An organization created by pros for pros

The non-profit Rezopole organization was created in 2001 by members of the Rhône-Alpes Internet community in order to raise Lyon and its region to the level of other European capitals in terms of Internet connectivity and infrastructure. In order to do so, the organization implemented a Global Internet eXchange point (GIX) in Lyon - LyonIX. This was the first regional exchange point in France. In 2006, public officials understood the true importance of LyonIX and began to subsidize the association, four years after the GIX was launched. This support continues today.
Until 2009, the Rezopole organization  was called LyonIX, the name of the GIX that represented its main activity. Because of the project’s success, the organization is now solicited by other municipalities for similar projects. The organization decided to keep using the name LyonIX to refer to the Lyon GIX and to rename the organization “Rezopole” in order to mark its evolution in the field as an Internet and Network competence center (“rezo” sounds like the French word “réseau”, which means network…).

The concept

The main objective of those Internet pioneers who got together in 2001 to create LyonIX was to eliminate the need for data to always have to transit via Paris for all local Internet exchanges. For this, it was necessary to set-up an Internet exchange point where all local members of the Internet community, main ISPs and even large companies could connect to exchange traffic locally.

The project was challenging to implement, but today’s situation shows that it has become a real success. The Internet community and Telecom operators connected to the our GIXs benefit from better traffic delivery conditions, in terms of both price and performance. Being able to connect to our GIXs has determined some companies with a strong Internet/Telecom focus to keep their informatics services based in Lyon rather than setting them up in the USA.

A progressive growth

In March 2007, Rezopole has implemented the second regional Internet exchange point (LyonIX 2) in order to free and optimize the bandwidth locally. Other large companies with hosting centers based in Lyon have decided to use the two access points offered by LyonIX in Lyon to secure their Internet access and optimize both their Internet access speed and associated costs.

Major cities in France, such as Marseille, Dijon and Strasbourg, are today expressing their interest in establishing high-speed connections locally, independent from the constraints imposed by Paris-centric solutions. These cities consult with the Rezopole organization regarding its experience in the field. From early trials to an expansive growth strategy, Rezopole, the former LyonIX organization, now benefits from a larger vision regarding the needs of regional metropolies and is positioning itself as a key partner for all communities wishing to focus on innovation and freedom in terms of high-speed Internet access.

To handle its growing workload, Rezopole expanded its team with two full-time employees in January 2009, enabling the association to respond to its current and future partners's needs and expectations.