Internet exchange operator Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX) and the San Francisco-based wholesale data center provider Digital Realty Trust announced the deployment of AMS-IX in Digital Realty's data center in New York City.

This initiative is a response to the endorsement process by Open-IX, a recently formed non-profit charged with creating a neutral, member-governed and distributed internet exchange in the US.

AMS-IX plans to establish a distributed internet exchange in several locations across the US. In Amsterdam, the AMS-IX exchange platform is distributed across 12 data centers serving about 600 internet provider networks around the world.

Job Witteman, CEO of AMS-IX, said, “We are very pleased to be partnering with Digital Realty on the deployment of the first AMS-IX distributed exchange in New York and look forward to working with them on future AMS-IX locations across their US portfolio. We believe that a distributed exchange offers the best value if customers have a wide selection of data center locations to choose from.”

The US exchange fits AMS-IX's strategy of building exchanges in hub locations around the world, according to the organization. Witteman and his team believe this model will add value to the IP interconnection market in the US by decreasing complexity and expense.

John Sarkis, VP of carrier and connectivity operations at Digital Realty, said, “Having AMS-IX as part of our open Internet exchange environment provides the foundation for a successful initiative for our customers. With our ecosystem in place, our customers, not only in the NY Metro market, but across our entire portfolio, will have direct access to the AMS-IX exchange in New York, helping solidify the movement towards a more efficient means of connectivity.”