MSN Taps MFN For More Colo Space

Hot on the heels of last week's revelation that it successfully completed a $611 million credit facility, Metromedia Fiber Network and MSN expand their working relationship to include additional co-location capacity.

by ISP-Planet Staff [October 9, 2001]

Metromedia Fiber Network, Inc. (MFN), a network service provider vacillating between the highs and lows of financial malaise, appears to have found renewed vigor now that The Microsoft Network (MSN) occupies 30 percent of the co-location space in MFN's Internet Service Exchange (ISX) facility in Seattle.

The recent acquisition of co-location space in Seattle expands the existing relationship between the two companies. MSN also has co-location space in MFN's San Jose ISX, uses MFN's Global IP Network and leases MFN's metropolitan dark fiber. In addition, MSN has an agreement for on-site support of Microsoft equipment located at MFN's data centers.

Scatter strategy
MSN is also a participant in PAIX.Net, Inc., another MFN subsidiary and a leading neutral Internet exchange. PAIX.Net, Inc. serves as a primary Internet peering hub and enables the exponential growth of the Internet through its geographically dispersed facilities.

Rick Rice, MSN group program director, said its experience working with the first-tier co-location facilities of Metromedia Fiber Network and PAIX has been positive.

"Our decision to expand the relationship to include their Seattle facility made sense, given our complementary strategies in delivering an end-to-end service solution," Rice said.

Nick Tanzi, MFN chief executive officer, naturally said that the company was pleased to have Microsoft's Internet access arm occupy such a large portion of its Seattle ISX facility.

"By co-locating with us, MSN is providing its customers with service on a network that meets their demands and provides a superior Internet experience," Tanzi said.

MFN's IP networking and peering relationships provides the MSN Hotmail Web-based e-mail service with a secure, scalable infrastructure needed to support and grow the largest Web-based e-mail service in the world.

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