Packet Brings Bare Metal Edge Cloud and Sprint’s IoT to EdgeConneX

Access to high quality “in region” connectivity and bare metal cloud solution will energize region’s autonomous vehicle sector with improved data collection capabilities and user experiences 

Herndon, VA – November 18, 2019 — EdgeConneX^®, the pioneer in Edge Data Centers, announces that Packet, a bare metal cloud service provider, will deploy its platform at the EdgeConneX Edge Data Center in Detroit, Michigan. The site will enable expansion of the Sprint Curiosity™ IoT platform, the first fully virtualized wireless Evolved Packet Core or EPC deployment, which runs on Packet’s bare metal edge cloud infrastructure. The combination of Packet’s Edge Cloud and the proximal data center solutions provided by EdgeConneX will benefit Detroit’s growing autonomous vehicle and manufacturing sectors. Digital disruptors now have a hyper-local, scalable cloud and wireless framework at their fingertips.

Packet’s flexible bare metal automation, rapid “go anywhere” deployment model, and carrier-grade networking has positioned it as a leader in the edge computing market. With EdgeConneX providing access to high quality “in region” connectivity in Detroit, Enterprises will be able to take advantage of Packet’s bare metal Edge Cloud, as well as, Sprint’s Curiosity™ IoT product and IoT ecosystem for low-latency compute and wireless for real-world edge applications.

“EdgeConneX is an ideal partner to help Packet bring the benefits of edge computing to Detroit, as well dozens of key markets globally,” noted Zachary Smith, Packet’s co-founder and CEO. “What makes this deployment special is that we’re able to activate three key elements at once: bare metal cloud, rich local connectivity, and end-to-end wireless IoT services. It’s like an edge computing triple play!”

“Curiosity™ IoT puts intelligence at the edge of the network by combining Curiosity™ Core, the first dedicated, distributed and virtualized IoT network — a network built for software — with Curiosity™ OS, an integrated IoT operating system,” said Ivo Rook, senior vice president of IoT & product development for Sprint. “We are proud to be working with Packet and EdgeConneX to expand the Curiosity™ Core to Detroit, providing capabilities for network edge computing in the backyard of a city that is pushing boundaries in various industries. We look forward to the innovation that developers and companies will drive by utilizing our network built for software.”

By localizing data acquisition and control functions, as well as the storage and processing of high bandwidth content in close proximity to the device edge, users can experience a more elastic, flexible, relatively proximate Edge – minimizing distance and capacity constraints of traditional Internet architecture.

“Our research reveals that edge execution venues are rapidly growing in popularity for IoT workloads driven by security, cost, performance, or data sovereignty considerations,” said Brian Partridge, research vice president, 451 Research. “When we compare the results from our Voice of the Enterprise: IOT surveys in 2017 vs. 2019, the number of respondents processing IoT data on nearby IT equipment has jumped from 22% to 39%, nearly doubling. This increasing demand can be met readily by new ‘edge innovators’ like Sprint, Packet, and EdgeConneX.”

“Given the rapid surge in the volume, velocity and variety of data, we will witness rapid growth of infrastructure being built at the Edge,” stated Phillip Marangella, Chief Marketing Officer at EdgeConneX. “Packet’s deployment in Detroit is emblematic of the future demands at the Edge where emerging applications and workloads like IoT or Autonomous Vehicles are highly latency sensitive and require very proximate compute resources. We are honored to be selected by Packet to help support its customers’ local requirements in Detroit and other Edge markets across our global data center platform.”

For more information about EdgeConneX and its leading Edge of network infrastructure solutions for expanding and improving access to data, content and communications anywhere, anytime, at any scale, visit edgeconnex.com or email info@edgeconnex.com.

EdgeConneX provides a full range of data center solutions worldwide, from Hyperlocal to Hyperscale, from purpose-built to build-to-order, working closely with our customers to offer choice in location, scale, and type of facility. Delivering flexibility, connectivity, proximity, and value, EdgeConneX is a global leader in anytime, anywhere, any scale data center services for a diverse portfolio of industries including Content, Cloud, Networks, Gaming, Automotive, SaaS, IoT, HPC, Security, and more.

Empower Your Edge^® with EdgeConneX. For more information, please visit edgeconnex.com.

EdgeConneX media contact:   

JSA for EdgeConneX
1-866-695-3629 ext. 13
jsa_EdgeConneX@jsa.net

Packet is the go-to cloud partner for today’s leading developers, empowering SaaS companies and Fortune 100’s alike to make infrastructure their competitive advantage with automated bare metal that can be deployed anywhere. With 20+ global public cloud locations, a seamless API experience, and the ability to manage custom hardware on-premises or at thousands of edge sites, Packet is ideal for both traditional and cloud native workloads. Learn more at www.packet.com.

Sprint (S) is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint served 53.9 million connections as of September 30, 2019 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone.

Today, Sprint’s legacy of innovation and service continues with an increased investment to dramatically improve coverage, reliability, and speed across its nationwide network and commitment to launching a 5G mobile network in the U.S. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.