2021: Building the Foundation of Innovation
AI/ML, Hybrid IT, Enterprise Bare Metal in Business
Taking an entrepreneurial approach to the data center
The phrase “I’ll know it when I see it” should be familiar to any student of Constitutional law. While then-Supreme Court Justice Potter’s words were intended to help ascertain what was (and wasn’t) covered under the umbrella of free speech, the same phrasing could be applied to the definition of entrepreneur. The definition of an entrepreneur is someone who is willing to risk loss in order to make money. But that two-dimensional definition leaves out the essence of true entrepreneurship. It leaves out the passion, creativity, and focus that mark a successful entrepreneur. It also doesn’t address the fact that many entrepreneurs are innovators working within organizations – large and small – to push forward novel ideas that turn into leading-edge solutions.
We at Cyxtera understand what drives entrepreneurs for a very simple reason – we’re a company built by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. It was our passion, creativity, and focus that built Cyxtera, and it was those same qualities that propelled us through 2021, a year that delivered continued innovation, expansion, and growth.
Ringing out 2021
When we went public earlier this year, we had a clear vision of where we wanted to be at year end, and I’m pleased to say that we have not only achieved our goals but surpassed them. Strong financial results over the first three quarters of the year allowed us to raise our 2021 revenue and EBITDA outlook, while continuing to build the foundation for future growth.
The year has not been without difficulties as the world continues to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. I could not be prouder of the Cyxtera team across the globe, which has shown resilience in the face of adversity, and continuously demonstrated that perseverance and grit pay off. Despite the challenges of 2021, it has been a banner year for Cyxtera, one that was capped when we gathered to ring the closing bell at Nasdaq on December 6.
Catalysts of innovation
There’s a lot of talk about how data centers are the foundation of a digital economy, something we know to be true at Cyxtera. What isn’t being discussed, but is just as valid, is that digital infrastructure is the foundation for innovation. Without it, the rapid pace of innovation that we are experiencing would not be possible. The offerings we introduced for our customers in 2021 were designed to be catalysts for innovation and to provide entrepreneurs with the tools they need to succeed.
Most recently, we launched SmartCabs – an extension of our Digital Exchange – that affords customers dedicated, on-demand colocation cabinets complete with built-in power and integrated, configurable, core network fabric. Cyxtera SmartCabs free customers from having to choose between the benefits of colocation and those of public cloud models. Instead, customers can deploy into colocation with the speed and scale of the cloud without sacrificing the performance and security of dedicated infrastructure.
We also deepened our commitment to fostering entrepreneurship through a collaboration with NVIDIA and a new program, NVIDIA Inception. This program engenders startups that are using advancements in AI, data science, and high-performance computing to revolutionize their industries. We are extremely excited to be able to provide NVIDIA-powered digital infrastructure resources via our landmark AI/ML compute-as-a-service offering to NVIDIA Inception members that are at the proof-of-concept stage.
Earlier in the year, we debuted the Nutanix Federal Innovation Lab, powered by Cyxtera, which provides access to an ecosystem of innovative technology companies to support the most complex government workload requirements. Leveraging the power of our Digital Exchange and Enterprise Bare Metal, the lab provides U.S. federal customers, as well as industry partners, with an environment in which to develop and test proofs of concept and mission-critical applications, using an on-demand infrastructure that is capable of supporting hybrid multi-cloud solutions on a single operating platform. Previously, federal agencies were constrained in their ability to test the latest technologies because of stringent security and regulation guidelines. The Innovation Lab gives government agencies the opportunity to be entrepreneurs in their own right and comfortably work with a next-generation hybrid multi-cloud environment, with the required security and compliance, to address the most critical IT requirements within the U.S. government.
These innovative services would be nothing without our belief in bringing together our people, our products and our culture of innovation to leave the world just a little bit better than we found it. As we continue to grow and evolve as a company, our commitment to empowering customers and partners to build sustainable businesses, minimizing our own environmental footprint, fostering diverse and connected communities and increasing trust and transparency will remain top of mind. From establishing proactive sustainability and efficiency measures in operating our data centers to focusing on the use of renewable energy sources, we are committed to taking the necessary steps to protect the planet as we grow our business.
The edge of something great
As we look ahead, we will continue to build on the momentum of the past year by staying laser focused on the success of our customers. We laid the foundation for an entrepreneurial approach to the data center so we could empower the innovators we serve, and you can be assured that we will continue to strengthen and build upon that foundation in the coming year.
As the number of technological advances grows, the amount of data that needs to be transmitted, analyzed, processed, and stored will grow exponentially. This exponential growth will increasingly drive organizations to analyze, process and store data at the Edge, in close proximity to their customers. As this landscape continues to evolve, we will be on the leading Edge of this revolution as well. It’s why we created Cyxtera, and it’s why we continue to push the envelope.
Views and opinions expressed in our blog posts are those of the employees who made them and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Company. A reader should not unduly rely on any statements made therein.
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