SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), a leading global provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, is hosting a global connected community at its annual MarketplaceLIVE event on Thursday, November 19 to examine the growing impact of data gravity, a megatrend expected to force a fundamental redesign of IT architectures.  

During this year's global and virtual MarketplaceLIVE conference, Digital Realty will share insights into the challenges data gravity can pose to digital transformation and will significantly extend the geographic scope of the industry's first Data Gravity Index DGx™.  This inaugural report projects that data gravity intensity across the global metros studied will double annually through 2024 and provides guidance for customers on overcoming data gravity challenges. 

At MarketplaceLIVE 2019 in New York, Digital Realty launched PlatformDIGITAL®, the company's global data center platform, to meet the growing demand for organizations to scale digital transformation initiatives globally.  Since the launch of PlatformDIGITAL® one year ago, Digital Realty has expanded global coverage into 15 new metros, attracted more than 300 new customers to its platform, and broadened its partner community across technology leaders, network, cloud and compute providers.  

"This has clearly been a year of unprecedented change, and our customers' needs are rapidly evolving," said Digital Realty Chief Technology Officer Chris Sharp.  "We introduced PlatformDIGITAL® with the goal of transforming the value we provide customers around the world.  Through our Pervasive Datacenter Architecture PDx™ strategy and new solutions developed in collaboration with our partners, we're helping customers rearchitect their IT to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow – whether that's using AI to develop pioneering treatments for diseases, powering on-demand delivery and contactless payment, or fast-tracking a modern digital workplace for a virtual workforce."  

Digital Realty has also achieved critical industry recognition for its global platform over the past year.  The company was recognized as a leader in the IDC Marketscape for Colocation and Interconnection Services 2019-2020; Interxion, a Digital Realty company, took the top spot in EMEA on Cloudscene's Data Centre Ecosystem Leaderboard; and Frost & Sullivan awarded Digital Realty the 2020 Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Award for the Asia Pacific data center industry.  In addition, Digital Realty was the first data center provider to be named ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, for outstanding efforts to protect the environment through superior energy efficiency achievements across its data center portfolio. 

MarketplaceLIVE:  Global and Virtual on November 19

Digital transformation and the emergence of data gravity as the most important megatrend impacting enterprises are the central themes of MarketplaceLIVE 2020, Digital Realty's flagship annual event.  Key highlights include:  

• Data Gravity Index 1.5: Digital Realty VP of Growth Dave McCrory will present new findings of the Data Gravity Index™, revealing data gravity intensity across an expanded set of more than 50 metro areas and 23 distinct industries.
• To access the latest insights, we invite you to sign up to be among the first to receive the Data Gravity Index 1.5 report upon its release next month.
• PlatformDIGITAL Solutions Showcase: Digital Realty SVP Tony Bishop will host a fireside chat series discussing solution strategies and case studies for accelerating the adoption of data–centric architectures for digital business. The solution series will showcase partners from our global community, including industry leaders from AWS Outposts, NVIDIA, Yellowbrick Data and Zenlayer. The sessions will outline how customers are harnessing data gravity to rearchitect IT and scale digital business by leveraging next-generation hybrid IT solutions.
• Keynotes
• Dr. Shawna Pandya, physician, aquanaut, and martial artist will discuss the importance of resilience and how to build the skillset within any enterprise operation.
• Geoffrey Moore, bestselling author of "Crossing the Chasm" and "Inside the Tornado" will introduce the concept of Escape Velocity and how it can free companies' futures from the pull of the past.
• Jayshree Ullal, president & CEO of Arista Networks will discuss her entrepreneurial journey defying gravity via next-generation networking paradigms.
• Gartner VP & Distinguished Analyst Drue Reeves will discuss the impact of data gravity across the core, cloud and edge and the significant implications for future IT architectures. Gartner VP Bob Gill will host an exclusive customer advisory session.
• Irish tech visionary Dr. Anita Sands will discuss the importance of diversity in innovation.
• British futurist Nikolas Badminton will discuss the trends that will shape impactful organizations, trillion-dollar companies, progressive governments, and 200+ billion-dollar investment funds.

"Data gravity is the single biggest challenge to digital transformation today," said Digital Realty Senior Vice President, Platform, Growth and Marketing, Tony Bishop.  "Unchecked, it can slow innovation, get in the way of great customer experiences, and impede profitability.  And yet most enterprises and service providers are just at the beginning stages of understanding it.  At MarketplaceLIVE, the industry will come together to shine a light on this phenomenon, which will shape infrastructure deployments for global enterprises over the next decade."  

Register for your complimentary MarketplaceLIVE pass here. 

Supporting Resources

• Learn more about PlatformDIGITAL, Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx), and Data Hub, Network Hub, Control Hub and SX Fabric solutions
• Visit the Data Gravity Index DGx™ Insights Hub
• Explore Digital Realty's Partner Program
• Hear what customers have to say
• View the agenda for MarketplaceLIVE
• Media alert: MarketplaceLIVE 2020 to focus on 'Defying Gravity'

About Digital Realty

Digital Realty supports the world's leading enterprises and service providers by delivering the full spectrum of data center, colocation and interconnection solutions.  PlatformDIGITAL®, the company's global data center platform, provides customers a trusted foundation and proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture PDx™ solution methodology for scaling digital business and efficiently managing data gravity challenges.  Digital Realty's global data center footprint gives customers access to the connected communities that matter to them with more than 280 facilities in 49 metros across 24 countries on six continents.  To learn more about Digital Realty, please visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.  

Media & Industry Analyst Relations
Marc Musgrove
Digital Realty
+1 (415) 508-2812
[email protected]

Investor Relations
John J. Stewart / Jim Huseby
Digital Realty
+1 (415) 738-6500
[email protected]

Forward-Looking Statements

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 MarketplaceLIVE, Pervasive Datacenter Architecture PDx™, data gravity, Data Gravity Index DGx™, and PlatformDIGITAL®.  For a list and description of such risks and uncertainties, see the company's reports and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.  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. 

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SOURCE Digital Realty