Open-IX
OIX Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that develops vendor-neutral certification standards (OIX-1, OIX-2, OIX-3) and decision frameworks for internet exchange points, data centers, and edge facilities serving operators, investors, and policymakers worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersCambridge, United States
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Open-IX does
Open-IX Association (OIX) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association founded in 2013 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, that develops vendor-neutral standards and operates certification programs for digital interconnection infrastructure. The organization issues three certification marks — OIX-1 for Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), OIX-2 for data centers, and OIX-3 for edge facilities — each signifying compliance with community-developed benchmarks for governance, operations, engineering readiness, and fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory (FRAND) practices. OIX also publishes a portfolio of decision frameworks, including the Digital Infrastructure Decision Framework, IXP Feasibility Assessment Guide, Data Center Site Selection Framework, and Infrastructure Governance Maturity Model, plus the Digital Infrastructure Framework (DIFC) for community-level technology planning.
The technology underlying OIX is its open Document Development Process (DDP), maintained via GitHub and Slack, through which network operators, data center providers, and other stakeholders collaboratively evolve standards. OIX does not sell software, APIs, or proprietary technology; its product is the certification mark and the associated framework documentation. As of late 2025, 29 organizations across 7 countries are OIX-certified, and the consortium includes 150+ active individual members and 50+ member organizations representing 25+ countries.
Revenue is generated through two primary streams: tiered certification fees billed per location (ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 annually, with a $100 non-profit rate for qualifying exchanges) and a four-tier Consortium Partnership Program ($2,500 to $10,000 annually) for vendors, cloud providers, IXPs, and technology enablers. Individual and organizational membership remains free. Distribution is self-serve via the oix.org application portal, supplemented by direct outreach for consortium partnerships. Leadership is provided by a volunteer board (Chris Grundemann as Chair, Phil Koblence as Vice Chair, and additional directors) with a recently appointed Program Manager & Administrator managing day-to-day operations.
Open-IX firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Open-IX
- Legal name
- OIX Association
- Website
- https://oix.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- OIX Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit trade association that develops vendor-neutral certification standards (OIX-1, OIX-2, OIX-3) and decision frameworks for internet exchange points, data centers, and edge facilities serving operators, investors, and policymakers worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Open-IX industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Internet Infrastructure Standards
- NAICS
- Other Computer Related Services (541519), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518210)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) & Peering Services (HDABALAC)
Keywords
Where Open-IX is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cambridge
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Open-IX business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Certification Fees: OIX generates revenue through certification fees for IXPs and data centers. Fees are tiered by organization size: up to 35 members ($1,000/location), 36-75 members ($2,500), and 76+ members ($5,000 annually per location). Non-profit certification available for $100 application fee.
- Consortium Partnership Program: Tiered partnership program offering vendor, data center, IXP, cloud provider, and technology enabler positioning. Participation levels range from Supporter ($2,500) to Premier Industry Leader ($10,000), providing branding, press inclusion, committee participation, and content visibility.
- Membership (Currently Free): Individual and organizational membership is currently free. Members gain access to certified community network, events, standards development participation, voting rights, directory listing, and priority access to frameworks and research.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | Up to 35 Members - $1,000 USD per location, billed once |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 36–75 Members - $2,500 USD per location |
| Subscription | Annual | 76+ Members - $5,000 USD annually per location |
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Non-Profit Certification - $100 application processing fee |
| Subscription | Annual | Supporter - $2,500 annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Core Contributor - $5,000 annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Strategic Partner - $7,500 annually |
| Subscription | Annual | Premier Industry Leader - $10,000 annually |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels11 records
Open-IX product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Open-IX is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit industry association that develops and administers vendor-neutral technical and operational certification programs for digital infrastructure assets, including OIX-1 for Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), OIX-2 for Data Centers, and OIX-3 for Edge facilities. It also publishes community-built decision frameworks (IXP, CaaS, Meta IXP, DGX) and convenes the Open-IX Forum at ITW to drive industry consensus on interconnection and infrastructure standards.
Product overview
OIX (Open Infrastructure Exchange) is a vendor-neutral 501(c)(6) trade association that operates as a standards organization rather than a traditional software company. Its portfolio consists primarily of certification programs (OIX-1 for IXPs, OIX-2 for Data Centers, and OIX-3 for Edge facilities) that verify compliance with community-developed standards for governance, operations, and engineering excellence. These certifications are complemented by a suite of decision frameworks including the Digital Infrastructure Decision Framework, IXP Feasibility Assessment Guide, Data Center Site Selection Framework, Interconnection Strategy Playbook, and Infrastructure Governance Maturity Model. The organization also provides educational resources through its Knowledge Base and operates the Digital Infrastructure Framework (DIFC) for community planning. A consortium partnership program offers four tiers of industry participation, and all standards are developed through an open, transparent Document Development Process (DDP) involving the global network engineering community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- OIX-1 (IXP Certification)
- OIX-2 (Data Center Certification)
- OIX-3 (Edge Certification)
- IXP Decision Framework
- CaaS Decision Framework
- Meta IXP Decision Framework
- DGX Decision Framework
- Open-IX Forum at ITW
Quantifiable outcome
- Standards implemented across 7 countries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Open-IX
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Open-IX technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature7 records
Open-IX partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Open Compute Project Foundation (OCP)coreOCP and OIX formed a strategic alliance to develop a unified, co-branded open standard that harmonizes the OIX-2 data center standard with OCP Ready v2 for hyperscale requirements. The collaboration focuses on metro-edge facilities to simplify implementation for data center operators facilitating massive scale interconnection between networks for hyperscale users. The new standard will inform all market constituents of basic requirements to serve hyperscale interconnection on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory basis.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Open-IX competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Open-IX social profiles
Digital presenceOpen-IX compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Open-IX financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Open-IX leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles13 records
Open-IX funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Open-IX M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Open-IX
What does Open-IX do?
Open-IX is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit industry association that develops and administers vendor-neutral technical and operational certification programs for digital infrastructure assets, including OIX-1 for Internet Exchange Points (IXPs), OIX-2 for Data Centers, and OIX-3 for Edge facilities. It also publishes community-built decision frameworks (IXP, CaaS, Meta IXP, DGX) and convenes the Open-IX Forum at ITW to drive industry consensus on interconnection and infrastructure standards.
Is Open-IX a public or private company?
Open-IX is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Open-IX founded?
Open-IX was founded in 2013. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Open-IX based?
Open-IX is headquartered in Cambridge, United States, in the North America region.
How does Open-IX make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Certification Fees are the primary driver. The others are consortium Partnership Program and membership (Currently Free).
Does Open-IX have an API?
No public API is recorded for Open-IX.
What industry is Open-IX in?
Open-IX's product category is Internet Infrastructure Standards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABALAC, Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) & Peering Services. Its NAICS code is 541519 and its SIC code is 8600.