$25 Million in Strategic Equity and a 5,000-Server Global Expansion to Operationalize the Internet at Scale

n December 1999, EE Times reported that Sun Microsystems and Inktomi made strategic minority equity investments totaling approximately $25 million in Digital Island, citing the company’s role in building a globally distributed Internet infrastructure capable of supporting secure transactions, content management, and large-scale media delivery.

As part of this initiative, Digital Island announced plans to deploy up to 5,000 Sun Netra servers worldwide and invest as much as $150 million to expand its global network footprint into 350 additional metropolitan areas, reinforcing its position as a leading operator of edge-based Internet infrastructure.

Key Metrics Reported by EE Times (December 8, 1999):

  • ~$25 million in combined minority equity investment from Sun Microsystems and Inktomi

  • 5,000 Sun Netra servers planned for global deployment

  • $150 million infrastructure expansion budget

  • 350 new metropolitan areas targeted for edge delivery

  • 7 global data centers, with regional expansion underway