Who will fill the Dallas data centre
The JLL report believes that there is already 180,000 square feet of spare capacity but Equinix is confident that it can fill the new hall with customers. It already has the commitment of a Global Fortune 100 manufacturing company for an initial 200 cabinets and will deliver connectivity to Microsoft Azure as part of that deal.
The new data centre is located in Dallas Infomart along with four of the other Equinix Dallas data centres and can therefore offer unrivalled connectivity to over 100 network service providers that have already connected to the Equinix Cloud Exchange™. There is also connectivity to more than 40 cloud service providers and 30 content and digital media companies including Adobe, AOL, AT&T, China Telecom, Cisco Systems, Comcast, Cox Communications, Level 3 Communications, Sprint, Tata, TeliaSonera, Telefonica, Time Warner Cable, Walmart, XO Communications and Zayo.
It seems as though this decision to expand the footprint in Dallas is timely and keeps Equinix at the forefront of the Dallas data centre market. With an advantage of capacity over its rivals in the are it can offer greater flexibility and growth in comparison to its rivals.
Conclusion
That this is a strategic decision by Equinix to increase their grip on the Dallas market seems to justified with an historic quote by Sophia Vargas, infrastructure & operations analyst, Forrester Research, who said in the 2014 report, “Strategically Locate Your Next Data centre,” Forrester Research, Inc., October 9, 2014:
“To compete in the age of the customer, I&O organizations need to break away from the traditional mindset of defaulting to a location that is convenient to their workforce and instead consider locations that will deliver the best service to their customers. Selecting a new data centre site has thus evolved from a tactical to strategic decision.”
If Equinix are able to capture customers for the new data centre as the new year unfolds this will have been a good decision but it is reliant on the continued growth in the Dallas market. The question is by seemingly rushing into building the extra capacity will a rival take advantage by offering another location with greener credentials as companies look increasingly to their carbon footprint.
