Interxion

Interxion
Name	Interxion
Type	Subsidiary
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	1998
Fate	Acquired by Digital Realty (2019)
Headquarters	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Area served	Europe
Key people	Matthew McRae (former CEO), David Ruberg (former CEO)
Num employees	1,000–2,000 (approx.)

Interxion was a European provider of carrier-neutral colocation data centers and interconnection services, founded in 1998 and headquartered in Amsterdam. It operated a network of purpose-built facilities across major European markets serving customers in finance, cloud computing, content delivery, and telecommunications. Interxion was acquired by Digital Realty in 2020 after a 2019 agreement, becoming part of a larger global data center platform.

History

Interxion was established in 1998 during the expansion of the Internet and the dot-com era, contemporaneous with firms like Equinix, TelecityGroup, and KPN. During the 2000s it expanded into markets such as London, Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, and Madrid, competing alongside operators including NTT Communications, Colt Technology Services, and CenturyLink. The company pursued growth through facility build-outs and acquisitions, mirroring consolidation trends seen with Telefonica investments and mergers like Vodafone transactions in European infrastructure. Interxion's 2010s strategy emphasized connectivity and carrier neutrality, attracting customers from Deutsche Börse, Intercontinental Exchange, Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud Platform. In 2019 Interxion entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Digital Realty, concluding a regulatory review overseen by authorities in the European Commission and national competition agencies.

Services and Facilities

Interxion provided colocation, managed space and power, and cross-connect services designed for industries such as financial services, cloud providers, content delivery networks, and managed service providers. Its offerings included single-cabinet, private cage, and private suite deployments, supported by redundant power systems and HVAC from vendors like Schneider Electric and ABB. Interxion's product set addressed requirements for low-latency trading used by firms on London Stock Exchange, Deutsche Börse, and Euronext, as well as cloud on-ramps for AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. The company participated in peering exchanges such as LINX, DE-CIX, and AMS-IX, enabling interconnection among carriers like BT Group, Orange S.A., Vodafone, cloud providers, and content platforms including Netflix, Akamai Technologies, and Cloudflare.

Data Center Locations

Interxion operated facilities in major European metros including Amsterdam, London, Paris, Frankfurt am Main, Madrid, Dublin, Stockholm, Vienna, Brussels, Lisbon, Copenhagen, Zürich, and Milan. Data center campuses hosted by Interxion were often sited near financial districts such as the City of London and the Frankfurt Stock Exchange hub, and near key internet exchanges like AMS-IX in Amsterdam and DE-CIX in Frankfurt. The geographic footprint enabled low-latency interconnection for trading firms on NYSE Euronext markets and content distribution across European ISPs including Telefonica, SFR (France) and Proximus.

Network and Connectivity

Interxion emphasized carrier neutrality, maintaining dense ecosystem connectivity with hundreds of carriers, ISPs, content delivery networks, and cloud on-ramps. Facilities interconnected with major internet exchanges including LINX, DE-CIX, AMS-IX, and regional exchanges, facilitating peering relationships among operators such as Level 3 Communications, Virgin Media, KPN, and Hetzner Online. Interxion’s cross-connect architecture supported high-frequency trading participants tied to CME Group and Euronext, and enabled hybrid architectures integrating AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, and Google Cloud Interconnect. The company marketed solutions for disaster recovery and business continuity used by clients with workloads tied to SAP SE, Oracle Corporation, Siemens, and media organizations like BBC and Sky Group.

Corporate Structure and Ownership

Originally an independent European company, Interxion was publicly listed on the New York Stock Exchange before becoming a subsidiary of Digital Realty following the 2019 acquisition. Its corporate governance included boards and committees typical of public companies and engaged with institutional investors such as BlackRock, Vanguard Group, and Fidelity Investments during its NYSE tenure. The acquisition integrated Interxion’s European footprint into Digital Realty’s global portfolio, aligning with consolidation trends seen in transactions involving Equinix and other global colocation providers.

Sustainability and Certifications

Interxion pursued energy-efficiency initiatives and certifications, working toward standards like ISO 27001 for information security and ISO 50001 for energy management, and pursuing compliance with PCI DSS for payment and card-data environments. The company implemented energy-efficiency measures consistent with guidance from organizations such as the European Commission energy initiatives and industry groups like the Uptime Institute. Interxion reported on power usage effectiveness (PUE) metrics and engaged with renewable energy providers and local utilities including RWE, EDF (Électricité de France), and municipal grid operators in European markets.

Notable Customers and Partnerships

Interxion’s ecosystem included financial institutions and exchanges like Goldman Sachs, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, Deutsche Bank, and UBS, as well as cloud and content partners including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Google, Akamai Technologies, and Cloudflare. Strategic partnerships involved network carriers and internet exchanges such as BT Group, Colt, DE-CIX, and LINX. The company also serviced media and gaming clients including Netflix, Electronic Arts, and broadcasters like BBC and Sky Group, supporting content delivery, cloud connectivity, and low-latency trading infrastructures.

Category:Data centers Category:Telecommunications companies of the Netherlands