Annual report 2021

Interconnecting people & businesses. Anywhere!

Harald A. Summa CEO DE-CIX
Harald A. Summa, CEO DE-CIX Group AG

The Annual Report 2021 finds us looking back on the second year of the global Covid-19 pandemic – a year during which the world began to stabilize into the “new normal”. The insatiable demand for digital applications and data-driven services has been further boosted by the transformation that has occurred in the last couple of years. But when we look back on this time from our digital future, we will be able to see that the meteoric growth in data traffic experienced during these years is actually part of a continuum – a steady process of digitalization, of optimization of workflows, of the expansion of methods of communication and entertainment, and the increasingly fine-grained interconnection of the planet.

Geographical densification & innovative interconnection services

The Internet of the future, will place increasing demands on digital infrastructure. To meet these demands, digital infrastructure providers need to build out densely and globally-distributed interconnected and resilient infrastructure, while at the same time offering an increasing array of specialized and customizable interconnection services. At DE-CIX, our mission is to bring interconnection services as close as possible to people and business, thereby maximizing the performance and minimizing the latency of connectivity, and in parallel increasing the security, resilience, and flexibility of connectivity. To achieve this, we are working towards both increasing geographical densification, on the global and the local level, and developing further innovative interconnection services, tailor-made to support enterprises overcome the challenges they face with digital transformation.

Insatiable demand for data traffic exchange

In 2021, we saw developments in all of these areas at DE-CIX. With more than 38 exabytes of data throughput globally, DE-CIX experienced an increase in traffic of around 20 percent compared to 2020, in line with the growth in connected networks, which ended the year at a total of 2481 worldwide. Connected capacity across the global DE-CIX interconnection fabric increased by more than 30% to 96.2 Terabits (Tbits) in 2021, reflecting the insatiable demand for data traffic exchange.

Connectivity to the cloud via the DE-CIX Cloud Exchange tripled during 2021, much of this booked via DE-CIX’s self-service customer portal, which was implemented in 2021 as part of the company’s drive towards the automation of interconnection. On a geographical level, four new Internet Exchanges were taken into operation, these being DE-CIX Richmond and DE-CIX Barcelona, as well as “Ruhr-CIX powered by DE-CIX” in Germany and “Borneo-IX powered by DE-CIX” in Southeast Asia, the latter two as DE-CIX as a Service locations. Another seven locations were announced, including multiple DE-CIX presences in the Nordics. 

Download the DE-CIX Annual Report 2021 to learn more about the company and interconnection, including: 

  • Geographical expansion
  • Automated service provision
  • Regional updates
  • Enterprise interconnection needs
  • Strategic outlook to the interconnected world of the future

Wishing you an enjoyable read and hope this Annual Report 2021 provides you with useful insights into the world of interconnection.

 

DE-CIX Global Growth in 2021

20% customer growth. 

30% global connected capacity growth.

+20% global data throughput.

The DE-CIX Internet Exchanges worldwide

2,400+ connected networks30+ IXs100+ partners500+ cities80+ countries

Previous annual reports

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Annual report 2020 thumb
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DE-CIX annual report 2020

In the remarkable year 2020, DE-CIX experienced one milestone after the other. The year show us how important a functioning, secure, and reliable digital infrastructure is for all areas of life. Within just a few days in March 2020, average global data traffic rose between 15% and 30%, depending on the region. This resulted in the largest annual increase in peak traffic at DE-CIX Frankfurt in its entire history – reaching 10.3 Terabits per second. 

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DE-CIX annual report 2019

In 2019, milestones were achieved for many of our exchanges, and DE-CIX Frankfurt continued its success by breaking its own peak traffic world record. As well as entering the South East Asian market, our team was busy around the world, extending the reach of existing locations, setting up further enabled sites and access sites, and developing new services. On our 25th birthday year, we can see that the Internet and the digital infrastructures on which it is based have come of age.

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annual report 2018 thumbnail
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DE-CIX annual report 2018

In 2018 the DE-CIX world kept growing and responding to our customers’ needs and demands. We further broadened our interconnection footprint with the aim of making interconnection as easy as possible for our customers, wherever they need it. We therefore focused on both new services and new locations in 2018. The success of this interconnection strategy was demonstrated in the considerable growth in customer numbers, connected customer capacity, and turnover. 

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DE-CIX annual report 2017

In the 2017 financial year, DE-CIX successfully maintained its position as the world leader in operating Internet Exchanges. Consolidated total turnover across all parts of the company rose by 9 percent from 2016 to reach 31.8 million Euro. The DE-CIX Internet Exchanges in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America, which now total 13 worldwide, saw consolidated customer growth of almost 14 percent in 2017 and meanwhile serve more than 1,500 customers from over 100 countries.

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DE-CIX annual report 2016

2016 was another year of excellence in interconnection and global growth for DE-CIX. Cutting-edge, world-best interconnection technology, peak traffic of 5.6 Terabits per second (Tbps), and connected capacity up well above 20 Terabits in Frankfurt. But DE-CIX is much more than the sum of its technological parts. DE-CIX is where networks meet, certainly, but that also means it is where the people behind and within those networks meet. 

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DE-CIX annual report 2015

DE-CIX Management GmbH has experienced a successful year 2015 – both in its home market of Germany as well as in its international subsidiaries – with high growth rates in customer numbers, reseller partners, and data traffic. In particular, a spectacular increase in data traffic over the Frankfurt exchange (43 percent up on 2014 figures) and in connected capacity (up 44 percent) show a direct correlation with the popularity of 100GE ports, where sales having more than doubled in 2015.

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