France IX announces a strategic partnership with BICS

France-IX has announced a strategic partnership with BICS, the leading international wholesale solution provider.

This strategic partnership enables networks in Middle East and Africa that peer on the France-IX Marseille or Paris Internet Exchanges to peer remotely in the other cities in the most cost-effective and direct way, reducing the time-to-market for its members from weeks to days. Carriers, ISPs, CDNs, and other networks based in Paris or Marseille looking for a fast and secure Internet connectivity to the MEA region can utilise France-IX convergence hubs and connect seamlessly through BICS.

France-IX offers Internet Peering Services to over 320 networks in Paris and Marseille. Focusing on its core aim to federate the Internet in France by interconnecting its members locally, France-IX has met market demand for interconnection between its Paris and Marseille-based digital gateways to the Middle East and Africa by partnering with BICS.

BICS’ remote peering solution provides an affordable method for communication service providers of all sizes to expand their network footprint. Its network offers a truly global footprint with 112 datacenter points-of-presence (PoPs) worldwide in addition to local support in all major markets. It has full access to 20 submarine cables covering all key routes around the world, including EIG, AAE-1, SeMeWe-3, SeMeWe-4, SAT-3/WACS and SAFE.

Traditionally, major carriers and Internet players have deployed infrastructure in both cities requiring multiple suppliers, significantly increasing cost of entry and time of deployment. The new approach offered by France-IX and BICS meets their connectivity need, while providing agility, flexibility and cost-savings.

The partnership provides not only increased bandwidth granularity with increments as small as 100Mbps and faster deployment times as fast as 2 business days, but also cost savings up to 50% per month. This is achieved because the France-IX/BICS model requires a single cross-connect to a single France-IX port and the activation of one service with BICS.

“Our backbone solution is a one-stop-shop for customers across the globe,” said Ievgen Martsin, Product Manager, Capacity & IP at BICS. “It brings a simple solution to build peering relationships within the France-IX platform via a single port, while drastically reducing costs. This is achieved by limiting the equipment and dedicated transport resources required and streamlining the number of partners needed, without losing overall SLA”.

“We have a significant opportunity to accelerate France-IX growth and the value it brings to its members with BICS’ quality assets and worldwide scale”, adds Franck Simon, Managing Director, France-IX. “This gives France-IX the opportunity to focus on its initial mission: increase the quality of the Internet in France and its promise to provide innovative solutions to its community.”