BT boosts interconnectivity with Equinix, broadens Optiva partnership

In a brace of moves designed to strengthen its enterprise communications offerings, BT has installed its Global Fabric across an international footprint of Equinix datacentres to interconnect customers with their digital value chains, and implemented B2B and B2B2X BT network communication services using Optiva’s application server technology.

In the expansion of its Equinix partnership, BT said its primary aim is to help multinational organisations boost innovation and accelerate business outcomes.

The artificial intelligence (AI)-ready, Global Fabric network-as-a-service (NaaS) platform is now deployed in over 30 Equinix datacentres, set to grow to 40 in the next year. This, said BT, will span the world’s top 30 business locations, covering 95% of the world’s cloud interconnection traffic.

When fully built out, Global Fabric will be available to customers internationally via 140 points of presence, hosted in cloud locations across 40 countries. It will offer 74% direct coverage of hyperscaler clouds and pre-provisioned, high-bandwidth connectivity to over 700 datacentres.

Equinix’s global platform is designed to connect multiple clouds hosting the apps, services and marketplaces underpinning the digital economy. It provides access to approximately 2,000 network services, approximately 3,000 cloud and IT services, over 400 content and digital media services, and more than 4,800 enterprises.

BT regards the new agreement as enabling it to broaden its ability to offer its customers a comprehensive choice of the best locations for their business to digitally interconnect with partners, suppliers, customers and other stakeholders across their full value chain. It builds on BT Group’s existing quantum secure communications relationship with Equinix, following what it called the UK’s first datacentre-to-datacentre connection using the technology.

Putting the deal intro context, Equinix cited its Global interconnection index, showing that digital ecosystems are growing exponentially, with as much as 80% of business-to-business sales interactions expected to occur in digital channels by the end of 2025. “Our partnership enables BT to offer its customers interconnectivity with the full Equinix global digital ecosystem of cloud and IT services, as well as hundreds of content and digital media services, and over 4,800 enterprises hosted at our datacentres globally,” said Arun Dev, global head of digital interconnection at Equinix.

Matt Swinden, director of digital connectivity for business at BT, added: “Global Fabric combined with Equinix’s global ecosystem of infrastructure, cloud and digital service widens the choice we offer to customers of the best locations to interconnect their full business value chain. It will help make trading, partnering and operating a multinational business, better.” 

Meanwhile, the telco said that with the Optiva platform it can now advance enterprise service innovation by enabling future-proven business services, implementing B2B and B2B2X dynamic network communication services, advancing its capabilities to increase enterprise services and offer businesses “unmatched” flexibility and capabilities.

In January 2024, BT Group selected Optiva for its next-generation Application Server upgrade to allow it to evolve from legacy technology, modernise services and increase 5G network coverage penetration with what it claims will be a “fully flexible” service creation.

BT Group sees enterprise applications as essential for B2B services and cutting-edge consumer applications, which it said must be modernised in parallel with the network’s evolution.

Optiva has implemented new interfaces and technologies to evolve a traditional network into a next-generation network. Furthering their joint vision, Optiva and BT assured that they will work to advance the platform by integrating B2B services to enhance and deliver their network convergence capabilities with added flexibility.