Equinix Opens New Dallas Data Center

Equinix has opened the $34 million first phase of its newest data center in Dallas, further expanding its presence at the Dallas Infomart, one of the city's leading data center hubs. It's the company's fifth data center in the Dallas market, and fourth at the Infomart, where it is the largest colocation provider in the massive, 1.6 million square foot carrier hotel.

The new Equinix facility, known as DA6, includes space and power to support 450 cabinets. Future expansion phases of DA6 will accommodate 900 additional cabinets for a total of over 82,000 square feet of usable colocation space. When DA6 is fully built-out, Equinix’s total Dallas footprint will exceed 230,000 square feet.

The Dallas-Fort Worth region has long been a major Internet and network peering exchange point. The Dallas metron area is home to 18 of the Fortune 500, and has over 3,000 medium to large businesses and is an important U.S. and global economic center. Equinix opened its first facility in Dallas in 2000.

“In the early days of the Internet’s infrastructure, Equinix saw the potential for Dallas to be a major Internet and network peering exchange point. We have invested significantly in the region and, as a result, we now operate the largest Internet exchange in the south central United States, and furthermore, offer excellent interconnection options for some of the largest global enterprises that depend on fast connections to customers and partners to meet their business needs.”

Equinix now operates 100 International Business Exchange data centers in 32 markets across 15 countries across North America, South America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific.

The INFOMART has more than 30 carriers in the building, which was built by Trammell Crow in 1985 as a trade center for the IT industry. Its stunning design, which features a glass facade and seven-story atrium, was modeled after London’s Crystal Palace, the site of the first World’s Fair. In the late 1990s the INFOMART emerged as a primary “carrier hotel” housing telecom firms and data center providers. The building is now owned by DCI Technology Holdings.