Verizon is now providing its business customers with direct access between their MPLS and colocation facilities within Equinix Cloud Exchange (ECX) Fabric. The Software-Defined Interconnect (SDI) service allows enterprises to connect their private networks to an Equinix data center and reduce costs associated with purely private networks.

ECX Fabric, which uses SDN capabilities to enable its customers to connect their own infrastructure across Equinix locations, was originally launched in late 2017. Verizon says this partnership extends those capabilities to Verizon customers and gives enterprises the ability to connect their networks to Equinix’s colocation data centers.

SDI integrates pre-provisioned Verizon private IP bandwidth with ECX Fabric. Verizon and Equinix have also established an API that allows customers to turn up those connections on an automated basis. The network operator is also positioning SDI as complementary to its SD-WAN options because it bridges between the exchange and customers MPLS network in a more cost efficient and virtual environment.

“Verizon maintains a global MPLS network with appearances in Equinix facilities. Our ability to automate the connectivity between a customer private network into the cloud exchange provides a distinctive advantage in the market,” wrote Michael Chambless, Verizon's director of connectivity solution products, in response to questions. “The connection is virtual instead of physical and takes advantage of established network-to-network interfaces allowing us to activate seamlessly in a matter of minutes after the order is received.”

Verizon says its private MPLS network is experiencing “high double-digit traffic growth year-over-year” and colocation services are proliferating in an increasingly demanding cloud-centric environment. The network operator describes SDI as a long-term solution for enterprises seeking a secure interconnect from a customers colocated data center attached to fabric and then back to Verizon MPLS infrastructure.

“Think about how many devices are connected to data centers, the amount of data generated, and then multiply that when 5G becomes ubiquitous,” said Vickie Lonker, vice president of product management and development for Verizon. “Enabling enterprises to virtually connect to Verizon’s private IP services by coupling our technology with the proven ECX Fabric makes it easy to provision and manage data-intensive network traffic in real time.”

Equinix operates 115 International Business Exchange data centers, which can be used for this new service. Verizon says it manages more than 4,000 networks globally and manages 500,000 network, hosting, and security devices.