners to help enterprises find the right solutions for their unique needs.
What do you expect from Atlantic Convergence 2025?
As humans, we continue to evolve, and our reliance on digital infrastructure is increasing day by day. I believe we’re just beginning another decade of huge industrial and digital revolution. Digital infrastructure is the foundation for this growth. It will also be the driving force behind improving technology and making digital services better—which will in turn improve the quality of life for so many people. Our working together to solve the needs of tomorrow will be more crucial than ever, and these improvements will only be possible if we believe in convergence. The times of incumbency are over; community and partnership are on.
