Since the dawn of the internet’s astounding connection capabilities, the world has opened up in new and previously unimaginable ways, paving new inroads for innovation and collaboration. Yet, since the advent of this world wide web, it’s had its foibles too. Yes, the internet and the connectivity that creates it is full of eccentricities (and in worse cases, pitfalls) that seem to intensify as demands on connections grow. A perfect digital world is unattainable — but what is the closest you can get to having control in an unpredictable world? How close can an organization get to perfect interconnection?  

We think it’s safe to say that for those ideal outcomes, peering is the way to go. 

A Peer Review

Peering has become a leading tool in the digital toolbox for a host of reasons. After all, if you’re a business operating in our digitalized era, you’re probably seeking one, two (or most likely all) of these to support the experiences of you and your customers: optimized performance, cost savings, scalability, reliability and control. 

There are few options that can provide such wide-ranging benefits, but peering is certainly one of them. Directly interconnecting between networks offers a plethora of business-boosting benefits. Here’s a breakdown of a few of them:

  • Enhanced Performance and Experiences: Today’s applications and business operations demand high-performance, near-real time data transfer speeds without lag, jitter or loss. By cutting out intermediaries and directly connecting networks, all of these experience-killing effects can be reduced by more efficient routes. 
  • Improved Cost Efficiency: By peering directly with other networks, customers can reduce the amount of transit traffic they need to purchase from third-party providers and eliminate additional transit costs. This means the potential for significant cost savings over time — especially for organizations with high data transfer requirements.
  • Increased Reliability: Peering delivers SLAs to guarantee performance and uptime — plus, connecting to a wealth of networks delivers alternative options if one route is unavailable for any reason. This built-in redundancy and control over how data flows means connectivity can be more reliable than ever even when life throws something unexpected into the mix. 
  • Elevated Scalability: Businesses are growing and changing rapidly now, incorporating new capabilities, tools, platforms and services. The foundational network needs to be able to grow and accommodate these changes at the pace of digital business. A peering ecosystem provides the flexibility to quickly and easily establish new connections with other networks, allowing for on-demand scalability and effectively reducing time to innovation. 
  • Convenient Content and Service Access: Remember those new platforms, services and tools we just mentioned? Peering can help keep businesses conveniently connected with those too. Peering with content delivery networks (CDNs), cloud providers, and other service providers easily from a one-stop-shop location improves access for businesses and end users alike.

Of course, any peering ecosystem that’s situated within a robust data center environment only compounds convenience, security, reliability and more. Plus, if that data center resides in a strategic location that inherently offers enhanced geographic reach, a peering ecosystem only serves to further sweeten the deal. In this way, we can see how these interconnection ecosystems can quickly double, triple or even quadruple business benefits — it’s exponential value through a simple port. If you’d like even more details on why an IX offers great bang for your buck, don’t miss this blog. 

Still, there are some peering ecosystems that set themselves apart from the rest, and not every ecosystem is created equal. However, it’s a simple equation to learn which peering ecosystems are worth their salt: The bigger it is, the more value it delivers — and the faster it grows, the more connectivity potential you have access to. 

Expanding Your Digital Horizons

At 1623 Farnam and Omaha IX, we know that the only bad IX is a stagnant one. All peering offers value, but to be the most strategic partner, every IX operator should prioritize growth and the addition of new and valuable peers. Think digital voraciousness; a ‘more is more’ philosophy.

Here’s how more peers equate to more opportunity for all in every IX ecosystem: 

  • Connectivity Diversification: In a world where every business is unique, options are a welcome resource for cultivating a customized connectivity approach. (Want more on that? Don’t miss this blog on the importance of customization.) As the ecosystem expands and new peers join, customers gain access to a broader range of connectivity options. This larger pool of potential network providers, CDNs, cloud platforms, and other service providers delivers even more coverage in new markets. The result is an even greater ability to find value and tailor foundational network connections for new goals, needs and growth trajectories
  • Redundancy and Resilience: With these inroads into new geographical markets, new connections in existing areas also offer greater reliability as well. A growing peering ecosystem enhances redundancy and resilience with more interconnected networks, offering peers a variety of paths for data transmission and reducing the risk of downtime or service disruptions. That’s a win for everyone. 
  • Collaboration and Innovation: Of course, IXs foster the connection of peers in more than just a technical fashion — often, interconnection locations become a hub of innovation for those within the ecosystem. This is more than just a place where networks come together. It is a place for minds to come together, introductions to be made, relationships to be strengthened and new, exciting projects to begin. Here, customers can leverage the expertise and resources of other network operators and service providers to develop new products, services, and solutions that address emerging trends and demands.
  • Future Proofing: Insurance for the future is a rare commodity in a fast-changing world, but a growing ecosystem of value creates ongoing betterment that supports business demands both now and into the future. By staying connected to a dynamic, evolving ecosystem, customers can adapt more easily to changes in the industry landscape and take advantage of emerging opportunities too.

So, why are we talking about it? Well, partially because this is something everyone should know — but also because we never miss an opportunity to celebrate our own partners, peers and ecosystem players. Omaha IX’s ecosystem is thriving in the Midwest — all thanks to our existing participants and new peers knocking on our door every day. Just recently, we were honored to welcome several new valuable peers to our ecosystem, including Manning Municipal Utilities, Quick Current — Nebraska and Colorado Communications Transport. Did we mention that Megaport also just increased their Omaha IX presence to allow for 100G capabilities?

This truly is a rising tide that lifts all boats, and if you’re looking for the right place to peer, don’t hesitate to reach out. Also, if you want to keep tabs on our growing ecosystem, you can find our list of participants here and new partner shoutouts on our LinkedIn.