Eavesdrop on a Conversation Between Corning and CoreSite, Partners in Interconnection
A lot of discussion regarding data centers revolves around how digital transformation creates scalability, elevates reliability and increases IT infrastructure flexibility. In fact, a recent Google query of “data center digital transformation” I did yielded approximately 520,000,000 results in 0.67 seconds.
However, operations personnel from the C-suite to technicians know that without the infrastructure hardware – including fiber optic cabling – the digital transformation conversation can’t get off the ground.
That data center “fact of life” inspired us to get in touch with Juan Penaranda from Corning to talk about how the CoreSite/Corning partnership benefits our customers. Juan’s role is focused on developing fiber optic solutions for data centers; Corning is a leading manufacturer of fiber optic communications system solutions for voice, data and video network applications, enabling the connections that make digital transformation, and 520 million+ references from one internet search, possible.
Optimizing Customer Experience and Competitive Edge
We started by talking about what the partnership means to the customer experience. After all, when an enterprise decides to trust a data center provider with truly business-critical interconnection and assets, there’s more to consider than the technology itself.
“Both Corning and CoreSite are very customer-centric businesses, helping their customers with all stages of the buying journey,” Juan explained. “Corning is one part of how CoreSite can connect customers to the solutions they need. Corning’s expertise in connectivity aligns with CoreSite’s commitment to developing the best solutions for their customers looking to interconnection as a competitive edge in their digital transformation efforts.”
“Corning’s expertise in connectivity aligns with CoreSite’s commitment to developing the best solutions for their customers looking to interconnection as a competitive edge in their digital transformation efforts.”
Juan Penaranda, Corning
I added that a sometimes overlooked but essential piece of enabling that interconnection is the technical support team. CoreSite teams are staffed with employees trained in our Qualification Program, a demanding, multi-tier regimen in which technicians are educated and evaluated in every area of data center operation, including communication and professionalism.
Innovations Enabling Scalability and Agility…and Advanced Use Cases
Anyone familiar with CoreSite has heard time and again that a key differentiator is colocation-driven rapid, dynamic scalability. What potential customers might not know is how Corning supports scalability with solutions that accelerate cabling.
“For data center providers like CoreSite and many of the hyperscales, we have created a preconnectorized, high-fiber-count cable that eliminates the need to splice when connecting data centers on a campus. Our EDGE™ Rapid Connect allows data center buildings to connect 70 percent faster, due to the use of Fast-Track MTP® connector technology,” Juan pointed out, while then turning the focus to enterprises. “For end users coming into CoreSite data centers, Corning has the EDGE8® solution, which allows for transmission speeds from 4G to 400G that will be based on either 2- or 8-fiber connectivity solutions. It includes the network scalability with improved link performance and 100% utilization of a base-8 design.”
With the ability to move data at up to 400G, Corning provides the physical connectivity enabling 5G, artificial intelligence, IoT, smart cities and other emerging use cases. People in the industry sometimes talk about big data transport as “drinking from the fire hose.” As partners, CoreSite and Corning turn that daunting challenge into a manageable flow.
Juan elaborated on this subject. “Corning’s role is to ensure that colocations like CoreSite have the optical components and support for all the customers they bring in. That includes design services to ensure customers maximize their whitespace and are ready for the transceiver speeds that their applications will require.”
Just like speculating on digital transformation, it’s fun to kick around esoteric use cases. But we decided that it would be important to ground the discussion with a current example. We chose financial services, specifically equity trading, where reliability, speed and flexibility are critical.
I told him about how strategic scaling is a critical requirement for one of our financial services customers. Because they are experiencing exceptional growth, they need to anticipate optimizing whitespace use. The customer trades equities, primarily using algorithmic-based trading, which means that every element in the infrastructure must support low latency connectivity. For Corning, that includes Software Defined Local Area Network (SD-LAN) technologies; for CoreSite, it includes incredibly secure, always-on network provisioning and management enabling real-time data transfer between trading platforms located in the heart of financial exchanges.
The Discussion Comes Full Circle
We began by focusing on our customers’ business objectives and making sure that their experience is the best it can be. That’s why the partnership between Corning and CoreSite works so well – whether it’s the technology and innovation or business relationship, we’re all in for our customers.