Equinix, Inc. has announced it plans to develop a new International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) data center in Osaka, called OS1, which will be its first data center in the western region of Japan. Equinix together with K-Opticom, one of the largest access providers in Osaka/Kansai area and Kanden Energy Solutions (KENES) will open the new data center in Osaka in Q4 of 2013. The data center will strengthen global network connectivity in Osaka by directly connecting to Dojima, the network core in Osaka. This follows Equinix’s recent announcement to build its fourth IBX data center in Tokyo in response to high demand for data center services in Japan. The total investment for Phase 1 of the Osaka data center will be $12M.

“Osaka is another important strategic market, along with Tokyo in Japan. Many of our global customers have requested Equinix data center services in Osaka. With the support of K-Opticom, Kenes and O-BIC, we can meet that demand by opening our first IBX data center in Osaka. As the backbone of the digital economy Platform Equinix is used by more than 4,000 customers worldwide and serves as an interconnection platform to promote business growth among customers. I am honored to be able to help invigorate the Osaka economy and promote internationalization through OS,” said Kei Furuta, managing director of Equinix Japan.

The new OS1 data center will provide total capacity of 32,000 sq ft and over 800 cabinets equivalents. The first phase, scheduled to open in Q4, 2013, will provide initial capacity of 320 cabinets. OS1 is an ideal data center option for business continuity planning outside of Tokyo with its state-of-the-art, seismically isolated infrastructure and central location in Osaka, minimizing the risk and damage from floods and earthquakes.

Osaka is Japan’s second largest economy after Tokyo and saw its internet traffic grow by 68% and bandwidth increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 56% from 2008 to 2012 rivaling Tokyo¹. With access to more than 900 domestic and international carriers, OS1 will promote the internationalization of Osaka. OS1 will also strengthen Osaka’s international communication infrastructure as a global network hub through direct connectivity via optical fiber to Dojima, the network core in Osaka.

In addition, OS1 will offer customers in Osaka Equinix Internet Exchange (EIE) services, the world’s most widely distributed peering and traffic exchange available in 19 locations around the world. The Equinix Internet Exchange provides customers an efficient and cost-effective means to leverage Equinix ecosystems for traffic exchange and transit.

By leveraging Platform Equinix™, with the world’s largest global footprint, current and prospective customers can quickly expand their businesses to new markets including Osaka with the assurance of receiving the same level of service quality and performance. Customers in OS1 will also be able to access Equinix Marketplace™ to identify potential customers and partners from among more than 4,000 ecosystem participants offering a range of services inside Equinix data centers. Furthermore, by offering bilingual support in Japanese and English, OS1 will help Japanese multinational companies in the Kansai region expand their businesses overseas.

K-Opticom has the most robust access network in the Osaka region, which will enable multinational telecommunication companies to interconnect with local networks to serve their international customers. As a result OS1 will provide domestic and international customers with dedicated network connectivity services via multiple paths with high reliability.

Kenes will combine its technology, know-how and experience of KEPCO (Kansai Electric Power Co., Ltd.) with Equinix’s expertise in building and operating data centers worldwide to provide a state of the art, global data center in Osaka.