On September 14, 2007, data center operator Equinix (equinix.com) has completed the acquisition of collocation provider IXEurope (ixeurope.com), originally announced by the company in June. The acquisition, which was approved by IXEurope's shareholders and UK courts, gives Equinix a strong presence in Europe and strengthens its position as the largest provider of global network-neutral collocation and network exchange services.

IXEurope offers network-neutral collocation services in the European market. It operates 14 data centers spanning approximately 325,000 square feet of net sellable space throughout Europe, including centers in Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, London, Munich, Paris and Zurich. The company has more than 450 enterprise and Internet customers, including Capgemini, Citigroup and Deutsche Boerse Systems.

Steve Smith, CEO of Equinix, said: "The acquisition of IXEurope allows us to provide customers with a colocation solution globally and solidifies Equinix's position as the worldwide market leader in network-neutral collocation services. Our entry into the European market is strategic to our worldwide expansion efforts, as the market demand for premium data center collocation and network-neutral exchange services continue to accelerate."

Equinix will now integrate IXEurope's network-neutral data center business and operations under the Equinix brand. The current IXEurope management team, including CEO Guy Willner and COO Christophe de Buchet, will join Equinix and continue to operate the European business from the IXEurope London headquarters, which will now serve as Equinix's European regional headquarters. IXEurope shareholders will receive 140 British pence in cash for each IXEurope share, payable on September 28 at approximately $550 million plus the assumption of debt.