i3D.net delivers immersive online experiences from a Juniper foundation

Real-time entertainment and communications companies Ubisoft, EA, and Discord rely on i3D.net for high-performance, low-latency infrastructure to power their immersive digital experiences.

i3D.net is one of the leading providers of high-performance hosting and global infrastructure services. The company operates a low-latency network, with thousands of servers spread across more than 40 points of presence on six continents. i3D.net excels in the gaming market and hosts a variety of AAA games, which led to its acquisition by Ubisoft in 2019. It continues to help various large-scale gaming and enterprise customers deploy, scale, and manage their applications to over 650 million users globally. One of its biggest customers is the WebRTC platform Discord, for which i3D.net is the main provider for its video and audio streaming services. i3D.net relies on Juniper equipment to scale out its global network and points of presence. 

Overview


Company i3D.net
Industry Technology
Products used MX10003MX10004 and MX10008QFX5130QFX5120EX3400
Region EMEA
i3d-net Image
Customer Success At-a-glance

23+ Tbps

Global network capacity

45+

Locations on 6 continents 

#1

Fastest growing company in the Netherlands in 2022

2000+

Direct peering connections 

Challenge

Scale real-time services to reach 1 billion users by 2025

i3D.net, with two decades of experience in meeting the unique server and network requirements of the gaming industry, has set an ambitious goal to reach 1 billion users by 2025. 

i3D.net has seen its business grow rapidly. To meet the demand for blockbusters like FIFA, Rocket League, and Discord, i3D.net must continue to expand the capacity and global reach of its high-performance, ultra-low-latency network. 

“We are committed to providing the best possible end-user experiences for our customers with our game hosting platforms, no matter where they are, so our network is one of the most important pillars of our company,” says Michiel Mix, sales manager at i3D.net. 

I3D net Challenge
Solution

An infrastructure built to win

A key to i3D.net’s success is that it controls the infrastructure stack, including its own content delivery network and anti-DDoS solution, and the data center, compute, and networking resources for its hosting platform. That approach allows the company to deliver a high-performance, low-latency network designed for immersive experiences. 

i3D.net relies on the line of Juniper MX10000 Universal Routing Platforms for its core and edge networks, which deliver high scale and density, power efficiency, and investment protection. It relies on the MX10004 and MX10008 routers, which deliver high scale and density and superior cost-per-bit economics, for data center interconnect. It uses the MX10003, a space- and power-efficient router, for its points of presence (POPs). The MX Series routers block DDoS attacks at the edge that are detected by i3D.net’s DDoS mitigation software. 

The provider relies on the Juniper QFX5100 line of switches for the IP fabric in its POPs. The QFX5120 switch offers a flexible choice of 1/10/25/40/100GbE interfaces, while the QFX5130 delivers high-density 400GbE connectivity. Juniper EX3400 Switches serve the company’s access and aggregation networks. 

I3D net Solution
Outcome

New markets, new revenue opportunities

With the scalability, programmability, and operational efficiency of a Juniper network, i3D.net can bring the game closer to its players to deliver the highly responsive experience required for competitive gaming and real-time applications. 

i3D.net provides gaming to hundreds of millions of people—and has its sights set on serving billions of users in the next few years. 

With 45 POPs and growing, i3D continues to make games accessible in new markets. That leads to new revenue opportunities for game studios and satisfying immersive experiences for gamers and online communities. Enterprise customers can benefit, too, from a premium network for their own infrastructure and business continuity needs. 

I3D net Outcome
“i3D.net was born in gaming, and today we connect online communities globally. With a network built on highly configurable and scalable Juniper products, we can provide the best possible experience for users, no matter where they are.”
Edwin Verwoerd VP of Engineering, i3D.net

 Published March 2023