Equinix rolls out AWS Direct Connect in Slough datacentre

Datacentre operator Equinix is offering customers the opportunity to link up their on-premise IT infrastructure to the Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud via a private network connection.

The AWS Direct Connect offering is available via Equinix’s LD5 London datacentre in Slough and allows users to link up their on-premise datacentre and managed infrastructure investments with the Amazon public cloud.

This, in turn, should allow enterprises to adopt a hybrid cloud model of IT consumption, whereby applications and workloads can be shifted between private, public and on-premise environments as demand dictates.  

While a similar effect can be achieved using a regular internet connection, Equinix claims a private link will allow users to tap into the public cloud without worrying about bandwidth restrictions, performance issues or security problems.

It also benefits enterprises that are unable to use public internet connections to transmit sensitive data for regulatory reasons.  

Based on user feedback, Equinix further claims the AWS Direct Connect setup cuts down on network costs and boosts data transfer feeds, when compared with using public internet connections.

The capability is being offered from 10 Equinix datacentres worldwide, including two in Europe.  

Ryan Mallory, vice-president of technology at Equinix, said the decision to offer AWS Direct Connect from one of its Slough datacentre was driven by customer demand.

“Our goal is to provide customers with the ability to realise the full benefits of the cloud – without worrying about application latency or cost issues,” he said.

“AWS Direct Connect makes it easy for companies to establish a dedicated network connection from Equinix to AWS, which ultimately reduces network costs, increases throughput and provides a more consistent network experience than internet-based connections.”

The company has offered a similar service for users of the Microsoft Azure platform for around 18 months, as well as one for Office 365 subscribers since September 2015.