Demand for virtual network services continues to grow, driven by evolving technological requirements such as generative AI and the global semiconductor shortage.

Equinix, a company that provides digital infrastructure globally, announced on the 4th that it is launching Network Edge in Korea to respond to dynamic business environments that require flexibility in network architecture.

The network edge provides an ecosystem of virtual network function (VNF) services that enable enterprises to deploy virtual networks at predictable costs. Large-scale virtual infrastructure deployments can leverage cloud connectivity, and enterprises can deploy network services more quickly and cover a wide area, even in countries where physical hardware deployment is difficult.

As artificial intelligence, including generative AI, grows, organizations will require significant network capacity to efficiently process and transmit large amounts of data. Additionally, the ongoing global semiconductor shortage highlights the importance of migrating from physical servers to digital infrastructure and services.

Accordingly, enterprises are seeking network architectures that are agile, flexible, and easy to deploy and manage.

As the shift to edge-based, service-based consumption models accelerates, the ability to rapidly deploy digital-enabled infrastructure becomes increasingly important. According to the Forrester Total Economic Impact report on Equinix Digital Services, the benefits of using the network edge with Equinix Fabric and Equinix Metal include: 10x faster deployment of infrastructure changes, 142% return on investment in digital services, 60% reduction in internal data infrastructure costs, 25% reduction in incremental infrastructure costs, and $5.7 million in increased operational productivity over three years.

It also said that through Platform Equinix, it will be possible to build digital infrastructure closer to the edge in minutes without additional hardware by leveraging more cloud onramp access, network automation, virtual network services, and software-defined networking tools.

“Network Edge enables enterprises to expand globally at predictable costs through a robust suite of virtual network services and a competitive value proposition,” said Jang Hye-deok, Equinix Korea Country Manager. “Virtual networking is a very attractive proposition for customers who want to deploy essential digital infrastructure at the network edge with just a few clicks and easily access multiple cloud providers.”