Imperva Launches New Data Center in Argentina

Imperva’s New Expansion 

We are happy to announce that Imperva has launched our new Buenos Aires data center.  We’re thrilled to bring our leadership in cybersecurity plus enhanced performance and decreased latency to Argentina and the surrounding countries in the region. 

Our new data center is now servicing local customers and has already blocked several DDoS attacks. Previously, our Argentina customers would have been protected from our Sao Paulo or Mexico City data centers. Our expansion enables us to lower latency in Argentina from ~65ms to ~35ms.

Figure 1: Cedexis capture of current latency.

Along with our recently updated Brazil point of presence (POP), Argentina is our latest expansion in our continued dedication to improving the South American network.  This is also our 44th DDoS-resilient facility in our global network of over 6 Tbps protection capacity.

Fun Facts About Argentina

• E-commerce market predictions expect Argentina to have over 32 million users spending over US $5 billion a year by 2023.
• Argentina has an internet penetration rating of 92.2 percent, compared to 71.2 percent in all South America.
• Argentina is the world’s eighth largest country.

Learning Lessons

Along with each new Imperva site comes new lessons. We are always looking to streamline each new install to get more sites online. We want to be as close to the customers as we can. But more important than the number of sites is having the right sites.

There are many factors to consider before even deciding on a location such as import/export laws, intellectual property laws, and economic stability. The process can be difficult, so we wanted to share our thoughts on picking the right location for expansion.

Choosing the Right Site

While a company should always be thinking of future growth, we know that we owe the most to our existing customer base. The first step in deciding on a new location for a CDN data center should be looking at where you can provide the best service improvements for your customers.  For this particular instance, we were looking for expansion in Argentina, and so for Imperva, this meant Buenos Aires (which, for myself, meant excellent sightseeing during the installation period.) From Buenos Aires we can reach almost any customer and improve their users experience thanks to our connection to CABASE.  At the same time, we are near international connections.

This facility should also align with the needs of future customers. You should ensure you are expanding in a strong and growing digital economy. You should research the region to understand the internet penetration trends, investment history in infrastructure development, and the business growth-rate.

Once you have chosen the right geographic area, it is time to find the right infrastructure. You should set your own company’s criteria for what is acceptable network performance, stability, and security. Imperva’s set standards quickly cut out 99 percent of facilities. The facility you choose to connect to should be able to provide proof of stable power, circuits, and cooling. It is also best to question these facilities in regards to their redundancy in case of an emergency. When visiting the site, you should also be ensuring physical security is in place to protect your service from physical threats.

Connecting to the Right Service Providers

It is likely that other large providers in the region have chosen a facility that meet these standards, but this may not always be the case. The cheapest facilities may not provide the best stability, while the most stable facilities may not provide the best connectivity partners.

In the case of Argentina, we knew that one mandatory connection point would be to the CABASE Internet Exchange. This exchange has been established for 30 years and provides connectivity to nearly 500 local providers. The top providers such as Cablevision, Telecom Argentina SA, and Telecentro are all connected to this exchange, allowing us to get the most direct connection for the most customers.

A strong exchange connection helps to narrow down the list, but this can’t be the only connection for a redundant network. The top tier-1 providers often have the same names across the world, but they do not always offer the same level of service. There are many online tools that can show you the top providers in the region, but you can also reach out to other networks already there. 

Many companies are happy to share experiences that can help you choose the right facilities, service providers, or local vendors. Reaching out to the right engineer may even help you find the best hotels, restaurants, and sites. I will tell you that we had a great time visiting the historic Recoleta Cemetery near our Buenos Aires facility and learning about the local history.

Figure 2: Recoleta Cemetery, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Take Advantage of Imperva’s New Location

Imperva is the world’s leader in cybersecurity. Through a global application delivery and network platform, Imperva provides any web application, API service or entire data center network with best-of-breed security, DDoS protection, load balancing and failover solutions, available as standalone services or as an integrated solution.

If you would like to learn more about how you can take advantage of our ever-growing, ever-strengthening network, contact our team.

Our Buenos Aires data center is only the latest Imperva site I have installed. Imperva’s competitive growth keeps us busy exploring new locations across the globe. Comment below on where you would like us to expand to next!