Equinix Will Acquire Packet in Major Push into Edge Computing

In a major push into edge computing, colocation market leader Equinix will buy Packet, a startup specializing in distributed cloud services. The acquisition will allow Equinix to accelerate the deployment of interconnected edge services, as well as extend into “bare metal” cloud services.The deal is one of the first major acquisitions in edge computing, which seeks to process data and services as close to the end user as possible. The trend is driven by the increased use of consumer mobile devices, especially consumption of video and virtual reality content and the growth of sensors as part of the Internet of Things (IoT).Equinix has built a global data center empire, with 200 data centers and 21 million square feet of space deployed across 52 markets. Equinix has always focused on the core of the Internet, building clusters of data centers around major network intersections like Northern Virginia, Silicon Valley, Chicago and Dallas.Packet is a six-year old startup that delivers automated infrastructure for developers. Its canvas is bare metal cloud dedicated servers that can be provisioned with cloud-like ease and speed.