Oct. 27, 2002 -- Internet exchange operator Equinix, Inc. will sublease Sprint’s E|Solutions Internet Center in Santa Clara and acquire some related assets, the two companies said today.
The 160,000 square foot data center, which hosts the web operations of some of the top names in the Internet, will be Equinix’s 15th facility and expand its global data center footprint to more than 1.2 million square feet in five countries.
The Santa Clara facility is one of eight data centers targeted for sale or closure in June, when Sprint announced plans to exit the web hosting business, laying off 500 workers and taking a charge of at least $400 million.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Equinix will provide services to existing Sprint customers at the facility, and can begin moving its own customers in after Dec. 1. Sprint will continue to provide transport services, but Equinix will offer a choice of additional connectivity providers in keeping with its carrier-neutral business model.
“Equinix has experienced solid and consistent demand for high quality data center space in the Silicon Valley,” said Peter Van Camp, CEO of Equinix. “We currently have a strong pipeline of potential customers in the Silicon Valley and will now have additional capacity to expand our footprint with minimal capital expenditures.”
Equinix has been seeking additional space in Silicon Valley to supplement its existing data center in San Jose.
Other Sprint hosting centers identified for sale or closure includes sites in Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City and Sacramento, Calif. Houston hosting provider Vericenter is reported to be interested in buying four of the sites. Two other data centers in Kansas City and Reston, Va., will be converted to other Sprint network functions.
Equinix provides core Internet exchange services that allow Internet infrastructure companies, enterprises and content providers to grow, manage and control their networks. Its customer list includes IBM, Google, Sony Online, General Electric, Electronic Arts, Yahoo!, and Microsoft.