Verizon sells 29 data centers to Equinix for $3.6bn

Global data center company Equinix has bought 29 data centers, along with their operations, from Verizon Communications. Approximately 250 Verizon employees will also become Equinix employees in the process.

The deal, worth $3.6 billion, will be completed in all cash. It includes more than 1,000 customers, 600 of which are net new. Verizon will now, consequently, become a substantially larger customer. It also includes roughly a million square meters of data center space.

Thanks to the acquisition, the company will also be moving into three new markets, Bogotá, Culpeper and Houston.

Equinix says the acquisition further broadens its capabilities by strengthening interconnection density on its global platform, by accelerating business relationships in the government and energy sectors, and by supporting its enterprise offering.

"As the technological shift to digital is transforming large sections of society and the global economy, companies are re-architecting their IT infrastructure to thrive in this new environment," comments Steve Smith, CEO at Equinix.

"They are moving from traditional centralized infrastructure to a distributed model that keeps data closer to the customers, partners and employees using it. With this significant expansion of Equinix’s globally consistent footprint, our platform is even more valuable to companies that are leveraging this new model of interconnection at the digital edge."

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Future plc Publication. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: vectorfusionart/Shutterstock