Customer Challenge

Organizations required secure, high-performance connectivity between on-premises infrastructure and AWS. Traditional approaches presented several challenges:

• Cloud connectivity was too slow and insecure for sensitive data transfers
• Financial institutions couldn't rely on public internet for critical workloads
• Traditional providers experienced long implementation delays
• Layer 2 encryption was unavailable through existing solutions
• Procurement costs and implementation timelines were prohibitively long

Problem

Businesses needed faster, more secure Layer 2 solutions that could scale with their growing cloud requirements. The existing landscape of private connectivity options in Switzerland was fragmented, expensive, and slow to deploy — with some providers taking weeks or months to establish connections.

Solution

ACP Engineering partnered with Init7, a leading Swiss internet service provider, to develop a robust AWS Direct Connect offering. The key components include:

• Backbone connections at 10G, 25G, and 100G bandwidth
• Virtual Interfaces (VIFs) for secure, isolated customer access
• Integration with ACP Engineering Foundations landing zone architecture
• Init7's nationwide fibre network reaching over 4 million properties across Switzerland

The solution leverages Init7's Ethernet7 and Carrier Ethernet Services (CES) infrastructure, combined with ACP Engineering's deep AWS expertise, to deliver enterprise-grade cloud connectivity.

Business Impact

• Enhanced Security — Layer 2 connectivity eliminates public internet exposure for sensitive data
• Improved Performance — Dedicated high-bandwidth connections with predictable low latency
• Greater Reliability — Dedicated connections with active-active or active-passive redundancy
• Cost Efficiency — Optimized data transfer costs compared to internet-based alternatives
• Wider Availability — Extensive coverage reaching 2.5+ million locations across Switzerland

Outcomes & Success Metrics

• Successfully established backbone connections for multiple customers
• Implemented Virtual Interfaces (VIFs) for isolated, secure customer access
• Init7 became an AWS Direct Connect Partner
• Nationwide availability reaching over 4 million properties
• Rapid deployment: 5–10 days vs. weeks with competing providers, as quick as 20 minutes for existing connections
• Scalable bandwidth: 15 Mbps to 100 Gbps
• AWS SDP certification achieved
• Init7 achieved Select Tier AWS Partner status

TCO Analysis

Direct Connect infrastructure costs approximately $3,200 USD monthly for two 10 Gbps ports. Analysis showed superior value through faster deployment, enhanced security, and scalable bandwidth compared to traditional alternatives.

Lessons Learned

1. Early network planning with redundancy and failover scenarios is critical for reliable cloud connectivity
2. Infrastructure as Code (Terraform/CloudFormation) from inception ensures consistency and repeatability across deployments
3. Phased implementation enables validation at each stage before proceeding, reducing risk

Building on This Success

For Init7 customers: Seamless cloud migration combining world-class connectivity with deep cloud expertise. Swiss-wide coverage, scalable bandwidth options, and direct B2B connections for financial institutions.

For ACP Engineering customers: Enhanced Foundations integration, streamlined multi-account strategies, compliance optimization for regulated industries, and cross-region secure communication.

Together, Init7 and ACP Engineering offer a uniquely Swiss solution that combines world-class connectivity with deep cloud expertise.

Future Vision

The partnership continues to expand, targeting additional AWS regions and services. With Init7's growing network footprint and ACP Engineering's cloud expertise, the offering will evolve to include multi-cloud connectivity, enhanced edge computing capabilities, and deeper integration with AWS services.