The announced closure of the Equinix MU1 data center in Munich raises legitimate questions for many businesses. When it comes to business-critical IT systems, stability, security, and availability are the top priorities. This makes it all the more important to manage such a change early, transparently, and with a clear plan.
The most important message right up front: We have already taken action. INGATE secured new capacity in the Munich area early on and set the course for an orderly, technically sound migration.
New Locations in Munich
The majority of our infrastructure will be relocated to the EMC Home of Data — our new primary location in Munich. The EMC offers comparable services and pricing along with modern infrastructure and on-site personal support.
Additionally, we have capacity available at Equinix MU4:
- Peering and Connectivity: Connections to DE-CIX, ALP-IX, and all major carriers remain available through MU4
- Special Cooling Requirements: For workloads with high power density, MU4 provides the appropriate cooling infrastructure
- Failover Location: Geo-redundancy within the Munich data center ecosystem
The Munich server location is thus fully preserved. This is not about switching to a different region, but about a professionally prepared relocation within a strong Munich data center ecosystem.
Controlled Transition Instead of Time Pressure
A data center migration must be planned with sufficient lead time — both technically and organizationally. That is why we are taking a multi-month parallel operation approach instead of migration under time pressure:
- Build new infrastructure and establish connections
- Prepare systems — review network design, redundancies, backup and recovery concepts
- Conduct tests — functional and load tests in the new environment
- Migrate workloads gradually — in a controlled manner and outside peak production hours
- Monitor stable operation — before decommissioning legacy environments
This multi-stage approach reduces risks and provides the necessary assurance for production systems.
Munich Connectivity Remains Stable
Equinix continues to position MU4 as a Munich IBX location. DE-CIX has publicly stated that the operation of the internet exchange in Munich will not be affected by the MU1 closure and that customers will be supported with parallel connections during relocations. This is an important signal for the stability of the Munich connectivity ecosystem.
What Our Customers Can Expect
A data center migration involves more than just physically relocating hardware. It affects network design, redundancies, monitoring, security architectures, maintenance windows, and the smooth coordination of all parties involved. This is exactly the responsibility we assume as a Managed Service Provider.
Specifically, this means for affected customers:
- Individual schedules with specific migration windows
- Technical migration planning tailored to your setup
- Dedicated contacts for the entire process
- Sufficient time reserves — no migration under pressure
Our goal is for our customers to experience this transition not as a source of uncertainty, but as what it should be: a professionally managed modernization during ongoing operations.
Conclusion
The closure of Equinix MU1 is a significant change in the Munich data center market. For INGATE and our customers, however, it is no cause for concern. We secured new capacity early on, chose the EMC Home of Data as a strong new primary location, and are establishing Equinix MU4 as a complementary site to ensure a safe and seamless migration.
Our promise remains unchanged: reliable operations, clear communication, and an infrastructure you can rely on — even in times of change.
If you have any questions, contact our team at info@ingate.de — we will inform all affected customers in a timely and individualized manner about the next steps.
