Equinix To Build Third Amsterdam Data Center

Equinix (EQIX) announced plans to build a third data center in Amsterdam (AM3), just six months after the official opening of AM2. This new construction is a part of the plans announced earlier in the year for stepping up its expansion in 2011.

Located in the carrier-dense Amsterdam Science Park, the new facility will provide approximately 6,400 square meters (68,889 square feet) of customer floor space, and is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2012.  Following a phased approach for build-out, the first phase will contain approximately 1,400 cabinet equivalent spaces and when the second and final phase is built the facility will hold 2,800 cabinet equivalents.

"The close proximity to various internet exchanges and the University of Amsterdam will make AM3 one of the key hubs for serving the European continent," said Equinix EMEA President Eric Schwartz. "Moreover, the extremely high carrier density at the Amsterdam Science Park enables customers to improve their networks’ and applications’ flexibility and resilience."

Strong demand in region

Responding to strong demand in the region, AM3 will be the third data center built in Amsterdam in three years.  The $615 to $665 million guidance in 2011 for capital expenditures included the AM3 facility.  “To announce three Amsterdam data centers in three years is a great measure of Equinix’s strategic and financial commitment to supporting the growth of its customers," said Sxhwartz. "The new AM3 IBX will meet strong local and global demand, while underlining Equinix’s commitment to building some of the most energy-efficient carrier-neutral data centers possible."

With a focus on sustainability and the goal of obtaining LEED certification Equinix will use hot and cold storage in the ground wells to avoid the use of powered cooling where possible.  Excess heat from the data center will be used to warm nearby buildings and for other third-party uses.

Equinix recently secured a number of customer deals with TeliaSonera (global) , Orange Business Services (Brazil), Omega ATS (Toronto) and Catalyst Health Solutions.