Following the continuing success of its remote peering service, Sofia Connect has been given the Silver status as partner of AMS-IX, the world’s largest Internet Exchange measured by connected IP networks. During the past three years Sofia Connect has connected numerous operators from the Balkans and the Caucaus region to AMS-IX located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Remote peering enables Internet Service Providers to become full peering members at the world’s most important Internet Exchanges, thus to strengthen their routing diversity and reliability without the need to deploy own hardware and to lease appropriate circuits. Simply put, remote peering leverages the economies of scale by sharing the transport capacity to the Internet Exchanges based on virtual circuits (VLANs) as well as the deployed hardware. It reduces paperwork, eliminates CAPEX requirements and saves OPEX while also removing complexity from customers’ networks as Sofia Connect fully manages and supports the service.
The affordability and simplicity of remote peering is how Sofia Connect was able to add so many new members to the international peering community of close to 700 participants at AMS-IX.
Mark Cooper, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of AMS-IX explains: “Our partners play an important part in the growth of AMS-IX. Last year, 74% of our new customers joined us via a partner, compared to 68% in 2013. We were the first Internet Exchange in the world to introduce a partner program, making them an integral part of our strategy. It enabled us to increase their involvement and reward successful partners, such as Sofia Connect. It also allowed them to expand their product and service portfolio with the largest professional and neutral exchange in the world.”
AMS-IX introduced its partner program in response to a growing demand from parties worldwide, wanting to connect to AMS-IX. Since the introduction, AMS-IX welcomed customers from, among other regions, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and South America. It is not always easy to connect to Western Europe from these regions, but through the AMS-IX Partner Program many operators can easily connect remotely to one of the most international Internet Exchanges in the world.
Sofia Connect joined the AMS-IX partner program in 2012 and currently connects customers from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Armenia, Georgia and soon also from further countries to AMS-IX.