365 Main Launches San Francisco Exchange

365 Main Inc. has launched SFMIX, which the company says is the first Internet exchange point in downtown San Francisco. SFMIX will allow customers and network providers within 365 Main's data center to exchange traffic with one another. SFMIX is immediately available to customers, who will receive a Gigabit cross-connect to the peering fabric without monthly charge. The Gigabit Internet exchange also features direct fiber-optic connectivity to San Francisco's Financial District and the media and technology corridor located south of Market Street.

365 Main worked closely with Packet Clearing House (PCH) on the construction of SFMIX. PCH, a non-profit institute researching Internet traffic exchanges and the optimization of routing Internet traffic, has also agreed to develop exchange points in other 365 Main facilities, such as 365 Main's 135,000 sq. ft. El Segundo property in Los Angeles. The company's announcement said that "additional locations will be announced in coming months" - perhaps a hint that 365 Main is close to announcing additional data center acquisitions.

There are over 150 Internet exchange points like SFMIX in North America alone, each serving as a factory that produces Internet bandwidth. These factories are a fundamental part of the Internet's infrastructure, enabling data to pass from one network to another without bottlenecks.

"We're very encouraged to see progressive data center operators like 365 Main understanding the core economics of Internet growth and allowing their tenants to make the transition to the next generation of multi-gigabit Internet service," said PCH Research Director, Bill Woodcock. "The combination of carrier-neutrality, available physical footprint for growth, and a fast, free Internet exchange point are the ingredients for explosive growth."

"Internet Exchange services are a vital aspect of the premium-facility, carrier neutral model that 365 Main has successfully embraced," said Dan Golding, Sr. Analyst at Tier1 Research. "Packet Clearing House is a top notch peering resource, and together the two companies will be delivering an outstanding, highly available service."