IIX Unveils SaaS Platform for Data Center Network Interconnection

Using private network connections to bypass the public internet when connecting to public cloud services has been a popular way for the more security and performance conscious enterprises to take advantage of public cloud.

A number of data center colocation companies have been providing such connections as a service, and for some it has proven to be a major new avenue for growth. Equinix, the world’s largest data center provider, said its direct network on-ramps to cloud providers are its fastest-growing business.

But according to Al Burgio, CEO and founder of a startup called IIX, standing up and managing network interconnection is a complex task most enterprises don’t have the expertise to perform, which translates into high cost of using such services. IIX believes it has an answer to this problem.

Its new subsidiary Console, launched recently, will offer a Software-as-a-Service platform that reportedly makes it easy for any enterprise to connect to any service provider in any data center around the world. The service isn’t publicly available yet, and Burgio did not want to disclose many details of how the service would work, saying more information will be available after a formal unveiling in September.

The service goes beyond private links to public cloud. It includes network interconnection between data centers, connections to network carriers and to a multitude of other types of service providers.

The goal is “helping change the way enterprises connect to their customers, vendors, and partners,” Burgio said. There’s demand among enterprises for more advanced solutions than the interconnection services data center providers generally offer today.

“Simply providing a Layer 1 or Layer 2 connection … is great, but it’s not the full solution that really will help with making it simple and easy for the enterprise to use,” he said.

Console will be IIX’s “SaaS pure play,” Burgio said. The company also has a service that offers private connections to peering exchanges around the world.

IIX raised a $10.4 million Series A funding round last year. Also last year, it acquired Allegro Networks, a UK-based technology company with connectivity automation capabilities.

IIX’s network now extends across about 150 nodes. It reached this footprint after it acquired a competitor called IX-Reach earlier this year.

The nodes today are located primarily in North America and Europe, but the company is expanding into Asia Pacific. It has already selected node locations in Hong Kong and Singapore, Burgio said.