Dutch internet exchange NL-ix is acquiring the Stockholm Internet eXchange (STHIX) from Swedish infrastructure provider Glesys, adding an exchange with about 84 connected networks. The companies have not disclosed the price.
Credit: this report is based on a story first published by Techzine. Read the original at techzine.nl.
According to Techzine, NL-ix is taking over STHIX from Glesys, a Nordic provider of Infrastructure as a Service. The deal gives the Dutch internet exchange a foothold in Sweden, and the outlet describes it as an expansion towards Northern Europe for the buyer.
NL-ix was set up in 2001 as an alternative to AMS-IX and has been owned by KPN since 2011, where it runs as an independent company. Through its interconnect product, businesses get direct, monitored connections to around 2,400 public networks, including cloud platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud.
What is changing hands
STHIX has offered neutral internet exchange services in Sweden since 2006. Glesys bought the exchange in 2020, and the platform is now changing owner once again.
According to STHIX's own figures cited by Techzine, about 84 networks are connected to the exchange. It operates at several locations in Stockholm and other Swedish cities, with ports ranging from 100 Mbit/s to 100 Gbit/s.
How much NL-ix is paying has not been made public by the companies, Techzine reports.
The commercial logic
Over time, customers of both parties will get access to each other's networks. NL-ix plans to offer STHIX customers a wider range of interconnection and connectivity products, while existing NL-ix customers will be able to use the STHIX network.
NL-ix says it will keep STHIX's local presence and expertise. Its CEO, Jan Hoogenboom, framed the deal around shared values: "We share a common philosophy" (translated from Dutch), pointing to neutral and reliable interconnection services.
For the seller, the disposal sharpens its focus on Nordic digital infrastructure. Glesys is not walking away: chief executive Glenn Johansson said the company will stay closely connected to STHIX as a customer and infrastructure partner, which he presented as a source of continuity for the exchange's users.
What comes next
Little will change for STHIX customers in the short term. NL-ix says it will first prioritise operational stability and continuity, and only after that move on to expanding the services available on the Swedish exchange.
The acquisition follows a partnership NL-ix announced in October last year with Anapaya, aimed at bringing SCION-based connectivity to Europe. SCION is a network architecture in which routes can be controlled and security comes first, according to Techzine.
Original source: Techzine, "NL-ix neemt Zweedse internet exchange STHIX over" Suggested image: official Glesys press release on the STHIX sale, with press images in the Glesys newsroom (mynewsdesk.com/se/glesys)
