The London Internet Exchange (LINX) have announced the expansion of their official partnership with Microsoft to the United States, with the introduction of the Azure Peering Service at LINX NoVA. Celebrating a decade of digital excellence in interconnection services, the expansion coincides with the 10th anniversary of LINX NoVA, the largest neutral and only multi-site IXP in the Northern Virginia (NoVA) region.
LINX’s Microsoft Azure Peering Service (MAPS) is a tailored solution for networks utilizing essential tools like Microsoft 365, Microsoft Teams, and Dynamics 365. This service, which has already been deployed at two of LINX’s UK hubs in London and Manchester, is pivotal for businesses that rely heavily on these applications for their day-to-day operations and user engagement. By offering MAPS, LINX provides a direct connection to all public Microsoft cloud services, including Azure, 365, and Dynamics 365, without a minimum traffic barrier, thereby broadening accessibility for various network sizes.
LINX NoVA, known for its robust and well-connected ecosystem, brings together a diverse range of networks, content providers, and service providers across multiple data center locations in the NoVA metro area. This convergence creates an ideal platform for enhanced connectivity and innovation, driving the digital economy forward in the region.
“We are excited to announce that MAPS is now available at LINX NoVA,” said Mike Hellers, Product Development Manager for LINX. “We are seeing an increase in interest at our UK interconnection hubs for MAPS, from networks particularly within the enterprise, government and public sector. So being able to bring this to our US member network community is a real value add, and also a unique service that some new to LINX networks will be interested in discussing.”
By establishing a presence at LINX NoVA, MAPS reaffirms its commitment to enhancing the digital landscape in the United States. The partnership with LINX brings a wealth of opportunities for network operators, content providers, and service providers, who can now leverage this powerful interconnection hub for their peering needs.
The introduction of MAPS at LINX NoVA offers significant advantages:
- Fully Automated Ordering Process: Through the LINX portal, networks can experience a simplified and streamlined ordering process.
- Direct Cloud Connectivity: Operators gain direct access to any public Microsoft cloud service, ensuring efficient and integrated connections.
- Optimized Performance: With MAPS, network operators will enjoy low latency, reliable uptime, and advanced security, enhancing their overall network performance.
- Monitoring Platform: Through the Azure portal, performance and availability of the Peering Service are made available through the Service monitoring platform. It offers a number of metrics including BGP session availability, packet drops, flap events latency and prefix events.
- Additionally, networks already connected to LINX can transition from ordering to active peering in just five minutes, demonstrating the efficiency and user-friendliness of the service.
LINX NoVA continues to thrive as a key hub for internet exchange, serving as a vital nexus for the digital world. With MAPS now live at this location, the benefits of efficient, low-latency peering are more accessible than ever.
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