CoreSite customers do business in all sorts of industries, greatly vary in size and have unique data center needs. But there’s one thing these enterprises, carriers, cloud and digital platform providers have in common: Intermarket connectivity can be and often is a key to success.
Intermarket Connectivity Explained
Simply put, intermarket connectivity allows environments in different markets to seamlessly connect and exchange data communications with one another. Connectivity is enabled by a private fiber optic or software-defined links (Ethernet virtual connections, or EVCs) between data centers located in the different regions.
The outcomes are highly secure, low-latency data transfer and access to resources in a distributed infrastructure. Adding EVCs to your deployment also is an easy way to build resilience and optimize broadband usage. And considering that multicloud architectures are deployed by 98% of enterprises,1 high performance, unfailing intermarket connectivity as well as control of that architecture are critical.
Another reason is setting the foundation for artificial intelligence workload distribution based on use case density requirements. I think it’s safe to say that in the near future your company will have different “flavors” of AI workloads in an on-premises data center private cloud, in colocation and in major clouds. The ability to tap into any of those workloads and share inferences or data with speed, security and confidence will be “significant,” to say the least.
You also can learn more about the technology behind data center intermarket connectivity from another recent blog: Inter-site and Intermarket Networking: The Advantages of Data Center Interconnection.
Five Advantages of Intermarket Connectivity
I mentioned that intermarket connectivity allows environments in different markets to exchange data communications. In addition to being able to reap the rewards access to digital ecosystems in multiple data centers creates, you also get …
- Cost-Effective Data Transfer – Fiber optic links and EVCs route data on Layer 2, also known as the “data link” layer in the seven-layer OSI model of computer networking. Advantages include low-latency, simple set-up and lower cost than using a carrier.2
- Regulatory Compliance – Data might be required to reside in a specific location. Intermarket connectivity enables addressing that while also having access to the data from disparate locations.
- Uptime – This is another advantage of redundant EVCs; redundancy creates resilience and helps ensure uptime.
- Private Connections – Bypass the internet, with all its performance inconsistencies and security risks.
- Speed to Market – Meet your customers where they are, whether that’s in colocation data centers, public clouds or at consumer end points, with services offered immediately after they’re ready.
One more thing about speed to market. CoreSite offers the Open Cloud Exchange® (OCX), an interconnection platform designed to simplify and even automate enterprise-grade networking services. With the OCX, establishing an EVC takes two hours or less; working through a carrier typically takes two-to-six months. Furthermore, once provisioned, you can manage those connections in real time and turn up/turn down IT services on demand.
Here are a few frequent OCX use cases, in addition to multi-site, intermarket interconnection:
- Direct cloud connections
- Cloud-to-cloud connections (e.g. AWS to Microsoft)
- BC/DR strategy, a perk of inter-market connectivity
- Cross-region cloud connect, and to out-of-region cloud availability zones
One of the most important things to know about the OCX is that it makes managing network services so easy that you only need basic networking understanding to use it. The OCX really is “the easy button” for networking.
OCX Intermarket Connectivity Offer
CoreSite has created a special offer – all customers utilizing intermarket connectivity with CoreSite are eligible for free 1G or 10G OCX ports to connect between data centers in different markets for one year. The monthly recurring cost (MRC) for the ports will be waived.
So, if you are a customer, you could elevate your business continuity/disaster recovery strategy, scalability, cloud and data value by adopting a networking best practice and test the solution with minimal risk. If you are not a CoreSite customer, then now is a great time to get more interconnection capabilities and infrastructure agility without a long-term commitment if you are considering colocation – the OCX product is a month-to-month service.
CoreSite Intermarket Connectivity Options
I hope you are thinking, “What are the markets I can reach?” Just check out the map at the top of this post.
CoreSite owns and operates 28 network-dense, cloud-enabled data centers, totaling approximately 4.6 million square feet, in 11 strategic U.S. markets, and is the midst of construction in Silicon Valley, Denver and New York.
We also have more than 38,000 customer connections, which comprise the digital ecosystem I’ve mentioned. We also offer connections to Asia Pacific, Europe and Latin America via subsea cables, which means that if your markets or target markets are global, we have you covered.
Take the Next Step to Intermarket Connectivity
You can get started on adding OCX-driven intermarket connectivity by visiting the Intermarket Connectivity landing page on our website.
If you aren’t a CoreSite customer, the next best step is to contact us here.