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Virtacore Systems became the first U.S. customer tenant named for Equinix Business Suites when it moved into Equinix’s new Ashburn, Virginia facility, according to a November 3, 2011 report by Data Center Knowledge. The announcement described a larger, enclosed colocation footprint intended to help Virtacore connect with network and service partners as it expanded hybrid-cloud services.
What were Equinix Business Suites?
Equinix presented Business Suites as enclosed data-center suites for customers needing more space than a typical retail-colocation deployment. The offering was positioned between retail colocation—often cabinets or cages on an open data-center floor—and wholesale data-center space. The 2011 announcement described the model, but did not provide suite dimensions, pricing, or a detailed specification.
Why was Virtacore the first customer?
The report identifies Virtacore as the first U.S. customer tenant for the offering at the new Ashburn facility. It does not explain how Equinix selected Virtacore or establish that the company was the first tenant worldwide.
Virtacore provided cloud hosting and managed hosting to start-ups, small and medium-sized businesses, developers, and enterprises. Its service stack included VMware’s vCloud Platform, an integrated management portal, and Google Apps for Business technologies. An enclosed suite gave the company a larger physical footprint while retaining access to Equinix’s interconnection ecosystem.
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Where did Virtacore use Equinix data-center space?
Before the Ashburn Business Suite, Virtacore leased Equinix IBX space in four markets:
- Silicon Valley
- Chicago
- Los Angeles
- Washington, DC
The company planned to expand into additional Equinix facilities. The announcement does not specify which sites it intended to enter or when.
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How was Business Suites different from ordinary colocation?
| Model | Physical arrangement | What the 2011 report says |
|---|---|---|
| Retail colocation | Cabinets or cages on an open data-center floor | Presented as the smaller-footprint alternative to a Business Suite. |
| Equinix Business Suites | Enclosed suite for a customer needing a larger footprint | Positioned between retail colocation and wholesale space; specific dimensions and costs were not stated. |
| Wholesale data-center space | Not specified in the report | Named as the larger-space end of the comparison, without operational or commercial details. |
The distinction in the announcement is primarily about the physical footprint and enclosure. It does not establish that Business Suites used different connectivity technology from other Equinix colocation options.
How did Equinix support Virtacore’s hybrid-cloud plans?
The stated operational rationale was access to network and service partners through Equinix interconnection. Virtacore said that the expansion would help it reach customers and scale its cloud services; Equinix said the platform enabled faster deployment of hybrid-cloud services for Virtacore’s global customer base. These are explanations of the intended benefit, not measured results.
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The report contains no deployment timeline, latency figures, cost savings, capacity data, or customer-growth measurements. It therefore supports the conclusion that interconnection and a larger footprint were the business rationale, but not a quantified claim that the suite improved performance or reduced costs.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the announcement does—and does not—establish
- Established: In November 2011, Virtacore was identified as Equinix Business Suites’ first U.S. customer tenant at the new Ashburn, Virginia facility.
- Established: Virtacore already leased Equinix IBX space in four markets and planned to enter additional facilities.
- Not established: The suite’s price, size, financial impact, deployment results, or present-day availability and naming.
The customer statement from Virtacore CEO George Naspo characterized the expansion as a way to reach new customers, grow, and keep pace with growth in cloud services. Equinix Americas president Charles Meyers said the platform would help Virtacore deploy hybrid-cloud services quickly. Both statements express the companies’ expectations at the time, rather than independently verified outcomes.
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