Equinix has announced the opening of a new International Business Exchange (IBX) data center in Osaka.
With an initial investment of US$55 million, the state-of-the-art facility, dubbed OS3, enables enterprises in the Kansai region to harness Platform Equinix to build future-proof hybrid multi-cloud architecture and go digital-first in the new era.
In recent years, Osaka has been emerging as a new regional center for major cloud service providers (CSPs) to improve their services and strengthen their presence in Asia-Pacific.
The metro has become a magnet for leading CSPs, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft, Google and Oracle. As the shift towards hybrid multi-cloud continues, these major players are expected to keep scaling up their investments in the Kansai region to address the growing demands for high performance, consistency, security, resiliency and local data residency when it comes to cloud adoption.
According to the Global Interconnection Index Volume 5 (GXI Vol. 5), a market study published by Equinix, overall interconnection bandwidth in Osaka is predicted to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50% to 110 Terabits per second (Tbps) from 2020 to 2024.
From a vertical perspective, the hyperscale sector is expected to lead with the highest interconnection bandwidth locally, indicating major cloud service providers’ continuously growing needs for interconnections.
With close proximity to major network providers located in the center of Osaka, OS3 offers a wide variety of network choices for cloud and content providers who want to be closer to the large user community in the Kansai area for metro redundancy and lower latency.
It also offers direct connections to the large Kansai region, which consists of major cities including Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, allowing digital leaders to scale and utilize digital infrastructure for optimal performance.
Key facts:
• The first phase of OS3 is opened and scheduled to complete by end of 2021. Upon phase 1 completion, the facility will provide an initial capacity of 900 cabinets and more than 33,000 square feet (approximately 3,070 square meters) of colocation space. At full buildout, the facility will provide 2,500 cabinets with a total colocation space of approximately 89,340 square feet (more than 8,300 square meters).
• Directly connected to OS1, OS3 provides a wide range of interconnection solutions, including Equinix Fabric. Through this on-demand, SDN-enabled interconnection service, businesses can connect between their own or any other company’s distributed infrastructure on Platform Equinix in Tokyo and other parts of the world. Customers in Osaka can establish direct and secure access to Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure and other local cloud services, to address their intensifying needs for a hybrid multi-cloud infrastructure.
• Equinix also plans to introduce Network Edge and Equinix Metal in Osaka to further support customers to build their digital infrastructure at software speed. When the services become available, enterprises and service providers will be able to use Equinix Fabric as a single interconnection approach to connect between all their physical and virtual devices on Platform Equinix with automated bare metal servers available with Equinix Metal, and virtual devices such as routers, firewalls and SD-WAN gateways available on Network Edge.
• Equinix customers will have access to a network-dense data center campus with more than 25 network service providers including Arteria Networks Corporation, Chubu Telecommunications Co., Inc, Colt Technology Services, Internet Multifeed CO (JPNAP), Lumen, Optage, TOKAI Communications Corporation and Verizon. Some of these network service providers will also deploy in OS3, providing direct connectivity to customers inside the facility. As part of Equinix’s interconnection network in Japan, it incorporates seismic protection features with extensive network choice and direct connection to Dojima, a major Internet exchange hub.
• Equinix has achieved its long-term goal of 100% clean and renewable energy in all of its data centers in Japan since 2020 using high-quality renewable energy certificates. Equinix Osaka data centers are also certified to meet rigorous environmental and energy management standards. OS3 has adopted a number of green features and measures, including motion-activated LED lights, high temperature chilled water set points, DCIM and Adaptive Control Systems, as well as cold/hot aisle containment, to support Japan government’s green agenda.
Mimei Ito, Research Manager, IT Services, IDC Japan, said: “Demand for cloud services continues to grow with Digital Transformation demand, and this has been accelerating data center capital investment in Japan. The addition of the Equinix data center in Osaka reflects the growing data center demand in the Kansai area. Additionally, Equinix’s data center expansion within Japan demonstrates its commitment to sustainable investment, as the company is one of the few data center operators which has already achieved a high level of carbon-neutrality in their facilities in Japan.”
Jeremy Deutsch, President, Equinix Asia-Pacific, said: “As one of the fastest-growing metros in Asia-Pacific, Osaka is gaining attention as a rising digital hub. Strengthening our presence in the market with OS3 showcases our continuous commitments to helping businesses fast-track their digital journeys with a robust yet versatile infrastructure. We will continue to keep an eye on new opportunities and expand Platform Equinix for more businesses in the fast-growing Asia- Pacific region to power enterprises’ success in the new era.”
Kuniko Ogawa, Managing Director, Equinix Japan, said: “With more and more local and global enterprises in Osaka shifting to a digital-first strategy, we have been seeing cloud service providers moving faster than before in this metro to support enterprises’ increasing needs. The opening of OS3 enables us to maintain our leadership in an evolving market and help businesses to build a digital infrastructure they need. Looking ahead, we are well poised to leverage on our global footprint and ecosystem to help businesses eliminate the distance between clouds, users and applications for optimal performance, speed and flexibility.”
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