Sunday, March 16, 2003

Switch and Data Acquires PAIX.net

Switch and Data Inc. acquired the assets of PAIX.net, a leading Internet peering exchange provider with facilities in Atlanta, Dallas, New York, Palo Alto, Seattle, and Vienna, Virginia. Switch and Data's acquisition is inclusive of all PAIX sites. Financial terms were not disclosed. Switch and Data also provides neutral interconnection and colocation services in the US. Switch and Data, founded in 1997, is headquartered in Tampa, Florida.
http://www.switchanddata.com

  • Switch and Data is headed by Patricia L. Higgins, who has previously served as Chairman and CEO of The Research Board and as Executive Vice President of The Gartner Group. Previously, Higgins was CIO and Corporate Vice President of ALCOA.


  • In March 2002, due to its impending Chapter 11 filing, MFN announced its intent to sell its PAIX facilities for $50 million to an unnamed buyer.


  • PAIX, the Palo Alto Internet Exchange, was originally opened by Digital Equipment Corporation in July 1996. AboveNet acquired PAIX in May 1999 from Digital/Compaq for $75 million. Metromedia Fiber Network agreed to acquire AboveNet Communications in June 1999 in a stock swap valued at about $1.55 billion at the time. AboveNet had co-location facilities in operation in San Jose, California and Vienna, Virginia at the time.