Terremark Worldwide (TMRK) today announced the launch of the Network Access Point (NAP) of Amsterdam, a new colocation center leveraging the connectivity of one of Europe's busiest Internet exchanges. Terremark has leased 25,000 square feet of colocation space in a Digital Realty Trust facility inside the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol Area, which will house a peering node for the Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX). The company has also secured Schiphol Group, which owns and operates some of Europe’s busiest airports, as the data center’s anchor customer.
The NAP of Amsterdam will serve as Terremark's flagship European facility and offer the company's cloud computing and managed hosting services. Terremark holds options to build two additional facilities with 50,000 square feet of colocation space each on land directly adjacent to the NAP of Amsterdam. The initial 15-year lease includes options that give Terremark the opportunity to extend the lease for up to 50 years and provides the company with full operational control over the facility.
Cloud Drives Leasing Relationships
The lease illustrates how the growth of cloud computing services is deepening ties between managed hosting providers and developers of wholesale data center space. This is the second deal this year between Digital Realty and Terremark, which in January leased space at Digital's new Dallas-area data center campus. Meanwhile, Rackspace Hosting (RAX) has leased large chunks of data center space from DuPont Fabros Technology (DFT) in Chicago and northern Viriginia to accommodate tje rapid growth of its cloud hosting operation.
"Our ability to provide top tier datacenter facilities in major markets throughout both North America and Europe makes us the ideal partner for customers such as Terremark," said Michael Foust, Digital Realty’s CEO. "Collaborating with Digital Realty Trust to provide the real estate solution allows Terremark to focus on expanding its managed IT infrastructure services business in Europe."
The NAP of Amsterdam will be completed in early 2011 and will feature diverse connectivity to hundreds of global networks through the AMS-IX node. With network density from all major Dutch Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and several major international ISPs, AMS-IX’s presence in the facility allows Terremark to provide customers with reduced latency and transit costs for their business-critical environments.
"As we look to expand our infrastructure to meet the growing demands of Internet traffic across Europe, world-class partners like Terremark are a key part of our strategy," said Job Witteman, CEO of AMS-IX. "We believe this partnership will greatly benefit our members as well as Terremark’s current and prospective customers."
Cites Strong European Demand
Terremark said its decision to build a European data cenetr hub was driven by strong demand for its services. The company will directly link the new Amsterdam facility to Terremark’s worldwide networks of NAPs, providing customers with access to its global cloud computing infrastructure, as well as an advanced set of disaster recovery solutions.
"The launch of our NAP of Amsterdam project comes as a result of the continued success we have enjoyed in Europe, and is a testament to the high-level of achievement our European team has experienced and the strength of our leadership team in the region," said Manuel D. Medina, Terremark’s Chairman and CEO. "Once completed, the NAP of Amsterdam will provide our company a highly sophisticated, top-tier datacenter facility."
