In the segment that follows, InterGlobix Magazine’s Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Jasmine Bedi, sits down with the DE-CIX Group AG Chair and CEO and global interconnection leader, Ivo Ivanov, to discuss the growth at DE-CIX since its inception, the maturation of interconnection services, and how a “neutral” interconnection platform plays a crucial role in the digitalization of almost any industry, any business, in any part of the world.
Can you share the importance of a neutral interconnection ecosystem in our rapidly evolving and hyperconnected world?
As more and more companies depend on data, both within the company and with partners or customers, the need for better data access, exchange, and management is increasing. That means enterprises need to be fully connected internally as well as with each other in order to gather real-time insights, communicate and collaborate, and identify new business needs and opportunities-all with the lowest latency possible. One network alone simply can’t manage this increased demand on connectivity-or the continual flexibility and adaptability modern business requires—and companies are starting to feel that pressure.
One recent IDC study showed that almost a third of 150 German companies surveyed had only minimal interconnection with limited data integration, and the majority of them felt their levels of connectivity were not sustainable. By partnering with a neutral IX, companies not only extend their connectivity capabilities in terms of consistency, latency, and resilience, but also gain access to a one-stop shop where they can make use of different networks and services all through one point of contact, from anywhere in the world. This streamlining is crucial for improving and simplifying interconnection, and only collaboration instead of competition will get us there.
You first had the idea for Space-IX five years ago. How do you see that vision coming to fruition, and what do you see as the future for Space-IX?
I’m thrilled to report that this vision is a fast-developing reality. We’re now ready to support the infrastructure needs of a whole range of space network operators-particularly the Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite operators—by providing them with an interconnection solution that connects them to terrestrial content, cloud, and application networks. We already have nearly 40 IXs around the world where networks can meet, and when satellite operators connect to us, they can access all our carriers and ISPs, content providers, content delivery networks, application providers, and cloud networks from anywhere, at the lowest possible latency. In the immediate future, we’ll be focusing on reach with Space-IX-we want to use it and our DE-CIX as a Service program to enable better Internet access and reliability in remote areas and empower these communities to build the infrastructure they need to take their networking to new heights.
