optionsXpress Picks Equinix for Data Center Provider

Equinix, Inc. (www.equinix.com ), the leading provider of network-neutral data centers and Internet exchange services, today announced that optionsXpress, Inc., a leading online brokerage firm, has relocated its data center operations to Equinix's Chicago and Dallas Internet Business Exchange™ centers.

"In our business, every second matters to our customers, and we have built our reputation around providing the fastest and most reliable online brokerage for the trading of options and other securities," said Ben Stein, vice president of IT infrastructure at optionsXpress.

With this deployment to Equinix's Internet hubs, optionsXpress will benefit from Equinix's secure and reliable data center environment as well as the ability to operate within the same buildings as an aggregation of network service providers and financial services companies.

"As brokers, traders, clearinghouses and exchanges become more electronically connected, Equinix's centers have become critical hubs for these companies to link to each other, as well as with all of the major network service providers, in a high-performance and secure data center environment," said Peter Van Camp, CEO of Equinix.

To enhance this connectivity, optionsXpress will utilize Equinix Financial eXchange, a bundled service designed to provide the financial trading industry with the highest levels of network redundancy along with a high-performance data center environment and interconnectivity fabric to ensure operational continuity for critical electronic trading operations.

Equinix Financial eXchange offers a convenient platform for banks, financial trading companies and financial exchanges to interconnect with each other and with multiple network service providers in order to execute financial transactions.

The power operations of each center include a high-performance backup system that guarantees uninterrupted power even in the event of utility power disruption.

In addition, by locating at multiple Equinix centers, optionsXpress has also incorporated the geographic diversity that further enhances their disaster planning.