Equinix closes some European data centers as coronavirus crisis hits
To prevent the coronavirus from spreading at its facilities, Equinix has decided to close its data centers in France, Germany, Italy and Spain.
As part of the company’s coronavirus protection measures, “visitors, customers, customer contractors and non-critical Equinix Vendors will not be permitted to enter the IBX facilities” in those European countries.
At Equinix’s other data centers around the world, entry will be by appointment only though customers have been asked to “limit appointment requests during this unprecedented situation for only the most urgent and critical work”.
President and CEO of Equinix, Charles Meyers reassured customers that its data centers will remain operational in a letter to customers, saying:
“We have activated our business continuity plans with the goal of ensuring seamless operations throughout this situation, including provisions for ensuring all data centers remain staffed and fully operational and that our IBXs are equipped with the necessary equipment and supplies.”
Smart Hands
Instead of having customers come in and move their own equipment around its data centers, Equinix’s “Smart Hands” service has its employees install customer equipment instead. While the service comes at an additional cost, the company “will evaluate fee waivers for our Smart Hands service on a case-by-case basis” for business-critical requests that customers cannot afford.
Equinix’s warehouses will also be closed and customers will not be allowed to pick up any incoming equipment. Instead, the company’s staff will do the job and move any new equipment to customers’ racks or to a holding bay.
In its advisory on the matter, the company explained that “secure cabinet customers will also be able to continue to receive shipments at the IBX”. This is good news as hyperscale clouds, such as AWS, rent secure areas in Equinix’s data centers.
The company’s conference rooms will also be off-limits due to these measures and no more than five people per party are welcome to visit its data centers. Everything these visitors touch, such as door handles, will be disinfected to prevent the virus from spreading.
Via The Register