Microsoft has become a member of the Qatar Internet Exchange Point (QIXP) along with a group of service providers, academic institutions and other regional institutions.
QIXP is a non-profit carrier-neutral internet exchange point established for the development of the internet and digital ecosystem in Qatar. It acts as a meeting point enabling internet service providers, digital content service providers, educational institutions, government and private entities to transfer internet traffic within Qatar instead of transferring local data and information outside the country.
"We are pleased that Microsoft has joined QIXP, which will benefit all members as much of the traffic to Microsoft will be localized for easy access, thereby improving the overall quality of the Internet and ensuring faster and safer access to hosted digital content." Ali Al Suwaidi, Director of the Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) Technical Affairs Department and Chairman of the QIXP Steering Committee said:
"At Microsoft, we strive to provide the most reliable, secure, and most compliant cloud services, with data privacy at the center of all our innovations. Our membership to the Qatar Internet Exchange Point strongly aligns with these efforts and follows the recent launch. Our cloud datacenter region in Qatar offers advanced data security, privacy, and the ability to store data in the country will enable organizations to innovate in their industries," said Lana Khalaf, general manager of Microsoft Qatar.
The QIXP Steering Committee has been constituted as per Cabinet Decision No. (24) of 2018. It aims to benefit from the infrastructure available in the country where internet service providers' systems operate in addition to the content delivery network by transferring internet traffic.
