Switch and Data
Switch and Data was a U.S. network-neutral data-center and Internet-exchange provider acquired by Equinix in 2010.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Switch and Data Facilities Company, Inc. was a U.S. provider of network-neutral data-center and Internet-exchange services. Founded in 1998 by James F. Lavin and Stephen Kelly, the company served businesses whose operations depended on dense network connectivity, growing Internet traffic, and access to multiple carriers and content networks. Its principal activities included colocation, interconnection, network connectivity, Internet peering, and remote technical support. The company’s facilities were designed to house and operate customers’ network and computing equipment. Rather than functioning as a telecommunications carrier tied to a single network, Switch and Data positioned its sites as neutral meeting points where customers could select among competing carriers and establish direct connections with other tenants. Its facilities supplied the physical environment required for these connections, including power, cooling, security, redundancy, technical support, and access to network infrastructure. A major part of Switch and Data’s identity came from its Internet-exchange activities. In March 2003, it acquired PAIX, described in the reference material as the world’s first commercial Internet peering exchange. The transaction strengthened Switch and Data’s role in Internet peering and brought it into closer contact with major Internet content and service providers. Through PAIX and related interconnection services, customers could exchange traffic directly or participate in many-to-many peering arrangements. Customers collectively provisioned approximately 21,100 cross-connects across the company’s 34 sites, illustrating the importance of interconnection density to its business model. Switch and Data expanded through additional acquisitions, purchasing RACO, Meridian Telesis, and LayerOne between 2004 and 2005. It also invested in additional capacity. In 2008, the company added more than 250,000 square feet of data-center capacity, representing a reported 34 percent increase in its total capacity. By the period before its acquisition, the network included 34 facilities in 23 markets in the United States and Canada and served more than 900 customers. The company reported power and cooling densities of up to 200 watts per square foot at its facilities. Most locations were medium-sized suites in carrier hotels, with many sites originally built between 1999 and 2002; North Bergen, New Jersey, and Sunnyvale, California, were identified as facilities purchased and remodeled in 2008. The company also developed industry-focused practices for content and entertainment and financial-services customers. These offerings addressed the need for low-latency aggregation and distribution of data, content, and network traffic. In 2009, Switch and Data announced a $75 million capital-expenditure budget for further expansion, reflecting the continuing emphasis on physical infrastructure and network reach. Switch and Data completed an initial public offering on February 8, 2007, and traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol SDXC. Its independent public-company period ended when Equinix acquired the business on May 4, 2010, for $683.4 million. Following the transaction, Switch and Data ceased operating as an independent public company. Its significance lies in the role it played in the development of carrier-neutral colocation and commercial Internet peering in North America, particularly through the PAIX platform and its interconnected data-center footprint.
History
Switch and Data was established in 1998 by James F. Lavin and Stephen Kelly as a provider of network-neutral infrastructure for businesses that required scalable connectivity and access to multiple networks. Its business combined physical colocation with interconnection and Internet peering. Customers could place network equipment in Switch and Data facilities and connect it to carriers, service providers, content networks, and other tenants. The company’s expansion was driven both organically and through acquisitions. Its March 2003 purchase of PAIX was particularly important because PAIX was identified as the first commercial Internet peering exchange. The acquisition strengthened Switch and Data’s position in commercial peering and gave it relationships with leading Internet content and service providers. Further acquisitions of RACO, Meridian Telesis, and LayerOne between 2004 and 2005 broadened its network and data-center presence. Switch and Data became a public company through an initial public offering completed on February 8, 2007. During its public-company period, it continued to build out its North American footprint. In 2008, it added more than 250,000 square feet of capacity and purchased and remodeled facilities in North Bergen, New Jersey, and Sunnyvale, California. Before the Equinix transaction, the company reported 34 data centers in 23 U.S. and Canadian markets, more than 900 customers, and approximately 21,100 customer cross-connects. Its sites provided power, cooling, security, redundancy, technical support, and access to competing carriers. The company also created specialized practices for content and entertainment and for financial services. These practices addressed customers whose businesses depended on rapid, reliable aggregation and distribution of network traffic or data. In 2009, Switch and Data announced a $75 million capital-expenditure plan for further expansion. On May 4, 2010, Equinix acquired Switch and Data for $683.4 million. The acquisition ended Switch and Data’s independent corporate and public-market status. The company’s historical importance is tied to the growth of carrier-neutral colocation and commercial Internet exchange services, with PAIX serving as a central component of its Internet-peering strategy.
- 2010
Acquired by Equinix
[1]Equinix acquired Switch and Data on May 4 for $683.4 million, ending its independent operation.
- 2009
Further capital program announced
[1]Switch and Data announced a $75 million capital-expenditure budget for continued expansion.
- 2008
Major capacity expansion
[1]The company added more than 250,000 square feet of data-center capacity and remodeled facilities in North Bergen and Sunnyvale.
- 2007
Initial public offering
[1]The company completed its initial public offering on February 8 and traded on NASDAQ under SDXC.
- 2004
Expansion acquisitions begin
[1]Switch and Data began acquiring additional businesses, including RACO, Meridian Telesis, and LayerOne during 2004–2005.
- 2003
PAIX acquisition
[1]Switch and Data acquired PAIX, a commercial Internet peering exchange, strengthening its position in Internet exchange services.
- 1998
Company founded
[1]James F. Lavin and Stephen Kelly founded Switch and Data as a network-neutral data-center and connectivity provider.
Products and positioning
A carrier-neutral infrastructure provider for network-centric businesses, emphasizing colocation, dense interconnection, Internet peering, and reliable low-latency access to carriers and content networks.
Data-center services
Network-neutral colocation
Switch and Data provided space in data-center facilities for customers to install and operate network and computing equipment. The service included the supporting environment needed for operation, such as power, cooling, physical security, redundancy, and on-site technical support. Its carrier-neutral model allowed customers to select connectivity from multiple competing network providers rather than being tied to one carrier.
Internet exchange and peering · 2003
PAIX Internet exchange
PAIX was Switch and Data’s principal Internet-peering asset after its 2003 acquisition. It enabled participating networks and service providers to exchange traffic through an Internet exchange, including direct and many-to-many peering arrangements. The platform supported Switch and Data’s broader proposition of dense connectivity among carriers, content providers, and enterprise network customers.
Network connectivity
Interconnection and cross-connects
The company offered physical and network interconnection services between customers, carriers, and other service providers in its facilities. Cross-connects enabled customers to establish direct links and exchange traffic within the data-center environment. Before the acquisition, customers had provisioned approximately 21,100 cross-connects across the company’s 34 sites.
Specialized connectivity services
Industry practices
Switch and Data established practices focused on content and entertainment and on financial services. These offerings were intended for industries requiring low-latency aggregation and distribution of content, market information, and other network traffic. They complemented the company’s data-center, connectivity, and Internet-exchange infrastructure.
Brand decisions
2010
Sell the company to EquinixM&ABackground
Equinix pursued the acquisition of Switch and Data’s data-center and interconnection footprint.
Action taken
Equinix acquired Switch and Data on May 4, 2010.
Aftermath
Switch and Data ceased to operate as an independent public company and became part of Equinix.
Acquisition value. $683.4 million (May 4, 2010)
2009
Approve further infrastructure investmentStrategyBackground
Switch and Data planned continued expansion of its data-center network and related infrastructure.
Action taken
The company announced a $75 million capital-expenditure budget for further expansion.
Aftermath
The planned investment represented a continuation of the company’s capacity-growth strategy before its acquisition by Equinix.
Capital-expenditure budget. $75 million announced budget (2009)
2008
Increase data-center capacityStrategyBackground
Growing demand for network infrastructure and interconnection required additional facilities and capacity.
Action taken
Switch and Data added more than 250,000 square feet of capacity and remodeled facilities in North Bergen and Sunnyvale.
Aftermath
The expansion increased reported total capacity by 34 percent and broadened the company’s North American footprint.
2003
Acquire PAIX to expand Internet peeringM&ABackground
Switch and Data sought to strengthen its position in commercial Internet exchange and peering services.
Action taken
It acquired PAIX, a commercial Internet peering exchange.
Aftermath
The transaction expanded Switch and Data’s peering presence and added leading Internet content and service providers to its customer base.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/switch-and-data · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled