Digital Realty Provides Update on Open-IX and Connectivity Initiatives at PTC ’14

Open-IX Certification on Track; Inter-IPX Services to Be Offered in New York

Digital RealtyHonolulu, Hawaii – January 20, 2014Digital Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: DLR), the global data center and colocation company, provided an update today regarding its connectivity initiatives in conjunction with its participation in this week’s Pacific Telecommunications Council Conference (PTC ’14) in Honolulu, Hawaii, January 19 – 22, 2014.

Digital Realty Vice President of Connectivity John Sarkis commented, “Since our initial launch of the Digital Open Internet Exchange in August 2013, we have made significant progress in creating a truly open internet exchange environment. The announcement of AMS-IX’s (Amsterdam Internet Exchange) Open Internet Exchange within our 111 8th Avenue facility in New York paves the way for a successful initiative across the Open-IX forum. Digital Realty will continue to promote the availability of neutral, secure, reliable, and cost-effective internet exchange environments throughout our properties.”

Link to video of John Sarkis discussing the Digital Realty open internet exchange environment.

“In setting up the first U.S.-based internet exchange according to AMS-IX’s business model in Amsterdam, Digital Realty has been an important partner for us. They understand the value of the neutral and distributed internet exchange model for the U.S. internet market and the importance of high quality infrastructure to its efficient running,” said Job Witteman, Chief Executive Officer of AMS-IX.  “AMS-IX is also the world’s first exchange to offer an Inter-IPX service to its customers and is planning to deploy this service at AMS-IX New York. The AMS-IX Inter-IPX service provides an open interconnecting solution that allows IPX networks to securely and efficiently exchange IP traffic with other mobile networks, thereby covering more territory, and handling more content and volume.” The Inter-IPX service complies with the high quality SLAs required by GSMA. Currently, 15 organizations use the Inter-IPX service at AMS-IX in Amsterdam, including TATA Communications, Comfone AG, and iBasis.

John Sarkis added, “The enablement of the Inter-IPX application across AMS-IX’s Open-IX platform is a further example of the evolution of the Open-IX environment, which we plan to continue to support across our portfolio.”

Open-IX Certification Process Initiated
The Open-IX consortium and the internet community offer data center operators the opportunity to become Open-IX certified. Open-IX certification provides third-party verification that the data center has adopted professional standards regarding open access. Digital Realty is in the process of applying for Open-IX certification for its data centers in several key markets, including New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

The Open-IX framework ensures future continuity of the neutral governance model and the technical compliance of any participating internet exchange. The ultimate objective of Open-IX is to reduce interconnection complexity and the associated costs in North America, which have been higher than in Europe, where the neutral and distributed internet exchange model is very common.

Digital Realty is First AMS-IX Site Deployed in the U.S.
AMS-IX New York is a neutral and independent internet exchange, offering high-quality IP peering and interconnectivity services in the New York/New Jersey area since November 2013. It spans four locations, including Digital Realty’s 111 8th Avenue data center. Currently, nine organizations have signed on to connect to AMS-IX New York from 111 8th Avenue, including Netflix and IX Reach. 

AMS-IX New York is built according to AMS-IX’s successful business model in Amsterdam. This internet exchange serves a diverse and unique mix of internet companies including international carriers, mobile operators, content providers, hosting and cloud companies and other related internet parties. AMS-IX interconnects more than 600 IP networks and its business traffic reaches peaks of more than 2.6 terabits per second, making it the largest internet exchange in the world.

AMS-IX New York is the first internet exchange of AMS-IX USA Inc. established as part of the Open-IX initiative. This initiative was started by a group of internet network operators, content owners and other market participants, of which a large number are already connected to AMS-IX in Amsterdam.

Inter-IPX Service at AMS-IX New York
AMS-IX, the world’s first exchange offering an Inter-IPX service to its customers, is planning to deploy this service at AMS-IX New York as well. The AMS-IX Inter-IPX service provides an open interconnecting solution that allows IPX networks to securely and efficiently exchange IP traffic with other mobile networks, thereby covering more territory, content, and volume. The Inter-IPX service complies with the high quality SLAs required by GSMA. Currently, 15 organizations use the Inter-IPX service at AMS-IX in Amsterdam, including TATA Communications, Comfone AG, and iBasis.

About Digital Realty
Digital Realty Trust, Inc. focuses on delivering customer-driven data center solutions by providing secure, reliable and cost-effective facilities that meet each customer’s unique data center needs. Digital Realty’s customers include domestic and international companies across multiple industry verticals ranging from financial services, cloud and information technology services, to manufacturing, energy, health care and consumer products. Digital Realty’s 130 properties, including twelve properties held as investments in unconsolidated joint ventures, comprised approximately 24.0 million square feet as of September 30, 2013, including 2.8 million square feet of space held for development. Digital Realty’s portfolio is located in 33 markets throughout North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. Additional information about Digital Realty is included in the Company Overview, which is available on the Investors page of Digital Realty’s website at http://www.digitalrealty.com

Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements which are based on current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially, including statements related to our Digital Open Internet Exchange initiative, AMS-IX, our plans regarding the Open Internet Exchange, and our plans for Open-IX certification of our data centers. These risks and uncertainties include, among others, the following: the impact of the recent deterioration in global economic, credit and market conditions, including the downgrade of the U.S. government’s credit rating; current local economic conditions in our geographic markets; decreases in information technology spending, including as a result of economic slowdowns or recession; adverse economic or real estate developments in our industry or the industry sectors that we sell to (including risks relating to decreasing real estate valuations and impairment charges); our dependence upon significant tenants; bankruptcy or insolvency of a major tenant or a significant number of smaller tenants; defaults on or non-renewal of leases by tenants; our failure to obtain necessary debt and equity financing; increased interest rates and operating costs; risks associated with using debt to fund our business activities, including re-financing and interest rate risks, our failure to repay debt when due, adverse changes in our credit ratings or our breach of covenants or other terms contained in our loan facilities and agreements; financial market fluctuations; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; our inability to manage our growth effectively; difficulty acquiring or operating properties in foreign jurisdictions; our failure to successfully integrate and operate acquired or developed properties or businesses; the suitability of our properties and data center infrastructure, delays or disruptions in connectivity, failure of our physical infrastructure or services or availability of power; risks related to joint venture investments, including as a result of our lack of control of such investments; delays or unexpected costs in development of properties; decreased rental rates or increased vacancy rates; increased competition or available supply of data center space; our inability to successfully develop and lease new properties and space held for development; difficulties in identifying properties to acquire and completing acquisitions; our inability to acquire off-market properties; our inability to comply with the rules and regulations applicable to reporting companies; our failure to maintain our status as a REIT; possible adverse changes to tax laws; restrictions on our ability to engage in certain business activities; environmental uncertainties and risks related to natural disasters; losses in excess of our insurance coverage; changes in foreign laws and regulations, including those related to taxation and real estate ownership and operation; and changes in local, state and federal regulatory requirements, including changes in real estate and zoning laws and increases in real property tax rates. For a further list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the reports and other filings by the Company with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012 and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2013, June 30, 2013 and September 30, 2013. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

General information:
John Sarkis
Vice President, Connectivity
(917) 863-9135
jsarkis@digitalrealty.com

Media contact:
Rebecca Bergman
Analyst Relations Manager
(415) 848-9395
rbergman@digitalrealty.com