Building customized connectivity solutions for your business can be far easier than it might sound. Follow our four simple steps to get started.
1. Connect to an Internet Exchange
Well, we run Internet Exchanges, so the first step we recommend is to get connected to one. Internet Exchanges – also known as an Internet Exchange points – are basically interconnection platforms that enable data to flow from one network provider to another via a process known as peering, ensuring traffic flows directly between networks, quickly, and cost-efficiently. But these days, these platforms offer additional services using the same backbone but bypassing the “public” Internet.
2. Start peering
Once you are connected to an Internet Exchange, you can connect and exchange data directly and securely with hundreds of other networks and partners. This can be achieved by peering publicly – over the Internet – or by using private connections that bypass the Internet. Through this interconnection, you can avoid congested transit routes and transmit your data via the most direct path. We have written a white paper full of reasons why you should peer.
3. Connect directly to your cloud service providers
You are most likely using cloud service providers such as Microsoft Azure or AWS? Through your connection to an Internet Exchange, you can also create dedicated connectivity between your infrastructure and your chosen cloud service providers – a fast, secure, and private connection that bypasses the Internet. And with the Microsoft Azure Peering Service you can get optimized connectivity to Microsoft’s SaaS cloud, including Microsoft 365.
4. Set up a Closed User Group
Do you need your own interconnection environment? A Closed User Group (CUG) is a secure private ecosystem which again bypasses the public Internet but is directly accessible from multiple interconnected data centers. This setup solves the challenge of interconnecting with other networks within a closed environment, while enjoying the benefits of speed, simplicity, and security. Using a CUG you can connect with a variety of selected partners to exchange data securely and efficiently according to your own performance, security, and compliance policies.
To learn more about how to optimize connectivity and the role of Internet Exchanges, download our new ebook “Beyond the Internet: The era of custom connectivity” to find out more.