Equinix Announces Hurricane Irene Continuity Plan

As you would expect, our Site Operations personnel have taken additional precautionary measures to guard against interruption of customer services due to the approaching hurricane.

What are some of the measures Equinix is taking

• The generators have been tested, fuel tanks are full, levels verified, and backup fuel vendors have been placed on standby in the event of extended power interruption.
• Special arrangements have been made to make sure staff are available on site as necessary to maintain operability standards.
• We have secured hotel rooms near the sites, and have brought in cots, MREs, and other emergency supplies, should the situation become extreme.

What about flood risk?

• All East Coast IBXs are minimally several feet above flood plain.
• We have staged leak diversion kits, sandbags, tarps, vinyl sheeting, etc. with which to secure doors and windows.
• All drains and sump pumps have been verified as free from debris and in working order.

Who should I contact during the storm for updates?

• During the storm, the most effective way for customers to get updates is to call 866-EQUINIX or 866-378-4649 or email support@equinix.com. In case of landline outages, we have an extensive cellphone network in place to provide updates to the ERC (Equinix Response Center, as listed above.
• In case of an outage of any type, customers will be sent an Equinix Incident Notification via email with details of such outage and applicable updates to the outage resolution.

How will I know when the danger has passed?

• Equinix will send updates to customers every two hours through the Equinix Incident Notification process if and as Irene’s path indicates an IBX is within the storm’s path. Specific Incident Notifications will be sent if, and when, additional incidents arise in accordance with our standard and customary processes.
• Supplemental staff will be in place for both our sites and support teams. 1- 866-EQUINIX and support@equinix.com will be available to answer specific questions for the duration of the storm.

http://www.equinix.com/company/news-and-events/press-releases/hurricane-irene/

NYSE Weighs Shutdown Options as Irene Risk Closes Subways

from Bloomberg:

>>Equinix Inc. (EQIX), which operates data centers used by exchanges and alternative markets including dark pools to house their main computers and trading technology, will have more employees ready to work if the storm affects the operation of its facilities. Dark pools are private venues that compete with exchanges without displaying bids and offers publicly.

“The data centers are built to withstand very, very bad storms,” Steve Smith, chief executive officer of the Redwood City, California-based company, said in an interview in New York. “We’re double-checking our fuel to make sure we have reserves if we lose power,” he said. “We’re double-checking the generators. We’ll have more staff on standby, and on Sunday night and Monday we’ll be on higher alert.”

Backup fuel vendors are also on standby in case additional levels are required, Sam Kapoor, chief operating officer at Equinix, said in an e-mail. All of the company’s data centers are staffed around the clock, he said.

Cirracore And Canvas Systems Partner To Exhibit CloudPod And Private Cloud Hosting At VMworld 2011

Cirracore, a global provider of enterprise cloud hosting services, and Canvas Systems, a global leader in IT infrastructure solutions and services, announced today that the two companies will be partnering to exhibit Canvas Systems CloudPod(TM) Solutions that provide Infrastructure-as-a-Service for private clouds and Cirracore’s private cloud hosting services at Equinix, at VMworld 2011 in Las Vegas.

“We will be performing live demonstrations of a private cloud using VMware and Canvas System’s CloudPod to exhibit a private cloud in a rack. Cirracore has recently joined the VMware VSPP (VMware Service Provider Program) to offer VMware hosting services. Combined with Cirracore’s enterprise-class data centers at Equinix facilities, the Cirracore/CloudPod combination is a compelling solution for enterprises considering cloud deployments either on-site or off-site in one of our data centers”, stated Matthew Elkourie, CTO of Cirracore.

“Canvas Systems’ CloudPod Solutions provide an painless method for enterprises to migrate to private clouds from physical infrastructures. CloudPod offers a complete hardware and software stack in a self-contained locking cabinet that can be deployed on-site or hosted with Cirracore”, stated Dave Rollo, Business Development Manager Rental at Canvas Systems.

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Samsung introduces new GALAXY smartphone naming strategy, expands GALAXY smartphone range

from Engadget, Samsung's P/R:

>>SEOUL--(Korea Newswire) August 24, 2011 -- Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., a leading mobile phone provider, today announced a new naming strategy for its GALAXY range of smartphones. The creation of the new naming system is marked by the release of four new GALAXY smartphone, the GALAXY W, GALAXY M Pro, GALAXY Y and GALAXY Y Pro, all of which run on the powerful Android 2.3 Gingerbread operating systems.

Samsung has created a new and simplified system of naming its smartphones, focused on its ever-expanding portfolio of industry-leading Android devices. The naming structure will organize and group all devices into five classes, identified by a single alphabetical letter. Devices will then be further designated by an additional indicator which will identify specific functionality.

"As Samsung continues to innovate, our goal is to provide consumers with an experience uniquely tailored to their needs. We have introduced steps to ensure users can simply identify the device designed to deliver the perfect experience for them," said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business.

"In addition to this new naming strategy at IFA this year we unveilling the GALAXY W, GALAXY M Pro, GALAXY Y and GALAXY Y Pro – designed with the professional and social consumer in mind. These products further build on the phenomenal success we have enjoyed with the GALAXY range."

New ways to identify your GALAXY Smartphones

According to the new naming structure, new class designators refer to the specific category that the smartphone product fits into, for example a premium device, or an entry-level device. All classes will be used within the higher branding of the 'GALAXY' smartphones.

- "S" (Super Smart) – Devices at the very pinnacle of Samsung's mobile portfolio. This class will only be used on flagship devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S, the award-winning smartphone that has already sold 10 million units throughout the world.
· "R" (Royal / Refined) – Premium category models, a combination of power, performance and productivity for the individual who wants to be defined by the technology they carry.
· "W" (Wonder) – High quality, strategic models, perfect for those seeking a balance between style and performance.
· "M" (Magical) –High-performance models at an economic price-point.
· "Y" (Young) – These are entry models or strategic models for emerging markets or a younger audience more sensitive to price.
Class indicators allow a more specific description of the key selling points of a device:

- "Pro" – This indicates that the device includes a QWERTY keyboard for speedier email typing and increased productivity for professionals.
- "Plus" – This indicates that the device is an upgrade from an existing model.
- "LTE" – This indicates that the device is designed to utilize LTE (Long-Term Evolution) connectivity standards, a 4G standard to provide increased mobile network capacity and speed.

all Equinix data centers on the East Coast operating normally

from Equinix FB page:

>At this time, all Equinix data centers and offices on the East Coast are operating normally after the DC-area earthquake.

Traders, Electronic Systems Tested By Tuesday's Quake

from online.wsj.com:

>Representatives for NYSE Euronext (NYX), Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. (NDAQ), BATS Global Markets, Direct Edge and the International Securities Exchange said that dealing in securities and stock options continued unabated following the earthquake.

...

The quake tested the high-tech infrastructure supporting stock and derivatives markets that are now heavily electronic. New York-area data centers run by NYSE Euronext and specialist firms such as Equinix Inc. (EQIX) and Telx Group Inc. saw no hitches affecting the trades and messages among exchanges, brokers and proprietary trading firms.

Chi-East Selects Equinix as its Primary Data Centre

SINGAPORE — August 23, 2011 —

Chi-East, the independent, pan-Asian trading venue, and Equinix, Inc. (Nasdaq: EQIX), a provider of global data centre services, today announced that Chi-East has chosen Equinix’s Singapore 2 (SG2) International Business Exchange™ (IBX®) as its primary data centre. Chi-East, which commenced operations in the fourth quarter of 2010, is the world’s first exchange-backed, non-displayed trading platform¹ for securities listed in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.

With the selection of Equinix, Chi-East’s participants will benefit from the data centre provider’s existing carrier and financial network connectivity infrastructure, offering participants low latency proximity hosting options for the 3,264 securities currently supported on Chi-East’s system. This includes all SGX-listed shares, all Hong Kong Main Board listed shares, the component stocks of the TOPIX 100 and all listed ETFs in the three markets.

“One of the unique features of Chi-East is our ability to provide non-displayed trading to clients located throughout Asia from a single location in Singapore. To do this, we have selected a partner that can provide low latency services to our trading participants,” said Ned Phillips, CEO of Chi-East. “We chose Platform Equinix because of its established financial ecosystem, low latency infrastructure and highly secure environment.

“Equinix constantly meets the stringent requirements of the financial community for high performance, connectivity and low latency. We are pleased to support Chi-East in achieving its goal of becoming the first exchange-backed non-display liquidity venue in Asia Pacific,” said David Wilkinson, senior director, business development for Equinix in Asia Pacific.

“The addition of a strong trading venue like Chi-East to the Equinix portfolio showcases our capabilities to provide a neutral environment with optimal connectivity. It further demonstrates how Platform Equinix can provide market participants with access to new business opportunities across multiple locations,” added Wilkinson.