Equinix and Omantel Open New Muscat Data Center
Strategically located between
Highlights/Key Facts
Equinix and Omantel announced inJuly 2018 that the companies had entered into a joint venture to deliver data center and interconnection services to customers in theMiddle East through the development of the new network-dense data center. The resulting site, MC1, is operated byEquinix and includes 23,600+ square feet of colocation space and 725 cabinets. The site has capacity to grow to 2,150+ cabinets with future IBX builds.- MC1 is
Equinix's first data center inOman and its fourth in the MENA region. - MC1 provides customers with direct access to the Equinix Internet Exchange™, creating a regional peering hub for networks, content providers and large enterprises to exchange internet traffic over the world's largest peering solution.
Equinix's 2019-20Global Tech Trends Survey found over 40% of IT decision-makers in EMEA are prioritizing connecting with new digital ecosystems as part of their organization's overarching technology strategy.- With subsea cable systems terminating directly in MC1, the site benefits from continued investments by Omantel in multiple strategic subsea cable systems throughout the world, reaching over 50 countries globally. Omantel currently has investments in more than 20 subsea cable systems and leverages six diverse landing stations in
Oman and one inMarseille, France . - Based on demand and requirements, customers across the Gulf States and wider MENA region can also leverage other
Equinix data centers in the region for dual access to content providers, allowing carriers, content providers and cloud providers to leverage interconnection and further build resilience into their IT and network infrastructures. - According to the latest edition of the Global Interconnection Index (GXI), enterprise consumption of interconnection bandwidth is expected to grow at a 67% CAGR in EMEA by 2022, outpacing other forms of business data exchange, as businesses respond to rapidly growing volumes of data.
Quotes
Talal Al Mamari , CEO, Omantel
"Today, data center infrastructure sits at the heart of global ICT and enables all of us to enjoy the cloud-based apps and services we use every day. The new IBX inOman represents a significant step forward forOman and the Middle Eastern ICT markets. We are delighted that the facility is now open and, together withEquinix , we hope to enable a new era of telecommunications both regionally and globally. Coupled with the majority of the GCC's international submarine cables landing inOman , all accessible from theEquinix data center, we believe this partnership will further enhanceOman's competitiveness in the global digital economy."Sohail Qadir , Vice President, Omantel Wholesale Unit
"Omantel provides cable landings and connectivity to more than 120 cities across the world. We also have investments in 20 subsea cable systems, and leverage six diverse landing stations inOman and another inFrance . Additionally, Omantel is an investor in AAE-1 consortium—one of the largest and newest high-capacity connections betweenAsia ,Africa andEurope . And through this partnership withEquinix , we believe we are well-positioned now to provide the current and future needs of carriers, content providers, and cloud providers".Eugene Bergen Henegouwen , President, EMEA, Equini
"We are seeing an accelerated demand for digital transformation in MENA. Across different sectors, organizations are re-assessing their cloud adoption strategies and cloud readiness. In the digital age, companies need to reach all the right places and partners to seize opportunity, and they need to do it out at the edge. Our partnership with Omantel greatly supports our ability to meet this need, particularly as our customers can now leverage Omantel's significant subsea cable infrastructure. This type of colocation and interconnection services platform creates a magnetic effect that draws in more users that can leverage a global subsea cable fabric connecting cities, countries and continents together. Along with this, our investment in theMiddle East market—including the new data center inOman —reflects our commitment to our customers as they continue their digital transformation journeys."Judith Gardiner , Vice President, Growth and Emerging Markets, Equini
"We know from our latest tech trends survey that over 40% of IT decision-makers in the region are utilizing interconnection to increase the flexibility of connectivity, and that's certainly something we will offer at MC1. We're giving our customers direct access to the best markets via the best routes, all over the world, and the Equinix Internet Exchange link allows network operators, content providers and enterprises across industries, to easily and efficiently exchange internet traffic—crucial for those wishing to compete in today's global digital economy."Kamel Al-Tawil , Managing Director forMiddle East andNorth Africa ,Equinix
"As IP traffic growth continues to accelerate, it is more important than ever that the IP peering community has a scalable, reliable and globally consistent Internet Exchange solution in all markets where they want to peer traffic.Oman is strategically positioned betweenAsia ,Africa andEurope , and with our partnership with Omantel, we intend to create a hub that will allow drivers of internet traffic to efficiently peer, and expand operations across the world".
Additional Resources
Equinix 2019-20Global Tech Trends Survey [report]- Global Interconnection Index Volume 3 [report]
- IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Colocation & Interconnection Services Report [report]
- Learn more about Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric® [website]
- Learn more about Equinix Internet Exchange™ [website]
Equinix and Omantel Enter Agreement toBuild New Equinix Data Center inOman [press release]
About
About Omantel
Omantel Wholesale is the international and domestic wholesale arm of Oman Telecommunications Company S.A.O.G. (Omantel), the first and leading integrated telecommunications service provider in
Founded in 1970, Omantel is a joint-stock company listed in
The company has laid the groundwork for telecommunications and technological advancement in the country and it continues to invest heavily within its own borders and abroad. As a result, Omantel has acquired a controlling stake in
Omantel Wholesale capitalizes on ultra-low latency networks to enable innovation and digital transformation globally, utilizing
For more information, please visit www.omantel.om/Wholesale
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from expectations discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, the challenges of acquiring, operating and constructing IBX® data centers and developing, deploying and delivering
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SOURCE
Equinix Media Contacts: Michelle Lindeman (Americas), +1 (650) 598-6361, mlindeman@equinix.com; Annie Ho (Asia-Pacific), +852 2970-7761, annho@ap.equinix.com; Jess Sullivan (EMEA), +44 7876 712861, Jess.Sullivan@eu.equinix.com; Josephine Dairi (Edelman), +971 54 309 8452, josephine.dairi@edelman.com; Equinix Investor Relations: Katrina Rymill, +1 650-598-6583, krymill@equinix.com; Chip Newcom, +1 650-598-6262, cnewcom@equinix.com