Data Center POST Interview with Dick Theunissen, Managing Director EMEA, EdgeConneX®
Q&A with Contributing Editor, Kathy Xu
EdgeConneX® Managing Director EMEA, Dick Theunissen, has more than two decades of experience in telecommunications, data center and cloud services, developing and executing successful go-to-market strategies throughout Europe. Prior to joining EdgeConneX, Dick served as Chief Marketing Officer at Interxion and Equinix where he drove double-digit revenue growth while creating value for specific customer verticals. Dick was also instrumental in the acquisition of Ancotel in Frankfurt as well as the establishment of Equinix’s presence in Dubai.
Data Center POST recently had the opportunity to sit down with Dick and discuss EdgeConneX’s expansion throughout Europe, how the unique Edge Data Center (EDC)® model will benefit enterprises and end users throughout the region, and the topics he will explore during an upcoming panel at Datacloud Europe, taking place June 12-14, in Monaco.
Data Center POST Kathy Xu (DCP-KX) Question: EdgeConneX recently expanded its EDCs across the U.S. and South America. Can you tell me about plans to expand throughout Europe?
EdgeConneX, Dick Theunissen (ECX-DT) Answer: At EdgeConneX, we’re dedicated to bringing content closer to end users around the world, and we take this commitment very seriously. Due to the rapid increase in data traffic driven by cloud, OTT services and bandwidth-intensive content and applications, demand for low-latency, reliable connectivity is higher than ever, particularly throughout underserved Tier II and III markets. Recognising this need, EdgeConneX has decided to continue expansion throughout Europe with strategic investments in its existing Dublin EDC and our Amsterdam Data Center Campus. EdgeConneX is considering multiple additional locations for customer expansion across Europe.
DCP-KX Q: How are EdgeConneX’s European data center campuses unique?
ECX-DT A: EdgeConneX’s EDC model provides an effective solution to circumvent the distance, capacity constraints, multiple network hops and centralised processing loads that exist within traditional network architecture. By expanding this unique model throughout Europe, we have the ability to address growing customer demand for reliable, low-latency delivery of content and applications to enterprises on both a local and global level.
DCP-KX Q: What major trends and technologies do you see affecting the cloud space? How is this affecting the way EdgeConneX approaches its business?
ECX-DT A: Industrial and consumer IoT applications such as robotic manufacturing, autonomous vehicles, AI and machine learning are completely disrupting the enterprise cloud landscape. These new technologies require an enormous amount of capacity for the transmission and processing of data, which can be difficult to come by for users in Tier II and III markets. Networks receive constant pressure to satisfy these growing traffic requirements with the lowest possible latency, and the best way to accomplish this is by decreasing the distance between PoPs and end users. As 5G enters the scene, these expectations will only increase, making it necessary to deliver content from the Edge for the fast delivery of bandwidth-intensive and latency-sensitive content and applications.
DCP-KX Q: What will you discuss on your panel at Datacloud Europe?
ECX-DT A: I’m really looking forward to speaking at Datacloud Europe, where I’ll participate on the panel, “Finding Your Edge – What is the Impact of Emergent IT Infrastructure and Technologies on Existing Compute Delivery Models?” During the panel, I’ll explore how Edge computing is the next great step in digital innovation and consumption, and we’ll discuss what this will mean for data center and cloud infrastructure both now and in the future.
DCP-KX: Thank you for spending some time with Data Center POST today, and best wishes at Datacloud Europe. To learn more about EdgeConneX, please visit www.edgeconnex.com. To request a meeting with EdgeConneX during Datacloud Europe, please click here.
