Open-IX Association Appoints Robert DeVita as its new Executive Director

Robert DeVita to Execute the Board’s Direction for Enhanced Standards including New Edge Data Center and Cloud Connectivity Standards

September 6, 2018 (NEW YORK) – Open-IX, a 501(c)(6) non-profit industry association formed to promote the highest standards for data center interconnection and internet exchanges, has appointed Robert DeVita as its new Executive Director. Effective immediately, DeVita will provide leadership for Open-IX’s mission to identify, create and support the implementation of industry standards for data center, internet exchange operators and cloud connectivity solutions.

Mr. DeVita brings nearly twenty years of experience in the data center, connectivity, security and cloud services space along with deep relationships to Open-IX. In addition to his role as the Executive Director of Open-IX, DeVita also serves as the Managing Director of Mejeticks, a leading provider of IT Advisory services. In this role, DeVita will be responsible for executing, implementing and overseeing the vision for the Open-IX association as directed by the Board of Directors, a body of seven industry leaders, all of whom participate as volunteers. Key initiatives DeVita will focus on include the launch of new standards for Edge / Micro data centers and Cloud Connectivity.

As a non-profit, member-based organization, Open-IX encourages the proliferation of internet interconnection through the development, implementation and certification of technical and operational standards. Most recently, Open-IX announced that is has become an ANSI Accredited Association, joining nearly 250 ANSI-Accredited Standards Developers engaged in the creation and maintenance of voluntary consensus standards. Unlike for profit associations and commercial organizations focused on industry standards, the Open-IX community extends beyond its members to the greater industry engaging with individuals who observe challenges in the market based on the quickly evolving technology landscape. This holistic collaboration enables the Open-IX Association to quickly adapt to implement industry acceptable standards that address new data center and connectivity models, ensuring a consistent and reliable experience for customers.

“The industry has hit an inflection point giving Open-IX an opportunity to make a big impact on the way consumers choose data centers and internet exchanges,” comments Robert DeVita, Executive Director, Open-IX Association. “With cloud solutions becoming more prevalent and important, there is a great opportunity to help shape the way companies provide and enable interconnection solutions. Because of the accessibility and openness to input from the greater community, Open-IX is in an optimal position to solidify best practices, guidelines and standards to help customers make better decisions.“

“With evolving business models such as edge and micro data centers influencing the way companies build-out, deliver and connect to networks, content and cloud service providers, it’s important industry insiders and volunteers provide experience-based insights about challenges they face so that a reliable set of operational and technical standards can be drafted, contributed to and ultimately adopted,” adds Eli Scher, Chairman of the Open-IX Association. “Rob has been an active volunteer of the association for many years. Together with his breadth of industry knowledge, experience and connections we are excited to herald in a new era under his leadership.”

Open-IX is committed to enhancing existing standards, OIX-1 and OIX-2, for internet exchange and data center technical standards, as well as identifying and drafting new standards for edge / micro data centers, cloud service providers and to improve accessibility to community based exchanges as well as global data center operators, to ensure a consistent, viable and reliable standards body is accepted and implemented throughout the world.

Organized and operated by volunteers, the Open-IX Association is dedicated to increasing the reliability, resiliency and competitiveness of massive-scale interconnection for all. To volunteer or learn more about Open-IX, visit www.open-ix.org.

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About Open-IX

The Open-IX Association (OIX) is an internet community effort to improve the landscape of internet peering and massive-scale interconnection. OIX encourages the development of neutral and distributed internet exchanges, while promoting uniform standards of performance for interconnections backed by the internet community. The Association aims to promote common and uniform specifications for data transfer and physical connectivity, and improve overall internet performance by developing criteria and methods of measurement to reduce the complexity that restricts massive-scale interconnection in fragmented markets. More information about OIX can be found by visiting www.open-ix.org.