Equinix (Nasdaq: EQIX), the leading global provider of network-neutral data centres and Internet exchange services, and Icap (IAP.L), the world's premier interdealer broker, today announced that Icap will expand its premium interconnectivity i-Cross service to Equinix's London-Slough (LD4) Internet Business Exchange (IBX) data centre.
The service is expected to be available by the end of this year.
The expansion will provide a high-bandwidth, low latency connection to ICAP's EBS platform to customers trading spot FX in Europe and builds upon ICAP's current deployment at Equinix IBX centres in the New York area.
ICAP's i-Cross service in LD4 facilitates the hosting of customers' equipment and high speed network connectivity to the matching engine, enabling quicker time to market for a range of foreign exchange (FX) product trading and market data services. i-Cross is of particular benefit to institutions without a physical presence in the region that trade during that region's hours.
ICAP will deliver the i-Cross service within Equinix's next generation LD4 data centre, leveraging Equinix's multi-million dollar investment in the new building that features financial-grade quality and redundancy, including industry leading security, environmental control and power availability.
"This extension of ICAP's services to financial market participants in Equinix's London-Slough data centre builds upon the successful partnership that Equinix and ICAP have in providing high-speed, low-latency access options to customers in North America," commented David Rutter, deputy chief executive officer of ICAP Electronic Broking. "Choosing Equinix as our premium connectivity and proximity partner for Europe was a logical choice."
"Our network-rich LD4 data centre provides a high-performance connectivity platform for ICAP customers seeking the fastest and most reliable links to ICAP's services," added Eric Schwartz, president of Equinix Europe. "The addition of ICAP and their trading platforms to LD4 will also enhance our service offering to the high concentration of financial companies already colocated at Equinix in London, where they have access to a rich mix of carriers and financial extranets providing metro, regional and international connectivity for the electronic trading community."
Equinix's LD4 facility in Slough is a next generation purpose-designed data centre utilising the most advanced infrastructure for industry leading resilience and operational efficiency. The site offers approximately 10,000m2 (107,600 gross sq. ft.) of space with 24 megawatts of power, providing ICAP with immediate access to colocation capacity for high density installations.