Connectivity is to digital business what the circulatory system is to a person — it’s the system of pathways that enables life-sustaining resources to move to and from various mission-critical locations. In a world where data is king, getting and maintaining access to that data across growing footprints is crucial. Now, more and more organizations are asking themselves: How do we cultivate the best connectivity for our goals?
The IX — interconnection or exchange point — has quickly emerged as the key to keeping connectivity running efficiently and helping enterprises build their connectivity strategically and easily. As the physical location where ISPs, CDNs, and various network providers exchange Internet traffic (or peer) directly, the IX is a vital facet of today’s IT framework right beside data centers, the cloud or the physical network. Let’s dig a little deeper into what benefits peering offers and how those advantages are achieved for today’s digital businesses.
Heightened Control and Reduced Cost
Traditional ways of creating interconnections and moving data across geographical distances involved seeking the help of third-party networks to carry traffic on behalf of the organization. In theory there’s nothing wrong with this method — often called transit — but in practice, it can lead to some less-than-ideal outcomes.
Not only does it add on extra costs to pay an upstream provider to carry traffic, but it means data is under the heel of that network. Organizations lose control over how their data is carried, which means it could be taken to a far-off node on the other side of the country before it gets taken to its final destination (a process called tromboning). With peering, direct connections remove the need to pay a third-party entity, and traffic is kept local. That means no more unnecessary stops on your traffic’s trip, and no extra, unnecessary miles added on either.
Lower Latency and Better Performance with an IX
Network performance in the form of speed and low latency are some of the most important considerations for businesses looking to digitally transform, deliver ideal customer experiences or leverage cutting-edge applications. Innovation and success thrives on data’s ability to not just reach its destination, but get there as quickly as possible.
The idea mentioned above of keeping local traffic local supports this vision for ideal traffic management perfectly. The less distance to traverse, the quicker the data gets where it needs to go — that means better performance all around.
Increased Reach and Redundancy
Connectivity today hinges on dense accessibility that reaches to all the areas businesses are today (or may be tomorrow). By aggregating a range of networks in one nexus of connectivity, peering offers both network diversity and resilience in one sleek solution.
With many available networks in one place, an organization never has to worry about a third-party transit provider’s route going down and interrupting their data flows. Instead, if one route isn’t available, another can be easily subbed in to preserve continuity. Plus, with that same variety of peering partners comes access to a greater footprint of networks — it’s a win-win.
It’s Time to Get Started on your IX Journey
All organizations are looking for the best performance at the lowest cost, and peering is a great answer to the call for a ‘best of all worlds’ solution. Results don’t lie — and with peering, the results are great across the board.
Interested in beginning your IX journey? We’d love to chat about your requirements and introduce you to our ecosystem. Click here to get in touch.
