Switch and Data announced that Hudson Fiber Network(HFN) would launch its new Exchange Connect platform in its North Bergen, New Jersey data center, with a guaranteed service level agreement (SLA) of 750 microseconds. Both companies are targeting the Exchange Connect platform as "the lowest latency network" at high-frequency traders.

HFN announced that Exchange Connect would deliver 200-400 microseconds actual performance to the four major U.S. equity market centers, including NYSE/SFTI, Nasdaq, BATS, and Direct Edge, from Switch & Data's centrally located North Bergen site. HFN is the most recent carrier to join Switch and Data's 163,000 square foot North Bergen site, which opened in October.

"We're building a purpose built network through Switch and Data's facility. We're able to leverage multiple carriers," said Keith Muller, CEO of HFN in an interview at the SIFMA Technology Management Conference and Exhibition, this week.

"Normally, clients would co-locate with Switch and data and we would do point-to-point if they had employees at a particular location outside of the footprint of exchanges and they want to bring that onto the network. We're not restricted by the footprint," said Muller. Other companies are restricted by their footprint, and will need to call in another carrier and arrange another bill, he said.

Switch and Data opened its new 163,000 square foot North Bergen data center in October. You're really taking geography out of the equation," comments John Panzica, VP of Switch and Data's Financial Services' Practice, who also emphasized the new data centers advantage in terms of power density. Switch and Data's facility can offer 7.2 kilowatts of power in a cabinet whereas older data centers offer four kilowatts of power per cabinet, according to Panzica.