Worldwide Internet: Already more than ten networks connected to the UAE-IX

Frankfurt/Main and Dubai, December 10, 2012 - UAE-IX, the Internet exchange point in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), makes a phenomenal start: A mere eight weeks after the system went operational, more than ten Internet service providers (ISPs) are connected to the UAE-IX. The UAE-IX (www.uae-ix.net) is a carrier-neutral platform for the exchange of Internet traffic, and is managed by DE-CIX Management GmbH, one of the world's largest operators of Internet exchange points, based in Frankfurt, Germany. The UAE-IX went into operation on October 1, 2012 and already has more than ten customers, including content delivery networks (CDN), carriers and ISPs who bring the Internet into people's homes. The list of the UAE-IX customers includes already a great variety of global and regional operating networks from the UAE, Kuwait, India, Turkey, Europe, Canada and the United States.

Akamai, a leading provider of cloud platform and CDN services, is one of the first networks which has been connected to UAE-IX. "The connection to the UAE-IX is a critical part of Akamai's peering strategy in the Middle East" says Christian Kaufmann, Director Network Architecture at Akamai. "It provides us with a more direct access to local providers in the region while lowering the latency and therefore ensuring higher-performing user experiences on any device, anywhere in the Middle East."

Moreover, Research In Motion (RIM), a global leader in wireless innovation and provider of the BlackBerry solution, is one of the first companies on the UAE-IX customer list. "RIM's support of the UAE-IX is an important part of our growth strategy in the Middle East, and contributes to our commitment of offering the best service to our customers," said Robin Bienfait, RIM Chief Information Officer.

"The UAE-IX is so attractive for many Internet service providers since it acts as a regional bridgehead between Europe and Asia," says Harald A. Summa, CEO of DE-CIX. "It allows ISPs from the Middle East and global Internet companies to deliver their content over short distances to users throughout the Arabic-speaking region. This opens up completely new perspectives for the Internet economy in the Gulf States, and also for ISPs in India, Pakistan and China, and also in Africa and Europe. The UAE-IX is well on the way to becoming an important exchange point in the global Internet."

About UAE-IX
The UAE-IX in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), is a carrier-neutral Internet traffic exchange platform that interconnects global networks and, above all, network operators and content providers in the GCC region. The UAE-IX is managed by DE-CIX Management GmbH, one of the world's largest operators of Internet exchange points, based in Frankfurt, Germany. The UAE-IX is built on a fully redundant switching platform located in a carrier-neutral secure datacenter in Dubai. The UAE-IX will reduce latency times by up to 80 per cent and costs by up to 70 per cent for GCC providers. Regional data travel shorter distances which dramatically improves the quality of the Internet experience for end-users. Further information available at: www.uae-ix.net

About DE-CIX
DE-CIX German Internet Exchange is the central, international Internet exchange in Frankfurt am Main. DE-CIX enables the exchange of IP-traffic, the so called peering between Internet Service Providers through a distributed, failsafe, and highly scalable switch infrastructure. Founded in 1995, DE-CIX today is the most important Internet exchange for Central and Eastern Europe, and the largest Internet exchange worldwide for data throughput. Over 480 ISPs from over 50 countries carry out an essential part of their Internet traffic through DE-CIX. The independent carrier-neutral owner and operator of the Internet exchange is DE-CIX Management GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of eco e.V., German Internet Industry Association based in Cologne. Further information available at: www.de-cix.net

Press Contact for DE-CIX:
Birgit Osterholt
Phone: +49 (0)69-1730902-53
E-Mail: birgit.osterholt@de-cix.net
Internet: www.de-cix.net