Equinix Sells Hawaii Data Center

Equinix, Inc. (EQIX) has sold its Honolulu data center to DR Fortress, LLC, a new company comprised of former Equinix employees. The sale, which is expected to be completed today, allows Equinix to focus on its primary growth markets, especially New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C., where it will be opening new centers in 2007.

Originally acquired by Equinix from Pihana Pacific in 2002, the existing Honolulu center and staff will be managed by DR Fortress, a Hawaiian-based operator of managed colocation facilities. The staff and customers will continue with DR Fortress, and include many staff members who were part of the original design team that built the center in 2000. The transition is expected to provide seamless continuity of all Equinix service, including the Internet peering exchange. DR Fortress said it is planning to increase the capacity of the center in order to meet the growth demands of customers.

DR Fortress, LLC was founded by Jeff Brown (CEO), Fred Rodi (President), Rosa White (CFO) and Vinh Do (CTO). The company has raised more than $11 million in an initial round of debt and equity funding from institutional backers including SevenSeas Asset Management Co., Ltd., AIPA Properties, LLC and First Hawaiian Bank, along with private investors from Hawaii, the US mainland and Japan.

"DR Fortress pairs a strong business plan with determined leadership in a market ripe for expansion," said Sam Chung, a Principle at Peninsula Real Estate Partners and member of the DR Fortress Board of Directors. "That combination is a magnet for sophisticated investors."

"This facility is vital to the State's economy and technology initiatives," said Rodi. "Dozens of the area's leading enterprises, network providers and eCommerce companies maintain their applications here. Similarly, several organizations outside of Hawaii also use the datacenter to reach audiences throughout the Pacific region. Equinix has prepared a solid foundation from which we can build a local growth business."

DR Fortress said it will add 75kW of electrical power to the colocation facility and increase cabinet capacity by 15% in the first quarter of 2007. Additional expansion opportunities are also being evaluated.