How Connectivity is Driving Data Center Evolution
Back in the day, a multi-tenant data center was just a fancy piece of commercial real estate. Sure, the building had special features including large open rooms for computer cabinets, redundant power supplies, high-capacity Internet access, and souped-up HVAC systems. But in the end, the space was leased to a smart tenant who knew what to do with it and they were charged for the space and power used. The business motivation for leasing data center space was primarily an economic one. The customer was oftentimes driven by the CFO or property management team looking to find the most cost-effective options to house their computer systems.
In the last decade, the data center business has changed, radically. The data center has evolved and is now a core component of a company’s IT strategy. It is no longer just a building for housing IT equipment. It is expected to enable the digital transformation of their business, provide the connectivity to adapt to an increasingly distributed IT infrastructure, enhance business continuity in the face of natural and systemic disasters, all while meeting environmental sustainability objectives and protecting the bottom line. The customers of multi-tenant data centers are now represented by senior IT leaders who are implementing technology strategies that enable the agility required of today’s hyper-competitive markets.
DC BLOX is unique because it is led by a group of technology industry veterans. From the CEO on down, the DC BLOX team understands the changing dynamics of modern IT and are building data centers that don’t just address physical infrastructure needs but include the capabilities that meet IT’s strategic requirements.
The Evolution of the Data Center
It is from this vantage point that the company has built the DC BLOX Connectivity Exchange (DCB-CX). The DCB-CX addresses the need for agile, efficient, and resilient connectivity, which is at the core of leading-edge IT. The DCB-CX is an interconnection platform that enables participants anywhere within the DC BLOX connectivity ecosystem to peer across a high-bandwidth, low-latency software-defined fabric.
The DCB-CX is more than just an Internet Exchange. The typical IX is essentially a data center where you can physically connect with a host of other parties that are colocated in the same facility. The DCB-CX is a distributed IX. Each DC BLOX data center is an exchange point (EXP) on the DCB-CX enabling private peering and connectivity relationships with every other entity in our communications ecosystem. The DCB-CX offers low-latency connectivity across our footprint providing virtual connections to built-in carriers, public cloud providers, regional Internet Exchanges, and any other entity in a DC BLOX EXP. With less than 5ms of latency between any two points on the network, the Connectivity Exchange is like one highly connected virtual data center serving the Southeast US.
The DCB-CX is particularly valuable in smaller, growing markets at the edge. Today, it serves organizations that need to interconnect and move data across the Southeast including carriers, ISPs, hyperscale cloud providers, content delivery networks, research institutions, rural broadband providers, and enterprises.
Today’s data centers need to provide far more than ping, power, and pipe. Colocation data center providers with rich connectivity like DC BLOX should become a core member of IT’s strategic partnerships. Along with a company’s own data centers and cloud partners, IT leaders gain the agility to deploy systems and applications optimally in their mandate to accelerate their digital future.
About DC BLOX
DC BLOX owns and operates interconnected multi-tenant data centers that deliver the infrastructure and connectivity essential to power today’s digital business. DC BLOX’s colocation facilities, robust connectivity ecosystem, dark fiber solutions, and hyperscale-ready data centers provide the digital infrastructure necessary to enable the rapid growth of the Southeast’s digital economy. DC BLOX’s data centers are located in Atlanta, GA; Birmingham, AL; Huntsville, AL; Chattanooga, TN; Greenville, SC, Myrtle Beach, SC, with several others in development. For more information, please visit www.www.dcblox.com, call +1.877.590.1684, and connect with DC BLOX on X, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
Media Contact:
iMiller Public Relations for DC BLOX
Tel: +1.866.307.2510
