The Network Is the Platform

Next Web Network Systems are the foundation for the services and applications you need to realize the potential of your business. Switches, routers, and software together, create an inherently intelligent integrated network to adapt for your current and future business needs by:

• Providing secure, but unconstrained, connectivity between employees, customers and information
• Delivering quality, real-time applications, such as voice and video, on a converged network platform
• Ensuring access to information and resources from anywhere
• Automating a manageable and self-defending network
• Reducing your operating expenses
• Enables Green Business, IT, and Networking Practices

An internet exchange point (IXP) allows the members to exchange traffic destinated to each others network at a very low price. It encourages the use of local resources and reduces the load on the global Internet. Each member connects to the peering point and then agrees to allow other members to transfer to and from their local network.

The exchange itself is usually a simple layer 2 infrastructure like an ethernet or gigabit switch to which all members connect directly from their routers. To know about the other networks attached to that infrastructure the members use a routing protocol, usually this is BGP4 (Border Gateway Protocol Verison 4).

Definition: IXP at Wikipedia