Equinix (EQIX) 10-K2 Mar 152014 FY Annual reportFinancial data

Company Profile

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Billions, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Jan. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-K
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Period End Date	31-Dec-14
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2014
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Trading Symbol	EQIX
Entity Registrant Name	EQUINIX INC
Entity Central Index Key	1101239
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	Yes
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		56,473,723
Entity Public Float			$10.70

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$610,917	$261,894
Short-term investments	529,395	369,808
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $9,466 and $6,640	262,570	184,840
Other current assets	88,061	72,118
Total current assets	1,490,943	888,660
Long-term investments	439	398,390
Property, plant and equipment	4,998,270	4,591,650
Goodwill	1,002,129	1,042,153
Intangible assets, net	147,527	184,182
Other assets	178,125	387,324
Total Assets	7,817,433	7,492,359
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	285,796	263,223
Accrued property, plant and equipment	114,469	64,601
Current portion of capital lease and other financing obligations	21,362	17,214
Current portion of mortgage and loans payable	59,466	53,508
Other current liabilities	162,664	147,958
Total current liabilities	643,757	546,504
Capital lease and other financing obligations, less current portion	1,168,042	914,032
Mortgage and loans payable, less current portion	534,686	199,700
Convertible debt	145,853	724,202
Senior notes	2,750,000	2,250,000
Other liabilities	304,964	274,955
Total liabilities	5,547,302	4,909,393
Redeemable non-controlling interests (Note 10)		123,902
Commitments and contingencies (Note 14)
Stockholders' equity:
Preferred stock, $0.001 par value per share: 100,000,000 shares authorized in 2014 and 2013; zero shares issued and outstanding
Common stock, $0.001 par value per share, 300,000,000 shares authorized in 2014 and 2013; 56,505,122 issued and 56,451,255 outstanding in 2014 and 50,233,224 issued and 49,589,008 outstanding in 2013	57	50
Additional paid-in capital	3,334,305	2,693,887
Treasury stock, at cost; 53,867 shares in 2014 and 644,216 shares in 2013	-11,411	-84,663
Accumulated dividends	-424,387
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-332,443	-113,767
Accumulated deficit	-295,990	-36,443
Total stockholders' equity	2,270,131	2,459,064
Total liabilities, redeemable non-controlling interests and stockholders' equity	$7,817,433	$7,492,359

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowance for doubtful accounts	$9,466	$6,640
Preferred stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Preferred stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value	$0.00	$0.00
Common stock, shares authorized	300,000,000	300,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	56,505,122	50,233,224
Common stock, shares outstanding	56,451,255	49,589,008
Treasury stock, at cost	53,867	644,216

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$2,443,776	$2,152,766	$1,887,376
Costs and operating expenses:
Cost of revenues	1,197,885	1,064,403	944,617
Sales and marketing	296,103	246,623	202,914
General and administrative	438,016	374,790	328,266
Restructuring charges (reversals)		-4,837
Impairment charges	0	0	9,861
Acquisition costs	2,506	10,855	8,822
Total costs and operating expenses	1,934,510	1,691,834	1,494,480
Income from operations	509,266	460,932	392,896
Interest income	2,891	3,387	3,466
Interest expense	-270,553	-248,792	-200,328
Other income (expense)	119	5,253	-2,208
Loss on debt extinguishment	-156,990	-108,501	-5,204
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	84,733	112,279	188,622
Income tax expense	-345,459	-16,156	-58,564
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	-260,726	96,123	130,058
Discontinued operations, net of tax (Note 4):
Net income from discontinued operations			1,234
Gain on sale of discontinued operations			11,852
Net income (loss)	-260,726	96,123	143,144
Net (income) loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests	1,179	-1,438	-3,116
Net income (loss) attributable to Equinix	($259,547)	$94,685	$140,028
Earnings per share ("EPS") attributable to Equinix (Note 3):
Basic EPS from continuing operations	($4.96)	$1.92	$2.65
Basic EPS from discontinued operations			$0.27
Basic EPS	($4.96)	$1.92	$2.92
Weighted-average shares	52,359	49,438	48,004
Diluted EPS from continuing operations	($4.96)	$1.89	$2.58
Diluted EPS from discontinued operations			$0.25
Diluted EPS	($4.96)	$1.89	$2.83
Weighted-average shares	52,359	50,116	51,816

Consolidated_Statements_of_Com

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	($260,726)	$96,123	$143,144
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax:
Foreign currency translation gain (loss)	-204,065	-18,203	36,194
Unrealized loss on available for sale securities	-279	-298	-23
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges	8,790	-1,750
Unrealized loss on defined benefit plans	-2,001
Total other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	-197,555	-20,251	36,171
Comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	-458,281	75,872	179,315
Net (income) loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests	1,179	-1,438	-3,116
Other comprehensive (income) loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests	-1,810	7,526	6,485
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Equinix	($458,912)	$81,960	$182,684

Consolidated_Statements_of_Sto

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders Equity and Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $)	Total	4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	Common stock [Member]	Common stock [Member]	Common stock [Member]	Treasury stock [Member]	Treasury stock [Member]	Treasury stock [Member]	Additional paid-in capital [Member]	Additional paid-in capital [Member]	Additional paid-in capital [Member]	Accumulated dividends [Member]	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) [Member]	Accumulated deficit [Member]
	Total	4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	Common stock [Member]	4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	Treasury stock [Member]	4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	Additional paid-in capital [Member]	4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]	Accumulated dividends [Member]	Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) [Member]	Accumulated deficit [Member]
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	$1,936,151,000			$48,000			($86,666,000)			$2,437,623,000				($143,698,000)	($271,156,000)
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2011				47,541,620			-870,421
Net income	143,144,000														143,144,000
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	-3,116,000														-3,116,000
Other comprehensive income	36,171,000													36,171,000
Other comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests	6,485,000													6,485,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for employee equity awards	60,828,000			1,000			1,504,000			59,323,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for employee equity awards, shares				1,598,231			15,069
Release of treasury stock upon conversions of convertible debt	12,000						61,850,000			-61,838,000
Release of treasury stock upon conversions of convertible debt, shares							623,098
Common shares repurchased	-13,364,000						-13,364,000
Common shares repurchased, shares							-131,489
Change in redemption value of redeemable non-controlling interests	-21,270,000									-21,270,000
Tax benefit from employee stock plans	84,740,000									84,740,000
Stock-based compensation, net of estimated forfeitures	83,660,000									83,660,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	2,313,441,000			49,000			-36,676,000			2,582,238,000				-101,042,000	-131,128,000
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2012				49,139,851			-363,743
Net income	96,123,000														96,123,000
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	-1,438,000														-1,438,000
Other comprehensive income	-20,251,000													-20,251,000
Other comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests	7,526,000													7,526,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for employee equity awards	31,893,000			1,000			805,000			31,087,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for employee equity awards, shares				1,093,373			8,198
Release of treasury stock upon conversions of convertible debt	6,000						7,000			-1,000
Release of treasury stock upon conversions of convertible debt, shares							68
Common shares repurchased	-48,799,000						-48,799,000
Common shares repurchased, shares							-288,739
Change in redemption value of redeemable non-controlling interests	-47,940,000									-47,940,000
Tax benefit from employee stock plans	25,638,000									25,638,000
Stock-based compensation, net of estimated forfeitures	102,865,000									102,865,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	2,459,064,000			50,000			-84,663,000			2,693,887,000				-113,767,000	-36,443,000
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2013	49,589,008			50,233,224			-644,216
Net income	-260,726,000														-260,726,000
Net income attributable to non-controlling interests	1,179,000														1,179,000
Other comprehensive income	-197,555,000													-197,555,000
Other comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests	-1,810,000													-1,810,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for employee equity awards	29,320,000			1,000			1,185,000			28,134,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for employee equity awards, shares				933,554			7,846
Common shares repurchased	-297,958,000						-297,958,000
Common shares repurchased, shares							-1,517,743
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for the exchanges and conversions of convertible debt		190,732,000			2,000			147,706,000			43,024,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for the exchanges and conversions of convertible debt, shares					1,411,851			1,000,102
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for the exchange of convertible debt			216,958,000			1,000			139,004,000			77,953,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for the exchange of convertible debt, debt						1,248,578			700,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for conversions of convertible debt			178,744,000			1,000			83,315,000			95,428,000
Issuance of common stock and release of treasury stock for conversions of convertible debt, shares						1,195,496			400,144
Issuance of common stock for special distribution	-82,122,000			2,000						332,732,000			-414,856,000
Issuance of common stock for special distribution, shares				1,482,419
Accrued dividends on unvested equity awards	-9,531,000												-9,531,000
Change in redemption value of redeemable non-controlling interests	-90,913,000									-90,913,000
Purchase of redeemable non-controlling interests	-1,334,000									17,977,000				-19,311,000
Tax benefit from employee stock plans	18,561,000									18,561,000
Stock-based compensation, net of estimated forfeitures	117,522,000									117,522,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	$2,270,131,000			$57,000			($11,411,000)			$3,334,305,000			($424,387,000)	($332,443,000)	($295,990,000)
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2014	56,451,255			56,505,122			-53,867

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income (loss)	($260,726)	$96,123	$143,144
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation	453,935	405,444	375,004
Stock-based compensation	117,990	102,940	83,025
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	-19,582	-27,330	-72,631
Amortization of intangible assets	27,756	27,027	23,575
Amortization of debt issuance costs and debt discounts	18,667	23,868	23,365
Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts	7,093	5,819	4,186
Restructuring charges (reversals)		-4,837
Impairment charges	0	0	9,861
Loss on debt extinguishment	156,990	108,501	5,204
Gain on sale of discontinued operations			-11,852
Other items	19,912	11,543	7,001
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	-101,966	-27,956	-26,601
Income taxes, net	226,774	-108,189	24,089
Other assets	-6,496	-36,853	2,479
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	10,681	7,242	33,538
Other liabilities	38,392	21,266	8,639
Net cash provided by operating activities	689,420	604,608	632,026
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchases of investments	-545,997	-968,971	-442,870
Sales of investments	573,582	276,351	362,266
Maturities of investments	211,966	213,484	579,855
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired		-49,337	-309,492
Purchase of real estate	-16,791	-74,332	-24,656
Purchases of other property, plant and equipment	-660,203	-572,406	-764,500
Proceeds from sale of discontinued operations			76,458
Increase in restricted cash	-968	-837,190	-8,696
Release of restricted cash	2,572	843,088	88,762
Net cash used in investing activities	-435,839	-1,169,313	-442,873
Cash flows from financing activities:
Purchases of treasury stock	-297,958	-48,799	-13,364
Proceeds from employee equity awards	29,320	31,892	56,137
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	19,582	27,330	72,631
Payment of special distribution	-83,266
Purchase of redeemable non-controlling interests	-226,276
Proceeds from senior notes	1,250,000	1,500,000
Proceeds from loans payable	508,826	28,038	262,591
Repayment of senior notes	-750,000	-750,000
Repayment of convertible debt	-29,513		-250,007
Repayment of capital lease and other financing obligations	-18,030	-40,133	-12,378
Repayment of mortgage and loans payable	-153,473	-52,500	-329,111
Debt extinguishment costs	-116,517	-97,864
Debt issuance costs	-25,294	-23,057	-9,220
Net cash provided by (used in ) financing activities	107,401	574,907	-222,721
Effect of foreign currency exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	-11,959	-521	6,958
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	349,023	9,681	-26,610
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	261,894	252,213	278,823
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	610,917	261,894	252,213
Supplemental cash flow information
Cash paid for taxes	117,197	123,690	36,711
Cash paid for interest	$262,018	$210,629	$185,321

Nature_of_Business_and_Summary

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

1. Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

Equinix, Inc. (“Equinix” or the “Company”) was incorporated in Delaware on June 22, 1998. Equinix provides colocation space and related services. Global enterprises, content providers, financial companies and network service providers rely upon Equinix’s insight and expertise to safehouse and connect their most valued information assets. The Company operates International Business Exchange (“IBX”) data centers, or IBX data centers, across 33 markets in the Americas; Europe, Middle East and Africa (“EMEA”) and Asia-Pacific geographic regions where customers directly interconnect with a network ecosystem of partners and customers. More than 1,000 network service providers offer access to the world’s Internet routes inside the Company’s IBX data centers. This access to Internet routes provides Equinix customers improved reliability and streamlined connectivity while significantly reducing costs by reaching a critical mass of networks within a centralized physical location.

In September 2012, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved a plan to pursue conversion to a real estate investment trust (“REIT”) (the “REIT Conversion”). The Company completed the implementation of the REIT conversion in 2014, and the Company plans to make a tax election for REIT status for the taxable year commencing January 1, 2015.

Basis of Presentation, Consolidation and Foreign Currency

The accompanying consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Equinix and its subsidiaries, including the acquisition of Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel from October 1, 2013, the alliance with Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (“du”) from November 9, 2012 and the acquisitions of Asia Tone Limited (“Asia Tone”) from July 4, 2012, ancotel GmbH (“ancotel”) from July 3, 2012. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Foreign exchange gains or losses resulting from foreign currency transactions, including intercompany foreign currency transactions, that are anticipated to be repaid within the foreseeable future, are reported within other income (expense) on the Company’s accompanying consolidated statements of operations. For additional information on the impact of foreign currencies to the Company’s consolidated financial statements, see “Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss” in Note 11 below.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in the accompanying consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the consolidated financial statement presentation as of and for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates. On an ongoing basis, the Company evaluates its estimates, including, but not limited to, those related to the allowance for doubtful accounts, fair values of financial instruments, intangible assets and goodwill, useful lives of intangible assets and property, plant and equipment, assets acquired and liabilities assumed from acquisitions, asset retirement obligations, restructuring charges, redemption value of redeemable non-controlling interests and income taxes. The Company bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable.

Discontinued Operations

Assets and liabilities to be disposed of that meet all of the criteria to be classified as held for sale as set forth in the accounting standard for impairment or disposal of long-lived assets are reported at the lower of their carrying amounts or fair values less costs to sell. Assets are not depreciated or amortized while they are classified as held for sale. Assets and liabilities held for sale that have operations and cash flows that can be clearly distinguished, operationally and for financial reporting purposes, from the rest of the Company’s assets and liabilities are reported in discontinued operations when (a) it is determined that the operations and cash flows will be eliminated from the Company’s continuing operations and (b) the Company will not have any significant continuing involvement in the operations of the assets and liabilities after the disposal transaction.

The Company’s consolidated statements of operations have been reclassified to reflect its discontinued operations for the year ended December 31, 2012. For further information on the Company’s discontinued operations, see Note 4.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term and Long-Term Investments

The Company considers all highly liquid instruments with an original maturity from the date of purchase of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash equivalents consist of money market mutual funds and highly liquid debt securities of corporations and certificates of deposit with original maturities up to 90 days. Short-term investments generally consist of securities with original maturities of between 90 days and one year. Long-term investments generally consist of securities with original maturities greater than 365 days. The Company’s fixed income securities are classified as “available-for-sale” and are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported in stockholders’ equity as a component of other comprehensive income (loss). The cost of securities sold is based on the specific identification method. The Company reviews its investment portfolio quarterly to determine if any securities may be other-than-temporarily impaired due to increased credit risk, changes in industry or sector of a certain instrument or ratings downgrades.

Financial Instruments and Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments which potentially subject the Company to concentrations of credit risk consist of cash, cash equivalents and short-term and long-term investments and accounts receivable. Risks associated with cash, cash equivalents and short-term and long-term investments are mitigated by the Company’s investment policy, which limits the Company’s investing to only those marketable securities rated at least A-1/P-1 Short Term Rating and A-/A3 Long Term Rating, as determined by independent credit rating agencies. Risk to the Company’s investment portfolio is further mitigated by its significant weighting in U.S. government securities in order to achieve REIT asset measure requirements.

A significant portion of the Company’s customer base is comprised of businesses throughout the Americas. However, a portion of the Company’s revenues are derived from the Company’s EMEA and Asia-Pacific operations. The following table sets forth percentages of the Company’s revenues by geographic region for the years ended December 31:

2014

2013

2012

Americas

EMEA

Asia-Pacific

No single customer accounted for greater than 10% of accounts receivable or revenues as of or for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at the Company’s original cost or fair value for acquired property, plant and equipment. Depreciation is computed using the straight-line method over the estimated useful lives of the respective assets. Leasehold improvements and assets acquired under capital leases are amortized over the shorter of the lease term or the estimated useful life of the asset or improvement, unless they are considered integral equipment, in which case they are amortized over the lease term. Leasehold improvements acquired in a business combination are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the assets or a term that includes required lease periods and renewals that are deemed to be reasonably assured at the date of acquisition. Leasehold improvements that are placed into service significantly after and not contemplated at or near the beginning of the lease term are amortized over the shorter of the useful life of the assets or a term that includes required lease periods and renewals that are deemed to be reasonably assured at the date the leasehold improvements are purchased.

The Company’s estimated useful lives of its property, plant and equipment are as follows:

Core systems

3-25 years

Buildings

12-50 years

Leasehold improvements

12-40 years

Construction in progress

N/A

Personal Property

3-10 years

During the three months ended December 31, 2014, the Company revised the estimated useful lives of certain of its property, plant and equipment as part of a review of the related assumptions. As a result, the Company recorded an insignificant amount of higher depreciation expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 due to the reduction of the estimated useful lives of certain of its property, plant and equipment. This change was accounted for as a change in accounting estimate on a prospective basis effective October 1, 2014 under the accounting standard for change in accounting estimates. The Company did not revise the estimated useful lives of the property, plant and equipment during the year ended December 31, 2013. During the three months ended December 31, 2012, the Company reassessed the estimated useful lives of certain of its property, plant and equipment. This change was accounted for as a change in accounting estimate on a prospective basis effective October 1, 2012 under the accounting standard for change in accounting estimates. As a result, the Company recorded an insignificant amount of lower depreciation expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2012, due to the increase in the estimated useful lives of certain of its property, plant and equipment.

The Company’s construction in progress includes direct and indirect expenditures for the construction and expansion of IBX data centers and is stated at original cost. The Company has contracted out substantially all of the construction and expansion efforts of its IBX data centers to independent contractors under construction contracts. Construction in progress includes costs incurred under construction contracts including project management services, engineering and schematic design services, design development, construction services and other construction-related fees and services. In addition, the Company has capitalized interest costs during the construction phase. Once an IBX data center or expansion project becomes operational, these capitalized costs are allocated to certain property, plant and equipment categories and are depreciated over the estimated useful life of the underlying assets.

Asset Retirement Costs

The fair value of a liability for an asset retirement obligation is recognized in the period in which it is incurred. The associated retirement costs are capitalized and included as part of the carrying value of the long-lived asset and amortized over the useful life of the asset. Subsequent to the initial measurement, the Company accretes the liability in relation to the asset retirement obligations over time and the accretion expense is recorded as a cost of revenue. The Company’s asset retirement obligations are primarily related to its IBX data centers, of which the majority are leased under long-term arrangements, and, in certain cases, are required to be returned to the landlords in their original condition. The majority of the Company’s IBX data center leases have been subject to significant development by the Company in order to convert them from, in most cases, vacant buildings or warehouses into IBX data centers. The majority of the Company’s IBX data centers’ initial lease terms expire at various dates ranging from 2017 to 2053 and most of them enable the Company to extend the lease terms.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

The Company has three reportable segments comprised of the 1) Americas, 2) EMEA and 3) Asia-Pacific geographic regions, which the Company also determined are its reporting units. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had goodwill attributable to its Americas reporting unit, EMEA reporting unit and Asia-Pacific reporting unit. In 2014, the Company changed its annual goodwill impairment testing date from November 30^th to October 31^st of each year, commencing on October 31, 2014, to better align its annual goodwill impairment test with the timing of the Company’s budgeting and forecasting process.

The Company has the option to assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If, after assessing the qualitative factors, the Company determines that it is not more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value, then performing the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. However, if the Company concludes otherwise, then it is required to perform the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test. The first step, identifying a potential impairment, compares the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. If the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, the second step would need to be conducted; otherwise, no further steps are necessary as no potential impairment exists. The second step, measuring the impairment loss, compares the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. Any excess of the reporting unit goodwill carrying value over the respective implied fair value is recognized as an impairment loss.

The Company performed the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test for its Americas reporting unit, EMEA reporting unit and Asia-Pacific reporting unit during the year ended December 31, 2014. In order to determine the fair value of each reporting unit, the Company utilizes the discounted cash flow and market methods. The Company has consistently utilized both methods in its goodwill impairment tests and weighs both results equally. The Company uses both methods in its goodwill impairment tests as it believes both methods, in conjunction with each other, provide a reasonable estimate of the determination of fair value of each reporting unit – the discounted cash flow method being specific to anticipated future results of the reporting unit and the market method, which is based on the Company’s market sector including its competitors. The assumptions supporting the discounted cash flow method, including the discount rate, which was assumed to be 9.8% and 10.1% for the Americas reporting unit and EMEA reporting unit, respectively and 8.9% for the Asia-Pacific reporting unit, was determined using the Company’s best estimates as of the date of the impairment review. As of October 31, 2014, the Company concluded that its goodwill attributed to the Company’s Americas reporting unit, EMEA reporting unit and Asia-Pacific reporting unit was not impaired as the fair value of each reporting unit substantially exceeded the carrying value of its respective reporting unit, including goodwill. In addition, the Company concluded that no events occurred or circumstances changed subsequent to October 31, 2014 through December 31, 2014 that would more likely than not reduce the fair value of the Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific reporting units below its carrying value. The Company has performed various sensitivity analyses on certain of the assumptions used in the discounted cash flow method, such as forecasted revenues and discount rate, and notes that no reasonably possible changes would reduce the fair value of the reporting unit to such a level that would cause an impairment charge.

Impairment assessments inherently involve judgment as to assumptions about expected future cash flows and the impact of market conditions on those assumptions. Future events and changing market conditions may impact the Company’s assumptions as to prices, costs, growth rates or other factors that may result in changes in the Company’s estimates of future cash flows. Although the Company believes the assumptions it used in testing for impairment are reasonable, significant changes in any one of the Company’s assumptions could produce a significantly different result. Indicators of potential impairment that might lead the Company to perform interim goodwill impairment assessments include significant and unforeseen customer losses, a significant adverse change in legal factors or in the business climate, a significant adverse action or assessment by a regulator, a significant stock price decline or unanticipated competition.

For further information on goodwill and other intangible assets, see Note 5 below.

Debt Issuance Costs

Loan fees and costs are capitalized and are amortized over the life of the related loans based on the effective interest method. Such amortization is included as a component of interest expense.

Derivatives and Hedging Activities

The Company recognizes all derivatives on the consolidated balance sheet at fair value. The accounting for changes in the value of a derivative depends on whether the contract is for trading purposes or has been designated and qualifies for hedge accounting. In order to qualify for hedge accounting, a derivative must be considered highly effective at reducing the risk associated with the exposure being hedged. In order for a derivative to be designated as a hedge, there must be documentation of the risk management objective and strategy, including identification of the hedging instrument, the hedged item and the risk exposure, and how effectiveness is to be assessed prospectively and retrospectively. Foreign currency gains or losses associated with derivatives that do not qualify for hedge accounting are recorded within other income (expense), net in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations, with the exception of foreign currency embedded derivatives contained in certain of the Company’s customer contracts (see “Revenue Recognition” below), which are recorded within revenues in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

To assess effectiveness of derivatives that qualify for hedge accounting, the Company uses a regression analysis. The extent to which a hedging instrument has been and is expected to continue to be effective at achieving offsetting changes in cash flows is assessed and documented at least quarterly. Any ineffectiveness is reported in current-period earnings. If it is determined that a derivative is not highly effective at hedging the designated exposure, hedge accounting is discontinued. For qualifying cash flow hedges, the effective portion of the change in the fair value of the derivative is recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) and recognized in the consolidated statements of operations when the hedged cash flows affect earnings. The ineffective portion of cash flow hedges are immediately recognized in earnings. If the hedge relationship is terminated, then the change in fair value of the derivative recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) is recognized in earnings when the cash flows that were hedged occur, consistent with the original hedge strategy. For hedge relationships discontinued because the forecasted transaction is not expected to occur according to the original strategy, any related derivative amounts recorded in other comprehensive income (loss) are immediately recognized in earnings. The Company does not use derivatives for speculative or trading purposes.

For further information on derivatives and hedging activities, see Note 6 below.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

The carrying value of the Company’s cash and cash equivalents, short-term and long-term investments represent their fair value, while the Company’s accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses and accrued property, plant and equipment approximate their fair value due primarily to the short-term maturity of the related instruments. The fair value of the Company’s debt, which is traded in the public debt market, is based on quoted market prices. The fair value of the Company’s debt, which is not publicly traded, is estimated by considering the Company’s credit rating, current rates available to the Company for debt of the same remaining maturities and terms of the debt.

Fair Value Measurements

The Company measures and reports certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value on a recurring basis, including its investments in money market funds and available-for-sale debt investments in other public companies, governmental units and other agencies and derivatives.

The Company also follows the accounting standard for the measurement of fair value for nonfinancial assets and liabilities on a nonrecurring basis. These include:

•

Non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities initially measured at fair value in a business combination or other new basis event, but not measured at fair value in subsequent reporting periods;

•

Reporting units and non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities measured at fair value for goodwill impairment tests;

•

Indefinite-lived intangible assets measured at fair value for impairment assessments;

•

Non-financial long-lived assets or asset groups measured at fair value for impairment assessments or disposal;

•

Asset retirement obligations initially measured at fair value but not subsequently measured at fair value; and

•

Non-financial liabilities associated with exit or disposal activities initially measured at fair value but not subsequently measured at fair value.

For further information on fair value measurements, see Note 7 below.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable such as a significant decrease in market price of a long-lived asset, a significant adverse change in legal factors or business climate that could affect the value of a long-lived asset or a continuous deterioration of the Company’s financial condition. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by comparing the carrying amount of an asset to estimated undiscounted future net cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. If the carrying amount of the asset exceeds its estimated discounted future cash flows, an impairment charge is recognized by the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset exceeds the fair value of the asset.

During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company determined that the fair values of certain long-lived assets in two properties were lower than their carrying values. As a result, the Company recorded impairment charges totaling $9,861,000 in the Americas and Asia-Pacific regions comprised of $7,029,000 of property, plant and equipment and $2,832,000 of intangible assets. The Company did not record any impairment charges related to its long-lived assets during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Revenue Recognition

Equinix derives more than 90% of its revenues from recurring revenue streams, consisting primarily of (1) colocation, which includes the licensing of cabinet space and power; (2) interconnection offerings, such as cross connects and Equinix Exchange ports; (3) managed infrastructure services and (4) other revenues consisting of rental income from tenants or subtenants. The remainder of the Company’s revenues are from non-recurring revenue streams, such as from the recognized portion of deferred installation revenues, professional services, contract settlements and equipment sales. Revenues from recurring revenue streams are generally billed monthly and recognized ratably over the term of the contract, generally one to three years for IBX data center space customers. Non-recurring installation fees, although generally paid in a lump sum upon installation, are deferred and recognized ratably over the expected life of the installation. Professional service fees are recognized in the period in which the services were provided and represent the culmination of a separate earnings process as long as they meet the criteria for separate recognition under the accounting standard related to revenue arrangements with multiple deliverables. Revenue from bandwidth and equipment sales is recognized on a gross basis in accordance with the accounting standard related to reporting revenue gross as a principal versus net as an agent, primarily because the Company acts as the principal in the transaction, takes title to products and services and bears inventory and credit risk. To the extent the Company does not meet the criteria for recognizing bandwidth and equipment services as gross revenue, the Company records the revenue on a net basis. Revenue from contract settlements, when a customer wishes to terminate their contract early, is generally recognized on a cash basis, when no remaining performance obligations exist, to the extent that the revenue has not previously been recognized.

The Company occasionally guarantees certain service levels, such as uptime, as outlined in individual customer contracts. To the extent that these service levels are not achieved, the Company reduces revenue for any credits given to the customer as a result. The Company generally has the ability to determine such service level credits prior to the associated revenue being recognized, and historically, these credits have generally not been significant. There were no significant service level credits issued during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Revenue is recognized only when the service has been provided and when there is persuasive evidence of an arrangement, the fee is fixed or determinable and collection of the receivable is reasonably assured. It is the Company’s customary business practice to obtain a signed master sales agreement and sales order prior to recognizing revenue in an arrangement. Taxes collected from customers and remitted to governmental authorities are reported on a net basis and are excluded from revenue.

As a result of certain customer agreements being priced in currencies different from the functional currencies of the parties involved, under applicable accounting rules, the Company is deemed to have foreign currency forward contracts embedded in these contracts. The Company refers to these as foreign currency embedded derivatives (see Note 6). These instruments are separated from their host contracts and held on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet at their fair value. The majority of these foreign currency embedded derivatives arise in certain of the Company’s subsidiaries where the local currency is the subsidiary’s functional currency and the customer contract is denominated in the U.S. dollar. Changes in their fair values are recognized within revenues in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.

The Company assesses collectability based on a number of factors, including past transaction history with the customer and the credit-worthiness of the customer. The Company generally does not request collateral from its customers although in certain cases the Company obtains a security interest in a customer’s equipment placed in its IBX data centers or obtains a deposit. If the Company determines that collection of a fee is not reasonably assured, the fee is deferred and revenue is recognized at the time collection becomes reasonably assured, which is generally upon receipt of cash. In addition, the Company also maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability of its customers to make required payments for which the Company had expected to collect the revenues. If the financial condition of the Company’s customers were to deteriorate or if they became insolvent, resulting in an impairment of their ability to make payments, greater allowances for doubtful accounts may be required. Management specifically analyzes accounts receivable and current economic news and trends, historical bad debts, customer concentrations, customer credit-worthiness and changes in customer payment terms when evaluating revenue recognition and the adequacy of the Company’s reserves. Any amounts that were previously recognized as revenue and subsequently determined to be uncollectible are charged to bad debt expense included in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. A specific bad debt reserve of up to the full amount of a particular invoice value is provided for certain problematic customer balances. An additional reserve is established for all other accounts based on the age of the invoices and an analysis of historical credits issued. Delinquent account balances are written-off after management has determined that the likelihood of collection is not probable.

Income Taxes

Income taxes are accounted for under the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences attributable to differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates expected to apply to taxable income in the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Valuation allowances are established when necessary to reduce deferred tax assets to the amounts that are expected more likely than not to be realized in the future. A tax benefit from an uncertain income tax position may be recognized in the financial statements only if it is more likely than not that the position is sustainable, based solely on its technical merits and consideration of the relevant taxing authority’s widely understood administrative practices and precedents.

The REIT Conversion, effective as of January 1, 2015, is not considered to be a change in tax status for the Company’s U.S. operations. Rather, the effect of the REIT Conversion is reflected in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations in the period that includes the date the Company completes all significant actions necessary to qualify as a REIT, signifying its commitment to that course of action. The formal approval of the REIT conversion by the Board of Directors on December 23, 2014, together with all the other actions taken by the Company, signified the Company’s commitment to that course of action. As such, the effect of the REIT Conversion is reflected in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the year ended December 31, 2014.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax benefit (expense) in the consolidated statements of operations.

Stock-Based Compensation

Stock-based compensation cost is measured at the grant date for all stock-based awards made to employees and directors based on the fair value of the award and is recognized as expense over the requisite service period, which is generally the vesting period.

The Company grants restricted stock units to its employees and these equity awards generally have only a service condition. The Company grants restricted stock units to its executives and these awards generally have a service and performance condition or a service and market condition. To date, any performance conditions contained in an equity award are tied to the financial performance of the Company or a specific region of the Company. The Company assesses the probability of meeting these performance conditions on a quarterly basis. The majority of the Company’s equity awards vest over four years, although certain of the equity awards for executives vest over a range of two to four years. The valuation of restricted stock units with only a service condition or a service and performance condition requires no significant assumptions as the fair value for these types of equity awards is based solely on the fair value of the Company’s stock price on the date of grant. The Company uses a Monte Carlo simulation option-pricing model to determine the fair value of restricted stock units with a service and market condition.

The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of its employee stock purchase plan. The determination of the fair value of shares purchased under the employee stock purchase plan is affected by assumptions regarding a number of complex and subjective variables including the Company’s expected stock price volatility over the term of the awards and actual and projected employee stock purchase behaviors. The Company estimated the expected volatility by using the average historical volatility of its common stock that it believed was the best representative of future volatility. The risk-free interest rate used was based on U.S. Treasury zero-coupon issues with remaining terms similar to the expected term of the equity awards. The expected dividend rate used was zero as the Company did not anticipate paying dividends. The expected term used was equal to the term of each purchase window.

The accounting standard for stock-based compensation does not allow the recognition of unrealized tax benefits associated with the tax deductions in excess of the compensation recorded (excess tax benefit) until the excess tax benefit is realized (i.e., reduces taxes payable). The Company recognizes the benefit from stock-based compensation in equity when the excess tax benefit is realized by following the “with-and-without” approach.

For further information on stock-based compensation, see Note 12 below.

Foreign Currency Translation

The financial position of foreign subsidiaries is translated using the exchange rates in effect at the end of the period, while income and expense items are translated at average rates of exchange during the period. Gains or losses from translation of foreign operations where the local currency is the functional currency are included as other comprehensive income (loss). The net gains and losses resulting from foreign currency transactions are recorded in net income (loss) in the period incurred and reported within other income and expense. Certain inter-company balances are designated as long-term. Accordingly, exchange gains and losses associated with these long-term inter-company balances are recorded as a component of other comprehensive income (loss), along with translation adjustments. How the U.S. dollar performs against certain of the currencies of the foreign countries in which the Company operates can have a significant impact to the Company. Strengthening and weakening of the U.S. dollar against theses currencies has significantly impacted the Company’s consolidated balance sheets (as evidenced in the Company’s foreign currency translation loss), as well as its consolidated statements of operations as amounts denominated in foreign currencies can increase or decrease the Company’s revenues and expenses. To the extent that the U.S. dollar strengthens or weakens further, this will continue to impact the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and consolidated statements of operations including the amount of revenue that the Company reports in future periods.

Earnings Per Share

Basic EPS is computed using net income (loss) attributable to the Company and the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS is computed using net income attributable to the Company, adjusted for interest expense as a result of the assumed conversion of the Company’s 2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes, 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes and 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes, if dilutive, and the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding plus any dilutive potential common shares outstanding. Dilutive potential common shares include the assumed exercise, vesting and issuance activity of employee equity awards using the treasury stock method, as well as shares issuable upon the assumed conversion of the 2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes, 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes and 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes. The Company computes basic and diluted EPS for net income (loss) attributable to the Company, net income (loss) from continuing operations and net income (loss) from discontinued operations.

Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests

Non-controlling interests in subsidiaries that are redeemable for cash or other assets outside of the Company’s control are classified as mezzanine equity, outside of equity and liabilities, and are adjusted to fair value on each balance sheet date. The resulting changes in fair value of the estimated redemption amount, increases or decreases, are recorded with corresponding adjustments against retained earnings or, in the absence of retained earnings, additional paid-in-capital.

For further information on redeemable non-controlling interests, see Note 10 below.

Treasury Stock

The Company accounts for treasury stock under the cost method. When treasury stock is re-issued at a higher price than its cost, the difference is recorded as a component of additional paid-in capital to the extent that there are gains to offset the losses. If there are no treasury stock gains in additional paid-in capital, the losses are recorded as a component of accumulated deficit.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern (“ASU 2014-15”), to provide guidance on management’s responsibility in evaluating whether there is substantial doubt about a company’s ability to continue as a going concern and to provide related footnote disclosures. ASU 2014-15 is effective for annual periods ending after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within annual periods beginning after December 15, 2016, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not believe the adoption of ASU 2014-15 will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASU 2014-09”). This ASU requires companies to recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which companies expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. This ASU will replace most existing revenue recognition guidance in GAAP when it becomes effective. This ASU is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The Company is currently evaluating the impact that the adoption of this standard will have on its consolidated financial statements.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity. This ASU changes the criteria for reporting discontinued operations. This ASU is required to be applied prospectively for disposals, or classifications as held for sale, of components of an entity that occur within fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2014, with early adoption permitted. The Company does not believe the adoption of ASU 2014-08 will have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
Acquisitions	Dec. 31, 2014
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	2. Acquisitions
	Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition
	On October 1, 2013, the Company completed the purchase of a property located in Frankfurt, Germany for cash consideration of approximately $50,092,000 (the “Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition”). A portion of the building was leased to the Company and was being used by the Company as its Frankfurt 5 IBX data center. The remainder of the building was leased by other parties, who became the Company’s tenants upon closing. The Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel constitutes a business under the accounting standard for business combinations and as a result, the Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition was accounted for as a business acquisition using the acquisition method of accounting.
	The Company included Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel’s results of operations from October 1, 2013 and the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in its consolidated balance sheets beginning October 1, 2013. The Company incurred acquisition costs of approximately $4,794,000 for the year ended December 31, 2013 related to the Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition.
	Purchase Price Allocation
	Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total purchase price was allocated to Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel’s net tangible and intangible assets based upon their fair value as of the Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel acquisition date. Based upon the purchase price and the valuation of Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel, the preliminary purchase price allocation was as follows (in thousands):


	Property, plant and equipment		$	85,969
	Intangible assets			10,011

	Total assets acquired			95,980
	Mortgage payable			(42,906	)
	Intangible—unfavorable leases			(2,982	)

	Net assets acquired		$	50,092

	The following table presents certain information on the acquired identifiable intangible assets (dollars in thousands):


	Intangible assets		Fair value				Estimated		Weighted-average
							useful lives		estimated useful
							(years)		lives (years)
	Customer contracts		$	9,363			0.3 – 8			4.9
	Unfavorable leases			(2,982	)		1 – 6			4.8
	Favorable leases			648			1 –8			7.5

	The fair value of customer contracts was estimated by applying an income approach. The fair value was determined by calculating the present value of estimated future operating cash flows generated by existing customer relationships less costs to realize the revenue. The Company applied a discount rate of approximately 9.0%, which reflects the nature of the assets as it relates to the estimated future operating cash flows. Other significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the customer contracts include projected revenue growth, customer attrition rates, sales and marketing expenses and operating margins. The fair value of leases were estimated using the market approach. The fair value measurements were based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market and thus represent Level 3 measurements as defined in the accounting standard for fair value measurements.
	The Company determined the fair value of the mortage payable assumed in the Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Hotel Acquisition by estimating Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Hotel’s debt rating and reviewing market data with a similar debt rating and other characteristics of the debt, including the maturity date and security type.
	For the year ended December 31, 2013, revenues and net income recorded from Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Hotel were not material and were included in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
	Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition
	On November 6, 2012, the Company entered into an alliance agreement with Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company PJSC (“du”) to deliver data center and interconnection solutions to customers in the Middle East. On November 8, 2012 (the “Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition Date”), the Company entered into an asset sale and purchase agreement with e-Hosting DataFort FZ, LLC (“EHDF”) for a substantially completed data center located in Dubai for cash consideration of approximately $22,918,000. The data center opened for business in early 2013. The Company also entered into a lease agreement with Tecom Investment FZ, LLC (“Tecom”), the 100% owner of EHDF, for the underlying building space where the data center assets that were acquired by the Company from EHDF are located. The Company accounted for the above agreements as a single arrangement and the alliance agreement, asset sale and purchase agreement and lease agreement are collectively referred to as the Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition. The Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition constitutes a business under the accounting standard for business combinations and as a result, the Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition was accounted for as a business acquisition using the acquisition method of accounting.
	Asia Tone Acquisition
	On July 3, 2012 (the “Asia Tone Acquisition Date”), the Company acquired certain assets and operations of Asia Tone, a privately-owned company headquartered in Hong Kong, for gross cash consideration of $230,500,000 (the “Asia Tone Acquisition”). The Company agreed to pay net cash consideration of approximately $202,445,000 as a result of adjustments to the purchase price included in the purchase and sale agreement. Asia Tone operated six data centers and one disaster recovery center in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Singapore. The Asia Tone Acquisition included one data center under construction in Shanghai at the date of the acquisition. The combined company operates under the Equinix name.
	The Company included Asia Tone’s results of operations from July 4, 2012 and the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in its consolidated balance sheets beginning July 3, 2012. The Company incurred acquisition costs of $4,887,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 related to the Asia Tone Acquisition.

	Purchase Price Allocation
	The Asia Tone Acquisition was accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total purchase price was allocated to Asia Tone’s net tangible and intangible assets based upon their fair value as of the Asia Tone Acquisition Date. Based upon the purchase price and the valuation of Asia Tone, the purchase price allocation was as follows (in thousands):


	Accounts receivable		$	1,595
	Other current assets			595
	Property, plant and equipment			142,450
	Goodwill			115,223
	Intangible assets			29,155
	Other non-current assets			784

	Total assets acquired			289,802
	Accounts payable and accrued expenses			(1,304	)
	Accrued property, plant and equipment			(27,031	)
	Loans payable			(20,661	)
	Capital leases and other financing obligations			(10,630	)
	Other current liabilities			(3,666	)
	Deferred tax liabilities			(15,190	)
	Other non-current liabilities			(8,875	)

	Net assets acquired		$	202,445

	The following table presents certain information on the acquired identifiable intangible assets (dollars in thousands):


	Intangible assets		Fair value				Estimated		Weighted-average
							useful lives		estimated useful
							(years)		lives (years)
Customer contracts		$	14,900			6 – 20			17.2
Customer relationships			13,800			7 – 11			8.7
Other			455			2 – 5			4
The fair value of customer contracts and customer relationships was estimated by applying an income approach. The fair value was determined by calculating the present value of estimated future operating cash flows generated from existing customers less costs to realize the revenue. The Company applied a weighted-average discount rate of approximately 14.4%, which reflected the nature of the assets as it relates to the estimated future operating cash flows. Other significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the customer contracts and customer relationships include projected revenue growth, customer attrition rates, sales and marketing expenses and operating margins. The fair value of the other acquired identifiable intangible assets were estimated by applying an income or cost approach as appropriate. The fair value measurements were based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market and thus represent Level 3 measurements as defined in the accounting standard for fair value measurements.
The Company determined the fair value of the loans payable assumed in the Asia Tone Acquisition by estimating Asia Tone’s debt rating and reviewed market data with a similar debt rating and other characteristics of the debt, including the maturity date and security type. The book value of Asia Tone’s loans payable approximated their fair value as of the Asia Tone Acquisition Date. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company prepaid and terminated these loans payable.

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. The goodwill is not expected to be deductible for local tax purposes. Goodwill will not be amortized and will be tested for impairment at least annually. Goodwill recorded as a result of the Asia Tone Acquisition is attributable to the Company’s Asia-Pacific reportable segment (see Note 16) and reporting unit (see Note 5).
For the year ended December 31, 2012, Asia Tone recognized revenues of $23,083,000 and had net income of $1,604,000, which were included in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
ancotel Acquisition
On July 2, 2012 (the “ancotel Acquisition Date”), the Company acquired 100% of the issued and outstanding share capital of ancotel, a privately-owned company headquartered in Frankfurt, Germany, for cash consideration of approximately $85,714,000 (the “ancotel Acquisition”). ancotel operates one data center in Frankfurt and edge nodes in Hong Kong and London. The combined company operates under the Equinix name.
The Company included ancotel’s results of operations from July 3, 2012 and the estimated fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in its consolidated balance sheets beginning July 2, 2012. The Company incurred acquisition costs of approximately $1,365,000 for the year ended December 31, 2012 related to the ancotel Acquisition.
Purchase Price Allocation
The ancotel Acquisition was accounted for using the acquisition method of accounting. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total purchase price was allocated to ancotel’s net tangible and intangible assets based upon their fair value as of the ancotel Acquisition Date. Based upon the purchase price and the valuation of ancotel, the purchase price allocation was as follows (in thousands):


Cash and cash equivalents		$	1,478
Accounts receivable			332
Other current assets			2,702
Property, plant and equipment			17,460
Goodwill			55,689
Intangible assets			42,781
Other non-current assets			381

Total assets acquired			120,823
Accounts payable and accrued expenses			(5,310	)
Accrued property, plant and equipment			(1,216	)
Current portion of loans payable			(2,548	)
Capital leases and other financing obligations			(5,516	)
Other current liabilities			(5,035	)
Deferred tax liabilities			(13,280	)
Other non-current liabilities			(2,204	)

Net assets acquired		$	85,714


The following table presents certain information on the acquired identifiable intangible assets (dollars in thousands):


Intangible assets		Fair value				Estimated		Weighted-average
						useful lives		estimated useful
						(years)		lives (years)
Customer contracts		$	38,604			7		7
Trade names			4,177			5 – 10		9.4
The fair value of customer contracts was estimated by applying an income approach. The fair value was determined by calculating the present value of estimated future operating cash flows generated by existing customer relationships less costs to realize the revenue. The Company applied a discount rate of approximately 12.8%, which reflected the nature of the assets as it relates to the estimated future operating cash flows. Other significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value of the customer contracts include projected revenue growth, customer attrition rates, sales and marketing expenses and operating margins. The fair value of trade names were estimated using the income approach. The fair value measurements were based on significant inputs that are not observable in the market and thus represent Level 3 measurements as defined in the accounting standard for fair value measurements.
The Company determined the fair value of the loans payable assumed in the ancotel Acquisition by estimating ancotel’s debt rating and reviewing market data with a similar debt rating and other characteristics of the debt, including the maturity date and security type. The book value of ancotel’s loans payable approximated their fair value as of the ancotel Acquisition Date. During the three months ended September 30, 2012, the Company prepaid and terminated these loans payable.
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net tangible and intangible assets acquired. The goodwill is not expected to be deductible for local tax purposes. Goodwill will not be amortized and will be tested for impairment at least annually. Goodwill recorded as a result of the ancotel Acquisition is attributable to the Company’s EMEA reportable segment (see Note 16) and reporting unit (see Note 5).
For the year ended December 31, 2012, ancotel recognized revenues of $11,494,000 and had a net loss of $3,281,000, which were included in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations.
ALOG Acquisition
On April 25, 2011 (the “ALOG Acquisition Date”), the Company and RW Brasil Fundo de Investimento em Participações, a subsidiary of Riverwood Capital L.P. (“Riverwood”), completed the acquisition of approximately 90% of the outstanding capital stock of ALOG Data Centers do Brasil S.A. (“ALOG”). As a result, the Company acquired an approximate 53% controlling equity interest in ALOG (the “ALOG Acquisition”).
In July 2014, the Company and Riverwood entered into a purchase and sale agreement in which the Company acquired Riverwood’s interest in ALOG and the approximate 10% of ALOG owned by ALOG management, which resulted in the Company owning 100% of ALOG. The net purchase price of $225,629,000 consisted of: (i) $216,484,000 of cash paid to Riverwood and ALOG management to acquire their interests in ALOG, (ii) $8,459,000 of cash paid for the common shares of ALOG related to vested and outstanding stock options to purchase common shares of ALOG that were held by ALOG employees and (iii) $686,000 for the assumption of Riverwood’s portion of the contingent consideration in connection with the acquisition of ALOG in 2011. The cash portion of the purchase price was paid on the closing date in July 2014. The net increase in the redemption value of the redeemable non-controlling interests of $90,966,000 and transaction costs of $1,333,000 were recorded in additional paid-in capital during the year ended December 31, 2014.

Unaudited Pro Forma Combined Consolidated Statements of Operations
The following unaudited pro forma combined consolidated financial information has been prepared by the Company using the acquisition method of accounting to give effect to the Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition as though the acquisition occurred on January 1, 2012 and the Asia Tone and ancotel acquisitions as though the acquisitions occurred on January 1, 2011. The unaudited pro forma combined consolidated financial information reflect certain adjustments, such as additional depreciation and amortization expense on assets acquired. These pro forma statements were prepared as if the acquisitions had been completed as of the beginning of each period presented.
The unaudited pro forma combined consolidated financial information is presented for illustrative purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of the results of operations that would have actually been reported had the acquisitions occurred on the above dates, nor is it necessarily indicative of the future results of operations of the combined company.
The following table sets forth the unaudited pro forma consolidated combined results of operations for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2013				2012
Revenues		$	2,158,415			$	1,921,995
Net income attributable to Equinix			96,811				139,735

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	12 Months Ended
Earnings Per Share	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	3. Earnings Per Share
	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted EPS for the years ended December 31 (in thousands, except per share amounts):


		Years ended December 31,
		2014			2013			2012
	Net income (loss) from continuing operations	$	(260,726	)	$	96,123		$	130,058
	Net (income) loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		1,179			(1,438	)		(3,116	)

	Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Equinix, basic		(259,547	)		94,685			126,942
	Effect of assumed conversion of convertible debt:
	Interest expense, net of tax		—			—			6,789

	Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Equinix, diluted	$	(259,547	)	$	94,685		$	133,731

	Weighted-average shares used to calculate basic EPS		52,359			49,438			48,004
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Convertible debt		—			—			2,945
	Employee equity awards		—			678			867

	Total dilutive potential shares		—			678			3,812

	Weighted-average shares used to calculate diluted EPS		52,359			50,116			51,816

	EPS from continuing operations attributable to Equinix:
	Basic EPS	$	(4.96	)	$	1.92		$	2.65

	Diluted EPS	$	(4.96	)	$	1.89		$	2.58


	The following table sets forth potential shares of common stock that are not included in the diluted EPS calculation above because to do so would be anti-dilutive for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013			2012
	Shares related to the potential conversion of 2.50% convertible subordinated notes		—			—			652
	Shares related to the potential conversion of 3.00% convertible subordinated notes		861			3,613			—
	Shares related to the potential conversion of 4.75% convertible subordinated notes		2,824			4,432			4,432
	Common stock related to employee equity awards		1,820			254			113

			5,505			8,299			5,197

Discontinued_Operations

Discontinued Operations	12 Months Ended
Discontinued Operations	Dec. 31, 2014
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Discontinued Operations	4. Discontinued Operations
	In August 2012, the Company entered into an agreement to sell 16 of the Company’s IBX data centers located throughout the U.S. to an investment group including 365 Main, Crosslink Capital, Housatonic Partners and Brightwood Capital for net proceeds of $76,458,000 (the “Divestiture”). The Divestiture closed in November 2012. Nine of the 16 data centers were in markets that the Company exited with the close of the Divestiture. Those markets include Buffalo, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Nashville, Phoenix, Pittsburg, St. Louis and Tampa. The remaining seven data centers were in markets where the Company retains a presence. Those markets include Chicago, Dallas, New York, Philadelphia, Seattle, Silicon Valley and the Washington D.C. metro area. Subsequent to the close of the Divestiture, the investment group runs and manages the 16 IBX data centers.
	The Company’s consolidated statements of operations have been reclassified to reflect its discontinued operations associated with the 16 IBX data centers for all applicable periods presented. The Company’s operating results from its discontinued operations, which includes the results of operations subsequent to April 30, 2010, the acquisition date of the 16 IBX data centers, through November 1, 2012, the closing date of the Divestiture, consisted of the following for the year ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2012
	Revenues	$	29,640
	Cost of revenues		(23,956	)
	Operating expenses		(3,422	)
	Income taxes		(1,028	)
	Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax of $13,973		11,852

	Net income from discontinued operations	$	13,086

Balance_Sheet_Components

Balance Sheet Components	12 Months Ended
Balance Sheet Components	Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Balance Sheet Components	5. Balance Sheet Components
	Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term and Long-Term Investments
	Cash, cash equivalents and short-term and long-term investments consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Cash and cash equivalents:
	Cash (1)		$	207,953		$	186,007
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds			402,964			74,787
	Commercial paper			—			1,100

	Total cash and cash equivalents			610,917			261,894

	U.S. government securities			336,440			305,021
	U.S. government agency securities			192,955			125,917
	Corporate bonds			—			190,177
	Certificates of deposit			439			76,152
	Asset-backed securities			—			68,938
	Commercial paper			—			1,993

	Total marketable securities			529,834			768,198

	Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term and long-terminvestments		$	1,140,751		$	1,030,092


	-1	Excludes restricted cash.
	As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, cash and cash equivalents included investments which were readily convertible to cash and had original maturity dates of 90 days or less. The maturities of securities classified as short-term investments were one year or less as of December 31, 2014 and 2013. The maturities of securities classified as long-term investments were greater than one year and less than three years as of December 31, 2014 and 2013.
	The following table summarizes the cost and estimated fair value of marketable securities based on stated effective maturities as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014						2013
			Amortized			Fair Value			Amortized				Fair Value
			Cost			Fair Value			Cost				Fair Value
	Due within one year		$	529,567		$	529,395		$	369,698			$	369,808
	Due after one year through three years			439			439			398,200				398,390

			$	530,006		$	529,834		$	767,898			$	768,198


	As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s net unrealized gains (losses) on its available-for-sale securities were comprised of the following (in thousands):


			Amortized			Gross			Gross				Fair Value
			Cost			unrealized			unrealized
						gains			losses
	U.S. government securities		$	336,561		$	45		$	(166	)		$	336,440
	U.S. government agency securities			193,006			30			(81	)			192,955
	Certificates of deposit			439			—			—				439

			$	530,006		$	75		$	(247	)		$	529,834

	None of the securities held at December 31, 2014 were other-than-temporarily impaired.
	While certain marketable securities carry unrealized losses, the Company expects that it will receive both principal and interest according to the stated terms of each of the securities and that the increase or decline in market value is primarily due to changes in the interest rate environment from the time the securities were purchased as compared to interest rates at December 31, 2014.
	As of December 31, 2013, the Company’s net unrealized gains (losses) on its available-for-sale securities were comprised of the following (in thousands):


			Amortized			Gross			Gross				Fair Value
			Cost			unrealized			unrealized
						gains			losses
	U.S. government securities		$	304,897		$	131		$	(7	)		$	305,021
	U.S. government agency securities			125,904			35			(22	)			125,917
	Corporate bonds			190,068			149			(40	)			190,177
	Certificates of deposit			76,126			27			(1	)			76,152
Asset-backed securities			68,914			33			(9	)			68,938
Commercial paper			1,989			4			—				1,993

Total		$	767,898		$	379		$	(79	)		$	768,198

None of the securities held at December 31, 2013 were other-than-temporarily impaired.
Accounts Receivable
Accounts receivable, net, consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013
Accounts receivable		$	272,036		$	323,822
Unearned revenue			—			(132,342	)
Allowance for doubtful accounts			(9,466	)		(6,640	)

		$	262,570		$	184,840

Trade accounts receivable are recorded at the invoiced amount and generally do not bear interest. Before July 2014, the Company generally invoiced its customers at the end of a calendar month for services to be provided the following month. Accordingly, unearned revenue consisted of pre-billing for services that have not yet been provided, but which have been billed to customers in advance in accordance with the terms of their contracts. As of July 2014, the Company changed its billing process and no longer invoices its customers at the end of a calendar month for services to be provided the following month. As a result, the Company’s gross accounts receivable and unearned revenue have decreased.
The following table summarizes the activity of the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts (in thousands):


Balance as of December 31, 2011		$	4,635
Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts			4,186
Net recoveries (write-offs)			(5,127	)
Impact of foreign currency exchange			22

Balance as of December 31, 2012			3,716
Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts			5,819
Net recoveries (write-offs)			(2,833	)
Impact of foreign currency exchange			(62	)

Balance as of December 31, 2013			6,640
Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts			7,093
Net recoveries (write-offs)			(3,825	)
Impact of foreign currency exchange			(442	)

Balance as of December 31, 2014		$	9,466

Other Current Assets
Other current assets consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013
Prepaid expenses		$	29,501		$	26,578
Taxes receivable			17,071			21,584
Deferred tax assets, net			6,579			7,442
Other receivables			2,324			4,181
Derivative instruments			17,732			4,457
Restricted cash, current			3,057			3,210
Other current assets			11,797			4,666

		$	88,061		$	72,118


Property, Plant and Equipment
Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013
Core systems (1)		$	3,252,569		$	3,071,151
Buildings (2)			2,074,382			1,885,895
Leasehold improvements			1,053,451			1,033,830
Construction in progress			460,259			219,386
Personal Property (3)			387,909			260,774
Land			160,035			146,903

			7,388,605			6,617,940
Less accumulated depreciation			(2,390,335	)		(2,026,290	)

		$	4,998,270		$	4,591,650


-1	IBX plant and machinery and IBX equipment, which were presented separately as of December 31, 2013, were primarily reclassified to core systems to conform to the consolidated financial statement presentation as of December 31, 2014.
-2	Includes site improvements.
-3	Computer equipment and software and furniture and fixtures, which were presented separately as of December 31, 2013, were reclassified to personal property to conform to the consolidated financial statement presentation as of December 31, 2014.
Core systems, buildings, leasehold improvements, personal property and construction in progress recorded under capital leases aggregated $585,288,000 and $428,974,000 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Amortization on the assets recorded under capital leases is included in depreciation expense and accumulated depreciation on such assets totaled $83,291,000 and $56,041,000 as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company recorded impairment charges related to its property, plant and equipment (see Note 1, “Impairment of Long-Lived Assets”).

Goodwill and Other Intangibles
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net, consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013
Goodwill:
Americas		$	463,902		$	471,845
EMEA			404,093			435,041
Asia-Pacific			134,134			135,267

		$	1,002,129		$	1,042,153


		2014			2013
Intangible assets:
Intangible asset—customer contracts		$	220,674		$	233,038
Intangible assets—favorable leases			24,300			25,147
Intangible asset—licenses			9,697			9,697
Intangible asset—others			8,132			8,859

			262,803			276,741
Accumulated amortization—customer contracts			(102,074	)		(81,520	)
Accumulated amortization—favorable leases			(7,656	)		(6,416	)
Accumulated amortization—licenses			(1,294	)		(646	)
Accumulated amortization—others			(4,252	)		(3,977	)

			(115,276	)		(92,559	)

		$	147,527		$	184,182

Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by geographic regions are as follows (in thousands):


		Americas			EMEA			Asia-Pacific				Total
Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	482,765		$	423,529		$	136,270			$	1,042,564
Purchase accounting adjustments			—			932			(279	)			653
Impact of foreign currency exchange			(10,920	)		10,580			(724	)			(1,064	)

Balance as of December 31, 2013			471,845			435,041			135,267				1,042,153
Impact of foreign currency exchange			(7,943	)		(30,948	)		(1,133	)			(40,024	)

Balance as of December 31, 2014		$	463,902		$	404,093		$	134,134			$	1,002,129


Changes in the net book value of intangible assets by geographic regions are as follows (in thousands):


		Americas			EMEA			Asia-Pacific				Total
Balance as of December 31, 2011		$	111,549		$	37,086		$	—			$	148,635
Asia Tone acquisition (see Note 2)			—			—			29,155				29,155
ancotel acquisition (see Note 2)			—			42,781			—				42,781
Dubai IBX Center acquisition (see Note 2)			—			9,400			—				9,400
Written-off in sale of discontinued operations			(5,913	)		—			—				(5,913	)
Impairment charge			(2,832	)		—			—				(2,832	)
Amortization of intangibles			(13,722	)		(8,246	)		(1,607	)			(23,575	)
Impact of foreign currency exchange			385			3,165			361				3,911

Balance as of December 31, 2012			89,467			84,186			27,909				201,562
Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel acquisition (see Note 2)			—			10,010			—				10,010
New York IBX Center purchase			1,100			—			—				1,100
Adjustments			—			(2,070	)		—				(2,070	)
Amortization of intangibles			(12,604	)		(11,613	)		(2,810	)			(27,027	)
Impact of foreign currency exchange			(1,739	)		2,196			150				607

Balance as of December 31, 2013			76,224			82,709			25,249				184,182
Amortization of intangibles			(12,257	)		(12,795	)		(2,704	)			(27,756	)
Impact of foreign currency exchange			(1,013	)		(7,729	)		(157	)			(8,899	)

Balance as of December 31, 2014		$	62,954		$	62,185		$	22,388			$	147,527

The Company’s goodwill and intangible assets in EMEA, denominated in the United Arab Emirates dirham, British pounds and Euros, goodwill and intangible assets in Asia-Pacific, denominated in Singapore dollars, Hong Kong dollars and Chinese yuan and certain goodwill and intangibles in Americas, denominated in Canadian dollars and Brazilian reais, are subject to foreign currency fluctuations. The Company’s foreign currency translation gains and losses, including goodwill and intangibles, are a component of other comprehensive income and loss.
Estimated future amortization expense related to these intangibles is as follows (in thousands):


Year ending:
2015		$	27,338
2016			26,918
2017			25,579
2018			22,777
2019			17,489
Thereafter			27,426

		$	147,527


Other Assets
Other assets consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013
Deferred tax assets, net		$	45,134		$	229,975
Prepaid expenses, non-current			37,006			61,039
Debt issuance costs, net			44,477			41,847
Deposits			26,068			25,543
Restricted cash, non-current			14,060			16,178
Derivative instruments			5,007			4,118
Other assets, non-current			6,373			8,624

		$	178,125		$	387,324

The decrease in deferred tax assets, net was primarily due to the de-recognition of the deferred tax assets and liabilities of the Company’s U.S. operations included in the REIT structure, excluding the deferred tax liabilities associated with the depreciation and amortization recapture expected in 2015. The de-recognition of the deferred tax assets and liabilities the REIT’s U.S. operations occurred because the expected recovery or settlement of the related assets and liabilities will not result in deductible or taxable amounts in any post-REIT conversion periods. The reassessment of the deferred tax assets and liabilities of the Company’s U.S. operations included in the REIT structure was performed in December 2014, when the Company’s Board of Directors formally approved the Company’s conversion to a REIT effective January 1, 2015.
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses
Accounts payable and accrued expenses consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013
Accounts payable		$	30,221		$	30,291
Accrued compensation and benefits			115,184			92,106
Accrued interest			29,116			48,310
Accrued taxes (1)			41,295			32,047
Accrued utilities and security			31,531			31,314
Accrued professional fees			8,148			9,753
Accrued repairs and maintenance			4,086			3,557
Accrued other			26,215			15,845

		$	285,796		$	263,223


	-1	Includes income taxes payable of $21,941,000 and $5,995,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Other Current Liabilities
Other current liabilities consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013
Deferred tax liabilities, net		$	83,264		$	72,004
Deferred installation revenue			48,707			43,145
Customer deposits			13,492			15,174
Derivative instruments			810			6,515
Deferred recurring revenue			6,879			5,007
Deferred rent			2,675			3,865
Dividends payable			4,559			—
Asset retirement obligations			945			1,290
Other current liabilities			1,333			958

		$	162,664		$	147,958

Other Liabilities
Other liabilities consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013
Asset retirement obligations, non-current		$	63,913		$	58,258
Deferred tax liabilities, net			69,212			69,812
Deferred installation revenue, non-current			76,744			60,947
Deferred rent, non-current			52,968			37,955
Accrued taxes, non-current			24,726			27,052
Dividends payable, non-current			4,972			—
Customer deposits, non-current			4,618			5,005
Deferred recurring revenue, non-current			445			2,082
Other liabilities			7,366			13,844

		$	304,964		$	274,955


The following table summarizes the activity of the Company’s asset retirement obligation liability (in thousands):


Asset retirement obligations as of December 31, 2011		$	56,587
Additions (1)			14,879
Adjustments			252
Accretion expense			2,980
Written-off in sale of discontinued operations			(12,314	)
Impact of foreign currency exchange			766

Asset retirement obligations as of December 31, 2012			63,150
Additions			8,713
Adjustments (2)			(14,874	)
Accretion expense			2,932
Impact of foreign currency exchange			(373	)

Asset retirement obligations as of December 31, 2013			59,548
Additions			5,774
Adjustments			(871	)
Accretion expense			2,438
Impact of foreign currency exchange			(2,031	)

Asset retirement obligations as of December 31, 2014		$	64,858


	-1	Includes $5,795 assumed in connection with the ancotel and Asia Tone acquisitions.
	-2	Reversal of asset retirement obligations associated with leases that were amended.

Derivatives_and_Hedging_Instru

Derivatives and Hedging Instruments	12 Months Ended
Derivatives and Hedging Instruments	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Derivatives and Hedging Instruments	6. Derivatives and Hedging Instruments
	Derivatives Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Cash Flow Hedges. During the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company initiated a program to hedge its exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations for forecasted revenues and expenses in its EMEA region in order to help manage the Company’s exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the British Pound, Euro and Swiss Franc. The foreign currency forward contracts that the Company uses to hedge this exposure are designated as cash flow hedges under the accounting standard for derivatives and hedging.
	As of December 31, 2014, the Company had a total of 65 cash flow hedge instruments with maturity dates ranging from January 2015 to January 2016 as follows (in thousands):


			Notional			Fair				Accumulated
			Amount			Value (1)				other
										comprehensive
										income (loss) (2)
	Derivative assets		$	281,055		$	8,404			$	8,480
	Derivative liabilities			—			—				—

			$	281,055		$	8,404			$	8,480


		-1	All derivative assets related to cash flow hedges are included in the consolidated balance sheets within other current assets.
		-2	Included in the consolidated balance sheets within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

	As of December 31, 2013, the Company had a total of 69 cash flow hedge instruments with maturity dates ranging from January 2014 to January 2015 as follows (in thousands):


			Notional			Fair				Accumulated
			Amount			Value (1)				other
										comprehensive
										income (loss) (2)
	Derivative assets		$	127,968		$	2,102			$	2,107
	Derivative liabilities			200,686			(3,855	)			(3,857	)

			$	328,654		$	(1,753	)		$	(1,750	)


		-1	A total of $2,099 and $3 of derivative assets related to cash flow hedges are included in the consolidated balance sheets within other current assets and other assets, respectively. A total of $3,818 and $37 of derivative liabilities related to cash flow hedges are included in the consolidated balance sheets within other current liabilities and other liabilities, respectively.
		-2	Included in the consolidated balance sheets within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
	During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the ineffective and excluded portions of cash flow hedges recognized in other income (expense) were not significant. During the year ended December 31, 2014, the amount of gains reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to revenue were $4,332,000 and the amount of losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to operating expenses were not significant. During the year ended December 31, 2013, the amount of gains (losses) reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to revenue and operating expenses were not significant. The Company did not enter into any cash flow hedges during the year ended December 31, 2012.
	Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments
	Embedded Derivatives. The Company is deemed to have foreign currency forward contracts embedded in certain of the Company’s customer agreements that are priced in currencies different from the functional or local currencies of the parties involved. These embedded derivatives are separated from their host contracts and carried on the Company’s balance sheet at their fair value. The majority of these embedded derivatives arise as a result of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries pricing their customer contracts in the U.S. dollar. Gains and losses on these embedded derivatives are included within revenues in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized a net gain of $3,807,000 and $4,836,000 associated with these embedded derivatives, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2012, gains (losses) from these embedded derivatives were not significant.
	Economic Hedges of Embedded Derivatives. The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts to help manage the foreign exchange risk associated with the Company’s customer agreements that are priced in currencies different from the functional or local currencies of the parties involved (“economic hedges of embedded derivatives”). Foreign currency forward contracts represent agreements to exchange the currency of one country for the currency of another country at an agreed-upon price on an agreed-upon settlement date. Gains and losses on these contracts are included in revenues along with gains and losses of the related embedded derivatives. The Company entered into various economic hedges of embedded derivatives during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 and recognized a net loss of $2,602,000 and $4,497,000, respectively. The Company did not enter into any economic hedges of embedded derivatives during the year ended December 31, 2012.
	Foreign Currency Forward Contracts. The Company also uses foreign currency forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk associated with certain foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities. As a result of foreign currency fluctuations, the U.S. dollar equivalent values of its foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities change. Gains and losses on these contracts are included in other income (expense), net, along with the foreign currency gains and losses of the related foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities associated with these foreign currency forward contracts. The Company entered into various foreign currency forward contracts during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and recognized a net gain of $12,657,000 during the year ended December 31, 2014. Gains (losses) from these foreign currency forward contracts were not significant during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.
	Offsetting Derivative Assets and Liabilities
	The following table presents the fair value of derivative instruments recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):


			Gross			amounts				Net				Gross				Net
			Amounts			offset in the				amounts (1)				amounts
						balance sheet								not offset in
														the balance
														sheet (2)
	Assets:
	Designated as hedging instruments:
	Foreign currency forward contracts		$	8,404		$	—			$	8,404			$	—			$	8,404

	Not designated as hedging instruments:
	Embedded derivatives			9,182			—				9,182				—				9,182
	Foreign currency forward and option contracts			5,153			—				5,153				(138	)			5,015

				14,335			—				14,335				(138	)			14,197
	Additional netting benefit			—			—				—				(508	)			(508	)

			$	22,739		$	—			$	22,739			$	(646	)		$	22,093

	Liabilities:
	Designated as hedging instruments:
	Foreign currency forward contracts		$	—		$	—			$	—			$	—			$	—

Not designated as hedging instruments:
Embedded derivatives			4			—				4				—				4
Economic hedges of embedded derivatives			390			—				390				—				390
Foreign currency forward and option contracts			416			—				416				(138	)			278

			810			—				810				(138	)			672
Additional netting benefit			—			—				—				(508	)			(508	)

		$	810		$	—			$	810			$	(646	)		$	164


-1	As presented in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets within other current assets, other assets, other current liabilities and other liabilities.
-2	The Company enters into master netting agreements with its counterparties for transactions other than embedded derivatives to mitigate credit risk exposure to any single counterparty. Master netting agreements allow for individual derivative contracts with a single counterparty to offset in the event of default.

The following table presents the fair value of derivative instruments recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2013 (in thousands):


		Gross			Gross				Net				Gross				Net
		Amounts			amounts				amounts (1)				amounts not
					offset in the								offset in the
					balance sheet								balance
													sheet (2)
Assets:
Designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency forward contracts		$	2,102		$	—			$	2,102			$	(2,102	)		$	—

Not designated as hedging instruments:
Embedded derivatives			6,296			—				6,296				—				6,296
Foreign currency forward and option contra			177			—				177				(177	)			—
			6,473			—				6,473				(177	)			6,296
Additional netting benefit			—			—				—				—				—

		$	8,575		$	—			$	8,575			$	(2,279	)		$	6,296

Liabilities:
Designated as hedging instruments:
Foreign currency forward contracts			3,855			—				3,855				(2,102	)			1,753

Not designated as hedging instruments:
Embedded derivatives			115			—				115				—				115
Economic hedges of embedded derivatives			1,315			—				1,315				—				1,315
Foreign currency forward and option contracts			1,289			—				1,289				(177	)			1,112

Additional netting benefit			—			—				—				—				—
			2,719			—				2,719				(177	)			2,542

		$	6,574		$	—			$	6,574			$	(2,279	)		$	4,295


-1	As presented in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets within other current assets, other assets, other current liabilities and other liabilities.
-2	The Company enters into master netting agreements with its counterparties for transactions other than embedded derivatives to mitigate credit risk exposure to any single counterparty. Master netting agreements allow for individual derivative contracts with a single counterparty to offset in the event of default.

Fair_Value_Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	12 Months Ended
Fair Value Measurements	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	7. Fair Value Measurements
	The Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2014 were as follows (in thousands):


			Fair value at		Fair value measurement using
			December 31,		Fair value measurement using
			2014		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets:
	Cash		$	207,953	$	207,953	$	—
	Money market and deposit accounts			402,964		402,964		—
	U.S. government securities			336,440		336,440		—
	U.S. government agency securities			192,955		—		192,955
	Certificates of deposit			439		—		439
	Derivative instruments (1)			22,739		—		22,739

			$	1,163,490	$	947,357	$	216,133

	Liabilities:
	Derivative instruments (1)		$	810	$	—	$	810


	-1	Includes both foreign currency embedded derivatives and foreign currency forward contracts. Amounts are included within other current assets, other assets, other current liabilities and other liabilities in the Company’s accompanying consolidated balance sheet.
	The Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2013 were as follows (in thousands):


			Fair value at		Fair value measurement using
			December 31,		Fair value measurement using
			2013		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets:
	Cash		$	186,007	$	186,007	$	—
	Money market and deposit accounts			74,787		74,787		—
	U.S. government securities			305,021		305,021		—
	U.S. government agency securities			125,917		—		125,917
	Corporate bonds			190,177		—		190,177
	Certificates of deposit			76,152		—		76,152
	Asset-backed securities			68,938		—		68,938
	Commercial paper			3,093		—		3,093
	Derivative instruments (1)			8,575		—		8,575

			$	1,038,667	$	565,815	$	472,852

	Liabilities:
	Derivative instruments (1)		$	6,574	$	—	$	6,574


	-1	Includes embedded derivatives, foreign currency embedded derivatives and foreign currency forward contracts. Amounts are included within other current assets, other current liabilities and other liabilities in the Company’s accompanying consolidated balance sheet.
	The Company did not have any Level 3 financial assets or financial liabilities during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

	Valuation Methods
	Fair value estimates are made as of a specific point in time based on methods using the market approach valuation method which use prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities or other valuation techniques. These techniques involve uncertainties and are affected by the assumptions used and the judgments made regarding risk characteristics of various financial instruments, discount rates, estimates of future cash flows, future expected loss experience and other factors.
	Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments. The fair value of the Company’s investments in money market funds approximates their face value. Such instruments are included in cash equivalents. The Company’s U.S. government securities and money market funds are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. The fair value of the Company’s other investments approximate their face value, including certificates of deposit and available-for-sale debt investments related to the Company’s investments in the securities of other public companies, governmental units and other agencies. The fair value of these investments is priced based on the quoted market price for similar instruments or nonbinding market prices that are corroborated by observable market data. Such instruments are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company determines the fair values of its Level 2 investments by using inputs such as actual trade data, benchmark yields, broker/dealer quotes, and other similar data, which are obtained from quoted market prices, custody bank, third-party pricing vendors, or other sources. The Company uses such pricing data as the primary input to make its assessments and determinations as to the ultimate valuation of its investment portfolio and has not made, during the periods presented, any material adjustments to such inputs. The Company is responsible for its consolidated financial statements and underlying estimates.
	The Company uses the specific identification method in computing realized gains and losses. Realized gains and losses on the investments are included within other income (expense) in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Short-term and long-term investments are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported in stockholders’ equity as a component of other comprehensive income or loss, net of any related tax effect. The Company reviews its investment portfolio quarterly to determine if any securities may be other-than-temporarily impaired due to increased credit risk, changes in industry or sector of a certain instrument or ratings downgrades over an extended period of time.
	Derivative Assets and Liabilities. For derivatives, the Company uses forward contract models employing market observable inputs, such as spot currency rates and forward points with adjustments made to these values utilizing published credit default swap rates of its foreign exchange trading counterparties and other comparable companies. The Company has determined that the inputs used to value its derivatives fall within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, therefore the derivatives are categorized as Level 2.
	During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company did not have any nonfinancial assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis.

Leases

Leases	12 Months Ended
Leases	Dec. 31, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	8. Leases
	Capital Lease and Other Financing Obligations
	The Company’s capital lease and other financing obligations expire at various dates ranging from 2015 to 2053. The weighted average effective interest rate of the Company’s capital lease and other financing obligations was 8.43% as of December 31, 2014.

	The Company’s capital lease and other financing obligations are summarized as follows as of December 31, 2014 (dollars in thousands):


		Capital lease			Other			Total
		obligations			financing
					obligations
	2015	$	58,983		$	54,617		$	113,600
	2016		63,720			57,990			121,710
	2017		64,290			61,343			125,633
	2018		66,198			62,818			129,016
	2019		67,793			60,943			128,736
	Thereafter		839,465			535,928			1,375,393

	Total minimum lease payments		1,160,449			833,639			1,994,088
	Plus amount representing residual property value		—			416,339			416,339
	Less estimated building costs		—			(13,740	)		(13,740	)
	Less amount representing interest		(574,883	)		(632,400	)		(1,207,283	)

	Present value of net minimum lease payments		585,566			603,838			1,189,404
	Less current portion		(12,629	)		(8,733	)		(21,362	)

		$	572,937		$	595,105		$	1,168,042

	Tokyo 5 Financing
	In October 2014, the Company entered into a lease agreement for land and a building that the Company and the landlord would jointly develop to meet its needs and which it would ultimately convert into a IBX data center in Tokyo, Japan metro area (the “Tokyo 5 Financing”). The Tokyo lease has a lease term of 40 years, where the first 20 years is noncancelable, commencing from the date the landlord delivers the completed building to the Company. The Tokyo lease has a total cumulative minimum rent obligation of approximately $31,759,000, exclusive of renewal periods. The landlord began construction of the building to the Company’s specifications in October 2014. Pursuant to the accounting standard for lessee’s involvement in asset construction, the Company is considered the owner of the building during the construction phase due to the building work that the landlord and the Company are undertaking. As a result, as of December 31, 2014, the Company has recorded a building asset and a related financing liability totaling approximately $746,000, while the underlying land is considered an operating lease. Monthly payments under the Tokyo lease will commence in November 2015 and will be made through December 2035.
	Chicago 2 Capital Lease
	In August 2014, the Company entered into a lease amendment to extend the lease term of the Company’s Chicago 2 IBX data center (the “Chicago 2 Lease”). The lease was originally accounted for as an operating lease. Pursuant to the accounting standard for leases, the Company reassessed the lease classification of the Chicago 2 Lease as a result of the lease amendment and determined that the lease should be accounted for as a capital lease (the “Chicago 2 Capital Lease”). The Company recorded a capital lease asset and liability totaling approximately $49,971,000 during the three months ended September 30, 2014. Monthly payments under the Chicago 2 Capital Lease will be made through August 2030.

	Hong Kong 2 Financing
	In July 2014, the Company took possession of additional space where the Company operates its Hong Kong 2 IBX data center. The lease agreement was entered into in March 2014. Pursuant to the accounting standard for lessee’s involvement in asset construction, the Company is considered the accounting owner of the assets during the construction phase due to the building work that the Company undertook. As a result, the Company recorded incremental financed assets and corresponding financing obligation liabilities totaling approximately $15,694,000 during the three months ended September 30, 2014 (the “Hong Kong 2 Financing”). Monthly payments under the Hong Kong 2 IBX Financing will be made through June 2024.
	New York 1 Capital Lease
	In June 2014, the Company entered into a lease amendment to extend the lease term of the Company’s New York 1 IBX data center (the “New York 1 Lease”). The lease was originally accounted for as an operating lease. Pursuant to the accounting standard for leases, the Company reassessed the lease classification of the New York 1 Lease as a result of the lease amendment and determined that the lease should be accounted for as a capital lease (the “New York 1 Capital Lease”). The Company recorded a capital lease asset totaling approximately $28,269,000 and a capital lease liability totaling approximately $28,490,000 during the three months ended June 30, 2014. Monthly payments under the New York 1 Capital Lease will be made through December 2029.
	Silicon Valley 2 Capital Lease
	In March 2014, the Company entered into a lease amendment to extend the lease term of the Company’s Silicon Valley 2 IBX data center (the “Silicon Valley 2 Lease”). The lease was originally accounted for as an operating lease. Pursuant to the accounting standard for leases, the Company reassessed the lease classification of the Silicon Valley 2 Lease as a result of the lease amendment and determined that upon the amendment the lease should be accounted for as a capital lease (the “Silicon Valley 2 Capital Lease”). The Company recorded a capital lease asset totaling approximately $81,542,000 and a capital lease liability totaling approximately $82,000,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2014. Monthly payments under the Silicon Valley 2 Capital Lease commenced in March 2014 and will be made through September 2029. The Company has certain renewal options available after September 2029, which have not been included in the lease term.
	Dallas IBX Financing
	In January and April 2014, the Company took possession of additional space under the terms of an existing lease agreement and a lease amendment in a property in Dallas where the Company operates its Dallas 1, Dallas 2, Dallas 3 and Dallas 6 IBX data centers. Pursuant to the accounting standard for lessee’s involvement in asset construction, the Company is considered the accounting owner of the assets during the construction phase due to the building work that the Company undertook. As a result, the Company recorded incremental financed assets and corresponding financing obligation liabilities totaling approximately $28,089,000 during the three months ended June 30, 2014 and $13,908,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2014 (the “Dallas IBX Financing”). Monthly payments under the Dallas IBX Financing will be made through December 2029.
	Operating Leases
	The Company also leases its IBX data centers and certain equipment under noncancelable operating lease agreements. The majority of the Company’s operating leases for its land and IBX data centers expire at various dates through 2053 with renewal options available to the Company. The lease agreements typically provide for base rental rates that increase at defined intervals during the term of the lease. In addition, the Company has negotiated some rent expense abatement periods for certain leases to better match the phased build out of its IBX data centers. The Company accounts for such abatements and increasing base rentals using the straight-line method over the life of the lease. The difference between the straight-line expense and the cash payment is recorded as deferred rent (see Note 5, “Other Current Liabilities” and “Other Liabilities”).
	Minimum future operating lease payments as of December 31, 2014 are summarized as follows (in thousands):


	Year ending:
	2015	$	93,376
	2016		93,292
	2017		88,575
	2018		83,399
	2019		77,694
	Thereafter		557,004

	Total	$	993,340

	Total rent expense was approximately $105,391,000, $112,704,000 and $113,338,000 for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Debt_Facilities

Debt Facilities	12 Months Ended
Debt Facilities	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt Facilities	9. Debt Facilities
	Mortgage and Loans Payable
	The Company’s mortgage and loans payable consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013
	Term loans		$	500,000			$	140,000
	ALOG financings			56,863				67,882
	Mortgage payable			34,851				40,825
	Other loans payable			1,757				1,829

				593,471				250,536
	Less the amount representing debt discount			(1,600	)			—
	Add the amount representing mortgage premium			2,281				2,672

				594,152				253,208
	Less current portion			(59,466	)			(53,508	)

			$	534,686			$	199,700

	Senior Credit Facility
	In December 2014, the Company entered into a credit agreement with a group of lenders for a $1,500,000,000 credit facility (“Senior Credit Facility”), comprised of a $1,000,000,000 multicurrency revolving credit facility (“revolving credit facility”) and a $500,000,000 multicurrency term loan facility (“term loan facility”). The Senior Credit Facility contains two financial covenants with which the Company must comply on a quarterly basis, including a maximum consolidated net lease adjusted leverage ratio and a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio. The Senior Credit Facility is guaranteed by certain of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries and is secured by its domestic accounts receivable as well as pledges of the equity interest of certain of the Company’s direct and indirect subsidiaries. The revolving credit facility and the term loan facility both have a five-year term, maturing on December 17, 2019, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions with respect to the Company’s outstanding convertible subordinated notes. The Company may use the remaining Senior Credit Facility for working capital, capital expenditures and other corporate purpose.
	The Company is required to repay the term loan facility in quarterly installments in the amount of $10,000,000 per quarter, with a balloon payment of $300,000,000 at the end of the term. The term loan bears interest at a rate based on LIBOR or, at the Company’s option, the base rate, which is defined as the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the Bank of America prime rate and (c) one-month LIBOR plus, in either case, a margin that varies as a function of the Company’s consolidated net lease adjusted leverage ratio that ranges between 1.25% and 1.75% per annum if the Company elects to use the LIBOR index and in the range of 0.25% to 0.75% per annum if the Company elects to use the base rate index. In December 2014, the Company utilized $110,740,000 of the term loan facility to repay the remaining principal of the U.S. term loan as well as fees and interest.
	The revolving credit facility allows the Company to borrow, repay and reborrow over the term. The revolving credit facility provides a sublimit for the issuance of letters of credit of up to $150,000,000 at any one time. Borrowings under the revolving credit facility bear interest at a rate based on LIBOR or, at the Company’s option, the base rate, as defined above, plus, in either case, a margin that varies as a function of its consolidated net lease adjusted leverage ratio that ranges between 1.00% and 1.40% per annum if the Company elects to use the LIBOR index and in the range of 0.25% to 0.75% per annum if the Company elects to use the base rate index. The Company is required to pay a quarterly letter of credit fee on the face amount of each letter of credit, which fee is based on the same margin that applies from time to time to LIBOR-indexed borrowings under the revolving credit line. The Company is also required to pay a quarterly facility fee ranging from 0.25% to 0.35% per annum of the revolving credit facility, regardless of the amount utilized, which fee also varies as a function of our consolidated net lease adjusted leverage ratio. In December 2014, the outstanding letters of credit issued under the U.S. revolving credit line (see below) were assumed under the revolving credit facility and the U.S. revolving credit line was terminated.
	As of December 31, 2014, the Company had $500,000,000 outstanding under the term loan facility with an effective interest rate of 1.66% per annum. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had 26 irrevocable letters of credit totaling $43,330,000 issued and outstanding under the revolving credit facility. As a result, the amount available to the Company to borrow under the revolving credit facility was $956,670,000 as of December 31, 2014. As of December 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with all covenants of the Senior Credit Facility. Debt issuance costs related to the Senior Credit Facility financing, net of amortization, were $10,159,000 as of December 31, 2014.
	U.S. Financing
	In June 2012, the Company entered into a credit agreement with a group of lenders for a $750,000,000 credit facility (the “U.S. Financing”), comprised of a $200,000,000 term loan facility (the “U.S. Term Loan”) and a $550,000,000 multicurrency revolving credit facility (the “U.S. Revolving Credit Line”). The U.S. Term Loan bore interest at a rate based on LIBOR or, at the option of the Company, the Base Rate (defined as the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the Bank of America prime rate and (c) one-month LIBOR plus 1.00%) plus, in either case, a margin that varies as a function of the Company’s senior leverage ratio in the range of 1.25%-2.00% per annum if the Company elects to use the LIBOR index and in the range of 0.25%-1.00% per annum if the Company elected to use the Base Rate index. In July 2012, the Company fully utilized the U.S. Term Loan and used the funds to prepay the outstanding balance of and terminate a multi-currency credit facility in the Company’s Asia-Pacific region. Borrowings under the U.S. Revolving Credit Line bore interest at a rate based on LIBOR or, at the option of the Company, the Base Rate (defined above) plus, in either case, a margin that varies as a function of the Company’s senior leverage ratio in the range of 0.95%-1.60% per annum if the Company elected to use the LIBOR index and in the range of 0.00%-0.60% per annum if the Company elected to use the Base Rate index. The Company was required to pay a quarterly letter of credit fee on the face amount of each letter of credit, which fee was based on the same margin that applies from time to time to LIBOR-indexed borrowings under the U.S. Revolving Credit Line. The Company was also required to pay a quarterly facility fee ranging from 0.30%-0.40% per annum of the U.S. Revolving Credit Line (regardless of the amount utilized), which fee also varied as a function of the Company’s senior leverage ratio. In June 2012, the outstanding letters of credit issued under an existing revolving credit facility were replaced by the U.S. Revolving Credit Line and the existing revolving credit facility was terminated.
	In December 2014, the Company paid down the remaining principal of U.S. Term Loan of $110,000,000 and replaced the U.S. Revolving Credit Line with the revolving credit facility (see above). As a result, the Company recorded a loss on debt extinguishment of $2,534,000.
	ALOG Financings
	In November 2013, ALOG completed a 60,318,000 Brazilian real borrowing agreement, or approximately $25,536,000 (the “2013 ALOG Financing”). The 2013 ALOG Financing has a five-year term with semi-annual principal payments beginning in the third year of its term and semi-annual interest payments during the entire term. The 2013 ALOG Financing bears an interest rate of 2.25% above the local borrowing rate. The 2013 ALOG Financing contains financial covenants, which ALOG must comply with annually, consisting of a leverage ratio and a fixed charge coverage ratio. As of December 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants under the 2013 ALOG Financing. The 2013 ALOG Financing is not guaranteed by ALOG or the Company. The 2013 ALOG Financing is not secured by ALOG’s or the Company’s assets. The 2013 ALOG Financing has a final maturity date of November 2018. During the three months ended December 31, 2013, ALOG fully utilized the 2013 ALOG Financing. As of December 31, 2014, the effective interest rate under the 2013 ALOG Financing was 13.82% per annum.
	In June 2012, ALOG completed a 100,000,000 Brazilian real borrowing agreement, or approximately $48,807,000 (the “2012 ALOG Financing”). The 2012 ALOG Financing has a five-year term with semi-annual principal payments beginning in the third year of its term and quarterly interest payments during the entire term. The 2012 ALOG Financing bears an interest rate of 2.75% above the local borrowing rate. The 2012 ALOG Financing contains financial covenants, which ALOG must comply with annually, consisting of a leverage ratio and a fixed charge coverage ratio. As of December 31, 2014, the Company was in compliance with all financial covenants under the 2012 ALOG Financing. The 2012 ALOG Financing is not guaranteed by ALOG or the Company. The 2012 ALOG Financing is not secured by ALOG’s or the Company’s assets. The 2012 ALOG Financing has a final maturity date of June 2017. During the three months ended September 30, 2012, ALOG fully utilized the 2012 ALOG Financing and used a portion of the funds to prepay and terminate ALOG loans payable outstanding. As of December 31, 2014, the effective interest rate under the 2012 ALOG Financing was 14.32% per annum.
	Mortgage Payable
	In October 2013, as a result of the Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition, the Company assumed a mortgage payable of $42,906,000 (see Note 2) with an effective interest rate of 4.25%. The mortgage payable has monthly principal and interest payments and has an expiration date of August 2022.

	Convertible Debt
	The Company’s convertible debt consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013
	3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes		$	—			$	395,986
	4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes			157,885				373,724

				157,885				769,710
	Less amount representing debt discount			(12,032	)			(45,508	)

			$	145,853			$	724,202

	3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes
	In September 2007, the Company issued $395,986,000 aggregate principal amount of 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes due October 15, 2014 (the “3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes”). Interest is payable semi-annually on April 15 and October 15 of each year and commenced April 15, 2008.
	In June 2014, the Company entered into an agreement with a note holder to exchange an aggregate of $217,199,000 of the principal amount of the 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes for 1,948,578 shares of the Company’s common stock and $5,387,000 in cash, comprised of accrued interest and a premium. As a result, the Company recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $4,210,000 during the three months ended June 30, 2014 in its consolidated statement of operations. In the Company’s consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2014, the premium paid was included within net cash provided by financing activities and the accrued interest paid was included within net cash provided by operating activities.
	In October 2014, upon maturity the Company settled with the remaining holders of 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes. The conversion rate was adjusted to 8.9264 per $1,000 principal amount of 3.00% convertible notes. Approximately $178,741,000 in aggregate principal amount of the 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes was converted into 1,595,496 shares of common stock. The remaining 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes, plus accrued interest, were settled in cash.
	4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes
	In June 2009, the Company issued $373,750,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due June 15, 2016 (the “4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes”). Interest is payable semi-annually on June 15 and December 15 of each year and commenced on December 15, 2009.
	The 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes are governed by an Indenture dated as of June 12, 2009, between the Company, as issuer, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes Indenture”). The 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes Indenture does not contain any financial covenants or any restrictions on the payment of dividends, the incurrence of senior debt or other indebtedness, or the issuance or repurchase of securities by the Company. The 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes are unsecured and rank junior in right of payment to the Company’s existing or future senior debt and equal in right of payment to the Company’s existing and future subordinated debt.
	Upon conversion, holders will receive, at the Company’s election, cash, shares of the Company’s common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company’s common stock. However, the Company may at any time irrevocably elect for the remaining term of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes to satisfy its obligation in cash up to 100% of the principal amount of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes, with any remaining amount to be satisfied, at the Company’s election, in shares of its common stock or a combination of cash and shares of its common stock.
	The initial conversion rate is 11.8599 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes, subject to adjustment. This represents an initial conversion price of approximately $84.32 per share of common stock. In November 2014, the Company adjusted the conversion rate of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes from 11.8599 shares of its common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the notes to 12.2736 shares per $1,000 principal amount of the notes, which took effective as of October 24, 2014. The adjustment was the result of the declaration of the 2014 Special Distribution. This represents an adjusted conversion price of approximately $81.48 per share of common stock.
	Holders of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes may convert their notes at any time prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding the maturity date under the following circumstances:

		•		during any fiscal quarter (and only during that fiscal quarter) ending after December 31, 2009, if the sale price of the Company’s common stock, for at least 20 trading days during the period of 30 consecutive trading days ending on the last trading day of the previous fiscal quarter, is greater than 130% of the adjusted conversion price per share of common stock on such last trading day, which was approximately $105.92 per share after the adjustment from the 2014 Special Distribution (the “Stock Price Condition Conversion Clause”);

		•		subject to certain exceptions, during the five business day period following any 10 consecutive trading day period in which the trading price of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes for each day of such period was less than 98% of the product of the sale price of the Company’s common stock and the conversion rate (the “4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes Parity Provision Clause”);

		•		upon the occurrence of specified corporate transactions described in the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes Indenture, such as a consolidation, merger or binding share exchange in which the Company’s common stock would be converted into cash or property other than securities (the “Corporate Action Provision Clause”); or

	•		at any time on or after March 15, 2016.
Upon conversion, if the Company elected to pay a sufficiently large portion of the conversion obligation in cash, additional consideration beyond the gross proceeds received would be required.
Holders of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes were eligible to convert their notes during the year ended December 31, 2014 and are eligible to convert their notes during the three months ending March 31, 2015, since the Stock Price Condition Conversion Clause was met during the applicable periods. As of December 31, 2014, had the holders of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes converted their notes, the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes would have been convertible into a maximum of 1,937,817 shares of the Company’s common stock.
The conversion rates may be adjusted upon the occurrence of certain events, including for any cash dividend, but they will not be adjusted for accrued and unpaid interest. Holders of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes will not receive any cash payment representing accrued and unpaid interest upon conversion of a note. Accrued but unpaid interest will be deemed to be paid in full upon conversion rather than cancelled, extinguished or forfeited.
The Company does not have the right to redeem the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes at its option. Holders of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes have the right to require the Company to purchase with cash all or a portion of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes upon the occurrence of a fundamental change, such as a change of control at a purchase price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the date of repurchase. Following certain corporate transactions that constitute a change of control, the Company will increase the conversion rate for a holder who elects to convert the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes in connection with such change of control in certain circumstances.
Under an accounting standard for convertible debt instruments that may be settled in cash upon conversion (including partial cash settlement), the Company separated the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes into a liability component and an equity component. The carrying amount of the liability component was calculated by measuring the fair value of a similar liability (including any embedded features other than the conversion option) that does not have an associated equity component. The carrying amount of the equity component representing the embedded conversion option was determined by deducting the fair value of the liability component from the initial proceeds ascribed to the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes as a whole. The excess of the principal amount of the liability component over its carrying amount is amortized to interest expense over the expected life of a similar liability that does not have an associated equity component using the effective interest method. The equity component is not remeasured as long as it continues to meet the conditions for equity classification as prescribed in the accounting standard for derivative financial instruments indexed to, and potentially settled in, an entity’s own common stock and the accounting standard for determining whether an instrument (or embedded feature) is indexed to an entity’s own stock.
In May and June 2014, the Company entered into agreements with certain note holders to exchange an aggregate of $215,830,000 of the principal amount of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes for 2,411,851 shares of the Company’s common stock and $51,671,000 in cash, comprised of accrued interest, premium and cash paid in lieu of issuing shares for certain note holders’ principal amount. As a result, the Company recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $46,973,000 for the year ended December 31, 2014 in its consolidated statement of operations. The loss on debt extinguishment included the premium paid and the excess of the fair value of liability component of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes over its carrying amount, including debt discount and unamortized debt issuance costs, in accordance with the accounting standard for convertible debt instruments that may be settled in cash upon conversion (including partial cash settlement). In the Company’s consolidated statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2014, the premium and cash paid in lieu of issuing shares to settle a portion of the principal amount were included within net cash provided by financing activities and the accrued interest paid was included within net cash provided by operating activities.
Issuance and transaction costs incurred at the time of the issuance of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes with third parties are allocated to the liability and equity components and accounted for as debt issuance costs and equity issuance costs, respectively. The 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013
Equity component (1)		$	44,278			$	104,794

Liability component:
Principal		$	157,885			$	373,724
Less debt discount, net (2)			(12,032	)			(45,508	)

Net carrying amount		$	145,853			$	328,216


	-1	Included in the consolidated balance sheets within additional paid-in capital.
	-2	Included in the consolidated balance sheets within convertible debt and is amortized over the remaining life of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes.

As of December 31, 2014, the remaining life of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes was 1.46 years.
The following table sets forth total interest expense recognized related to the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013
Contractual interest expense		$	10,976			$	17,753
Amortization of debt issuance costs			629				1,022
Amortization of debt discount			10,448				15,482

		$	22,053			$	34,257

Effective interest rate of the liability component			10.88	%			10.88	%
To minimize the impact of potential dilution upon conversion of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes, the Company entered into capped call transactions (“the Capped Call”) separate from the issuance of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes and paid a premium of $49,664,000 for the Capped Call in 2009. Under the Capped Call, the Company effectively raised the conversion price of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes from $84.32 to $114.82. In May and June 2014, the Company amended the Capped Call to provide that early exchanges of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes would not result in the termination of a relative amount of the Capped Call if the Company did not exercise the Capped Call at the time the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes were exchanged. Instead, the Capped Call will remain outstanding in its entirety. The amendment to the Capped Call had no impact to the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2014, pursuant to the accounting standard for derivative financial instruments indexed to, and potentially settled in, an entity’s own common stock and the accounting standard for determining whether an instrument (or embedded feature) is indexed to an entity’s own stock. Pursuant to the declaration of the special distribution in October 2014, the Company further amended the Capped Call agreement to adjust the effective conversion price of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes from $81.48 to $110.85 per share of common stock. Depending upon the Company’s stock price at the time the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes are redeemed, the Capped Call will return up to 1,215,406 shares of the Company’s common stock to the Company; however, the Company will receive no benefit from the Capped Call if the Company’s stock price is $81.48 or lower at the time of conversion and will receive less shares than the 1,215,406 share maximum as described above for share prices in excess of $110.85 at the time of conversion than it would have received at a share price of $110.85 (the Company’s benefit from the Capped Call is capped at $110.85 and the benefit received begins to decrease above this price).

Senior Notes
The Company’s senior notes consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013
5.375% Senior Notes due 2023		$	1,000,000			$	1,000,000
5.375% Senior Notes due 2022			750,000				—
4.875% Senior Notes due 2020			500,000				500,000
5.75% Senior Notes due 2025			500,000				—
7.00% Senior Notes due 2021			—				750,000

		$	2,750,000			$	2,250,000

2022 Senior Notes and 2025 Senior Notes
In November 2014, The Company issued $750,000,000 million aggregate principal amount of 5.375% senior notes due January 1, 2022, and $500,000,000 million aggregate principal amount of 5.750% senior notes due January 1, 2025, which are referred to as the “2022 Senior Notes” and “2025 Senior Notes”, respectively. Interest on each series of the notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 1 and July 1 of each year, commencing on July 1, 2015.
Both senior notes are unsecured and rank equal in right of payment to the Company’s existing or future senior indebtedness and senior in right of payment to the Company’s existing and future subordinated indebtedness. The senior notes are effectively subordinated to all of the existing and future secured debt, including debt outstanding under any bank facility or secured by any mortgage, to the extent of the assets securing such debt. They are also structurally subordinated to any existing and future indebtedness and other liabilities (including trade payables) of any of the Company’s subsidiaries.
The senior notes are governed by an indenture which contains covenants that limit the Company’s ability and the ability of its subsidiaries to, among other things:

	•		incur additional debt;

	•		pay dividends or make other restricted payments;

	•		purchase, redeem or retire capital stock or subordinated debt;

	•		make asset sales;

	•		enter into transactions with affiliates;

	•		incur liens;

	•		enter into sale-leaseback transactions;

	•		provide subsidiary guarantees;

	•		make investments; and

	•		merge or consolidate with any other person.
At any time prior to January 1, 2018, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2022 Senior Notes (calculated giving effect to any issuance of additional notes of such series) outstanding under the 2022 Senior Notes indenture, at a redemption price equal to 105.375% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings, provided that (i) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2022 Senior Notes issued under the 2022 indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption (excluding 2022 Senior Notes held by the Company and its subsidiaries) and (ii) the redemption must occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such equity offerings.
On or after January 1, 2018, the Company may redeem all or a part of the 2022 Senior Notes, on any one or more occasions, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but not including, the applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning January 1 of the years indicated below:


		Redemption price of the 2022 Notes
2018			104.031	%
2019			102.688	%
2020			101.344	%
2021 and thereafter			100	%
In addition, at any time prior to January 1, 2018, the Company may redeem all or a part of the 2022 Senior Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of 2022 Senior Notes redeemed plus the applicable premium (the “2022 Senior Notes Applicable Premium”) as of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of the redemption, subject to the rights of the holders of record of 2022 Senior Notes on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date. The 2022 Senior Notes Applicable Premium means the greater of:

	•		1.0% of the principal amount of the 2022 Senior Notes;

	•		the excess of: (a) the present value at such redemption date of (i) the redemption price of the 2022 Senior Notes at January 1, 2018 (such redemption price being set forth in the table as shown in the above table ), plus (ii) all required interest payments due on the 2022 Senior Notes through January 1, 2018 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including the, the redemption date,) computed using a discount rate equal to the treasury rate as of such redemption date plus 50 basis points; and

	•		the principal amount of the 2022 Senior Notes.
At any time prior to January 1, 2018, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes (calculated giving effect to any issuance of additional notes of such series) outstanding under the 2025 Senior Notes indenture, at a redemption price equal to 105.750% of the principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings; provided that (1) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes issued under the 2025 Senior Notes indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption (excluding 2025 Senior Notes held by the Company and its subsidiaries); and (2) the redemption must occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such equity offering.

On or after January 1, 2020, the Company may redeem all or a part of the 2025 Senior Notes, on any one or more occasions, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but not including, the applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning January 1 of the years indicated below:


		Redemption price of the 2025 Notes
2020			102.875	%
2021			101.917	%
2022			100.958	%
2023 and thereafter			100	%
In addition, at any time prior to January 1, 2020, the Company may also redeem all or a part of the 2025 Senior Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of 2025 Senior Notes redeemed plus the applicable premium (the “2025 Senior Notes Applicable Premium”) as of, and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the redemption date, subject to the rights of holders of record of 2025 Senior Notes on the relevant record date to receive interest due on the relevant interest payment date. The 2025 Senior Notes Applicable Premium means the greater of:

	•		1.0% of the principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes;

	•		the excess of: (a) the present value at such redemption date of (i) the redemption price of the 2025 Senior Notes at January 1, 2020 (such redemption price being set forth in the table as shown in the above table ), plus (ii) all required interest payments due on the 2025 Senior Notes through January 1, 2020 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including the, the redemption date,) computed using a discount rate equal to the treasury rate as of such redemption date plus 50 basis points; and

	•		the principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes.
As of December 31, 2014, debt issuance costs related to the 2022 Senior Notes and 2025 Senior Notes, net of amortization, were $16,762,000.
2020 Senior Notes and 2023 Senior Notes
In March 2013, the Company issued $1,500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of senior notes, which consist of $500,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 4.875% senior notes due April 1, 2020 (the “2020 Senior Notes”) and $1,000,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 5.375% senior notes due April 1, 2023 (the “2023 Senior Notes”). Interest on both the 2020 Senior Notes and the 2023 Senior Notes is payable semi-annually on April 1 and October 1 of each year and commenced on October 1, 2013.
The 2020 Senior Notes and the 2023 Senior Notes are governed by separate indentures dated March 5, 2013, between the Company, as issuer, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (the “Senior Notes Indentures”). The Senior Notes Indentures contain covenants that limit the Company’s ability and the ability of its subsidiaries to, among other things:

	•		incur additional debt;

	•		pay dividends or make other restricted payments;

	•		purchase, redeem or retire capital stock or subordinated debt;

	•		make asset sales;

	•		enter into transactions with affiliates;

	•		incur liens;

	•		enter into sale-leaseback transactions;

	•		provide subsidiary guarantees;

	•		make investments; and

	•		merge or consolidate with any other person.
Each of these restrictions has a number of important qualifications and exceptions. The 2020 Senior Notes and the 2023 Senior Notes are unsecured and rank equal in right of payment with the Company’s existing or future senior unsecured debt and senior in right of payment with the Company’s existing and future subordinated debt. The 2020 Senior Notes and the 2023 Senior Notes are junior to the Company’s secured indebtedness and guaranteed indebtedness of its subsidiaries.
At any time prior to April 1, 2016, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes outstanding at a redemption price equal to 104.875% of the principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings; provided that (i) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes issued under the 2020 Senior Notes indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption (excluding the 2020 Senior Notes held by the Company and its subsidiaries); and (ii) the redemption must occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such equity offering.
On or after April 1, 2017, the Company may redeem all or a part of the 2020 Senior Notes, on any one or more occasions, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but not including, the applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on April 1 of the years indicated below:


		Redemption price of the 2020 Senior Notes
2017			102.438	%
2018			101.219	%
2019 and thereafter			100	%
At any time prior to April 1, 2017, the Company may also redeem all or a part of the 2020 Senior Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes redeemed plus an applicable premium (the “2020 Senior Notes Applicable Premium”), and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of redemption (the “2020 Senior Notes Redemption Date”). The 2020 Senior Notes Applicable Premium means the greater of:

	•		1.0% of the principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes; and

	•		the excess of: (a) the present value at such redemption date of (i) the redemption price of the 2020 Senior Notes at April 1, 2017 as shown in the above table, plus (ii) all required interest payments due on the 2020 Senior Notes through April 1, 2017 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including the 2020 Senior Notes Redemption Date), computed using a discount rate equal to the yield to maturity of the U.S. Treasury securities with a constant maturity most nearly equal to the period from the 2020 Senior Notes Redemption Date to April 1, 2017, plus 0.50%; over (b) the principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes.

At any time prior to April 1, 2016, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes outstanding at a redemption price equal to 105.375% of the principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings; provided that (i) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes issued under the 2023 Senior Notes indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption (excluding the 2023 Senior Notes held by the Company and its subsidiaries); and (ii) the redemption must occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such equity offering.
On or after April 1, 2018, the Company may redeem all or a part of the 2023 Senior Notes, on any one or more occasions, at the redemption prices (expressed as percentages of principal amount) set forth below plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon, if any, to, but not including, the applicable redemption date, if redeemed during the twelve-month period beginning on April 1 of the years indicated below:


		Redemption price of the 2023 Senior Notes
2018			102.688	%
2019			101.792	%
2020 and thereafter			100.896	%
2021 and thereafter			100	%
At any time prior to April 1, 2018, the Company may also redeem all or a part of the 2023 Senior Notes at a redemption price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes redeemed plus an applicable premium (the “2023 Senior Notes Applicable Premium”), and accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including, the date of redemption (the “2023 Senior Notes Redemption Date”). The 2023 Senior Notes Applicable Premium means the greater of:

	•		1.0% of the principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes; and

	•		the excess of: (a) the present value at such redemption date of (i) the redemption price of the 2023 Senior Notes at April 1, 2018 as shown in the above table, plus (ii) all required interest payments due on the 2023 Senior Notes through April 1, 2018 (excluding accrued but unpaid interest, if any, to, but not including the 2023 Senior Notes Redemption Date), computed using a discount rate equal to the yield to maturity of the U.S. Treasury securities with a constant maturity most nearly equal to the period from the 2023 Senior Notes Redemption Date to April 1, 2018, plus 0.50%; over (b) the principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes.
Debt issuance costs related to the 2020 Senior Notes and 2023 Senior Notes, net of amortization, were $16,193,000 as of December 31, 2014.
7.00% Senior Notes
In July 2011, the Company issued $750,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 7.00% Senior Notes due July 15, 2021 (the “7.00% Senior Notes”). Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15 of each year and commenced on January 15, 2012. The indenture governing the 7.00% senior notes permitted the Company to redeem the 7.00% senior notes at the redemption prices set forth in the 7.00% senior notes indenture plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including the redemption price.
In December 2014, the Company redeemed the 7.00% Senior Notes and paid $866,861,000 in cash including the principal amount of $750,000,000 plus a premium of $93,965,000 and accrued and unpaid interest of $22,896,000. During the three months of December 31, 2014, the Company recognized a loss on debt extinguishment of $103,273,000, including the unamortized debt issuance costs and the redemption premium.

Loss on Debt Extinguishment
During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company recorded $156,990,000 of loss on debt extinguishment comprised of (i) $103,273,000 of loss on debt extinguishment from the redemption of the 7.00% Senior Notes, which included the $93,965,000 redemption premium that was paid in cash and $9,307,000 related to the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs, (ii) $51,183,000 related to the exchanges of the 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes and 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes and (iii) $2,534,000 as a result of the prepayment and termination of the U.S. Term Loan and the U.S. Revolving Credit Line.
During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company recorded $108,501,000 of loss on debt extinguishment comprised of (i) $93,602,000 loss on debt extinguishment from the redemption of the 8.125% Senior Notes, which included the $80,925,000 applicable premium that was paid in cash, $8,927,000 related to the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs and $3,750,000 of other transaction-related fees, (ii) $13,189,000 from the new leases for the London 4 and 5 IBX data centers that replaced the existing leases and (iii) $1,710,000 from an amendment of the New York 5 and 6 IBX data center lease.
During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company recorded $5,204,000 of loss on debt extinguishment due to the write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs associated with the prepayment and termination of a multi-currency credit facility in the Company’s Asia-Pacific region.
Maturities of Debt Facilities
The following table sets forth maturities of the Company’s debt, including loans payable, convertible debt and senior notes, as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):


Year ending:
2015		$	59,466
2016 (1)			219,071
2017			53,959
2018			48,636
2019 (2)			341,478
Thereafter			2,781,027

		$	3,503,637


-1	Gross of $12,032 debt discount from the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes.
-2	Gross of $1,600 debt discount from the $500.0 million multicurrency term loan facility.
Fair Value of Debt Facilities
The following table sets forth the estimated fair values of the Company’s mortgage, loans payable, senior notes and convertible debt, including current maturities, as of December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013
Mortgage and loans payable		$	553,045			$	254,607
Convertible debt			162,159				1,009,744
Senior notes			2,790,023				2,302,290

The fair value of the mortgage, loans payable and convertible debt, which were not publicly traded, was estimated by considering the Company’s credit rating, current rates available to the Company for debt of the same remaining maturities and terms of the debt (level 2). The fair value of the senior notes, which were traded in the public debt market, was based on quoted market prices (level 1).
Interest Charges
The following table sets forth total interest costs incurred and total interest costs capitalized for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013				2012
Interest expense		$	270,553			$	248,792			$	200,328
Interest capitalized			19,004				10,608				30,643

Interest charges incurred		$	289,557			$	259,400			$	230,971

Redeemable_NonControlling_Inte

Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests	12 Months Ended
Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests	Dec. 31, 2014
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests	10. Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests
	The following table provides a summary of the activities of the Company’s redeemable non-controlling interests (in thousands):


	Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	84,178
	Net income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		1,438
	Other comprehensive income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		(7,526	)
	Net increase in redemption value of non-controlling interests		47,940
	Impact of foreign currency translation		(2,128	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	123,902
	Net loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		(1,179	)
	Other comprehensive income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		1,810
	Net increase in redemption value of non-controlling interests		90,913
	Impact of foreign currency translation		1,724
	Exercise of vested and outstanding ALOG stock options		8,459
	Purchase price of redeemable non-controlling interests		(225,629	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	—

Stockholders_Equity

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
Stockholders' Equity	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	11. Stockholders’ Equity
	The Company’s authorized share capital is 300,000,000 shares of common stock and 100,000,000 shares of preferred stock, of which 25,000,000 is designated Series A, 25,000,000 is designated as Series A-1 and 50,000,000 is undesignated. As of December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company had no preferred stock issued and outstanding.
	Common Stock
	As of December 31, 2014, the Company has reserved the following shares of authorized but unissued shares of common stock for future issuance:


	Conversion of 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes			1,937,817
	Common stock options and restricted stock units			6,441,802
	Common stock employee purchase plans			3,806,501

				12,186,120


	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss
	The components of the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted of the following as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):


			Balance as of			Net			Balance as of
			December 31,			Change			December 31,
			2013						2014
	Foreign currency translation gain (loss)		$	(132,881	)	$	(204,065	)	$	(336,946	)
	Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges (1)			(2,187	)		8,790			6,603
	Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale securities (2)			180			(279	)		(99	)
	Unamortized gain (loss) on defined benefit plans (3)			—			(2,001	)		(2,001	)
	Other comprehensive loss (income) attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests (4)			21,121			(21,121	)		—

			$	(113,767	)	$	(218,676	)	$	(332,443	)


	-1	Refer to Note 6 for a discussion of the amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net income (loss).
	-2	The realized gains and losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net income (loss) were insignificant for the year ended December 31, 2014.
	-3	The Company has a defined benefit pension plan covering all employees in one country where such plans are mandated by law. The Company does not have any defined benefit plans in any other countries. The unamortized gain (loss) on defined benefit plans includes gains or losses resulting from a change in the value of either the projected benefit obligation or the plan assets resulting from a change in an actuarial assumption, net of amortization.
	-4	Includes $1,810 of other comprehensive income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and $19,311 of accumulated other comprehensive income reclassified to additional paid-in capital upon the Company’s purchase of the redeemable non-controlling interests in ALOG in July 2014 (Note 2).
	Changes in foreign currencies can have a significant impact to the Company’s consolidated balance sheets (as evidenced above in the Company’s foreign currency translation gain or loss), as well as its consolidated results of operations, as amounts in foreign currencies are generally translating into more U.S. dollars when the U.S. dollar weakens or less U.S. dollars when the U.S. dollar strengthens. At December 31, 2014, the U.S. dollar was generally stronger relative to certain of the currencies of the foreign countries in which the Company operates. This overall strength of the U.S. dollar had an overall negative impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position because the foreign denominations translated into less U.S. dollars as evidenced by an increase in foreign currency translation loss for the year ended December 31, 2014 compared to the year ended December 31, 2013 as reflected in the above table. In future periods, the volatility of the U.S. dollar as compared to the other currencies in which the Company does business could have a significant impact on its consolidated financial position and results of operations including the amount of revenue that the Company reports in future periods.
	Share Repurchase Program
	2013 Share Repurchase Program
	In December 2013, the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) approved a share repurchase program (the “2013 Share Repurchase Program”) to repurchase up to $500,000,000 in value of the Company’s common stock in the open market or private transactions through December 31, 2014. The 2013 Share Repurchase Program was designed to return value to the Company’s shareholders and minimize dilution from stock issuances.

	During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company repurchased a total of 1,517,743 shares of its common stock in the open market at an average price of $196.32 per share for total consideration of $297,958,000 under the 2013 Share Repurchase Program. During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company repurchased a total of 288,739 shares of its common stock in the open market at an average price of $169.01 per share for total consideration of $48,799,000 under the 2013 Share Repurchase Program. The 2013 Share Repurchase Program expired on December 31, 2014.
	During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company re-issued a total of 1,752,615 shares of its treasury stock with a total value of $345,858,000 primarily related to the exchange and conversions of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes and the exchanges and settlement of the 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes (see Note 9).
	2011 Share Repurchase Program
	In November 2011, the Board approved a share repurchase program (the “2011 Share Repurchase Program”) to repurchase up to $250,000,000 in value of the Company’s common stock in the open market or private transactions through December 31, 2012. The 2011 Share Repurchase Program was designed to return value to the Company’s shareholders and minimize dilution from stock issuances.
	During the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2011, the Company repurchased a total of 131,489 shares and 870,421 shares, respectively, of its common stock in the open market at an average price of $101.64 and $99.57 per share for total consideration of $100,030,000 under the 2011 Share Repurchase Program. The 2011 Share Repurchase Program expired on December 31, 2012.
	During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company re-issued a total of 355,477 shares of its treasury stock with a total value of $66,424,000, primarily related to the exchange and conversions of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes (see Note 9). During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company re-issued a total of 8,266 shares of its treasury stock with a total value of $811,000, primarily related to the settlement of restricted stock units. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company re-issued a total of 638,167 shares of its treasury stock with a total value of $63,354,000, primarily related to the settlement of the 2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes (see Note 9).
	Special Distribution
	In October 2014, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a special distribution of $416,000,000, or approximately $7.57 per share (the “2014 Special Distribution”), to its common stockholders in connection with the Company’s planned conversion to a REIT. The 2014 Special Distribution was paid on November 25, 2014 to the Company’s common stockholders of record as of the close of business on October 27, 2014. Common stockholders had the option to elect to receive payment of the 2014 Special Distribution in the form of stock or cash, with the total cash payment to all stockholders limited to no more than 20% of the total distribution. The number of shares distributed was determined based upon common stockholder elections and the average closing price of the Company’s common stock on the three trading days commencing on November 18, 2014 or $224.45 per share. As such, the Company issued 1,482,419 shares of its common stock and paid $83,266,000 in connection with the 2014 Special Distribution. These shares impact weighted average shares outstanding from the date of issuance, thus impacting the Company’s earnings per share data prospectively from the distribution date. In addition, as of December 31, 2014, for dividends attributed to the RSU awards the Company recorded a short term dividend payable of $4,559,000 and a long term dividend payable of $4,972,000 for the restricted stock units that have not yet vested (See Note 12).

StockBased_Compensation

Stock-Based Compensation	12 Months Ended
Stock-Based Compensation	Dec. 31, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stock-Based Compensation	12. Stock-Based Compensation
	ALOG Equity Awards
	In July 2011, ALOG, in which the Company had an indirect controlling interest (see Note 2), granted 885,840 stock options to purchase common shares of ALOG to certain of ALOG’s employees with a weighted-average exercise price of approximately $6.35 and a weighted-average fair value of approximately $1.53 (the “2011 ALOG Stock Options”). The 2011 ALOG Stock Options were cancelled in December 2012 and replaced with a new grant of stock options for 18,421,648 shares of which stock options for 4,711,808 shares were immediately vested (the “2012 ALOG Stock Options”). The 2012 ALOG Stock Options were accounted for as liability-classified awards under the accounting standard for share-based payments and were be re-measured each reporting period prospectively until the underlying shares were settled. Under certain circumstances, the 2012 ALOG Stock Options were eligible for net cash settlement by the stock option holders.
	In July 2014, the Company paid $8,459,000 in cash to settle all vested and outstanding stock options to purchase common shares of ALOG that were held by ALOG employees.
	Equinix Equity Awards
	Equity Compensation Plans
	In May 2000, the Company’s stockholders approved the adoption of the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan as the successor plan to the 1998 Stock Plan. Beginning in August 2000, the Company no longer issued additional grants under the 1998 Stock Plan, and unexercised options under the 1998 Stock Plan that are canceled due to an optionee’s termination may be reissued under the successor 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. Under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, nonstatutory stock options, restricted shares, restricted stock units, and stock appreciation rights may be granted to employees, outside directors and consultants at not less than 85% of the fair value on the date of grant, and incentive stock options may be granted to employees at not less than 100% of the fair value on the date of grant. Options granted prior to October 1, 2005 generally expire 10 years from the grant date, and equity awards granted to employees and consultants on or after October 1, 2005 will generally expire seven years from the grant date, subject to continuous service of the optionee. Equity awards granted under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan generally vest over four years. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had reserved a total of 16,847,005, shares for issuance under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan of which 4,172,370 were still available for grant. The 2000 Equity Incentive Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”), and the Compensation Committee may terminate or amend the plan, with approval of the stockholders as may be required by applicable law, at any time.
	In May 2000, the Company’s stockholders approved the adoption of the 2000 Director Option Plan, which was amended and restated effective January 1, 2003. Under the 2000 Director Option Plan, each non-employee board member who was not previously an employee of the Company will receive an automatic initial nonstatutory stock option grant, which vests in four annual installments. In addition, each non-employee board member will receive an annual non-statutory stock option grant on the date of the Company’s regular Annual Meeting of Stockholders, provided the board member will continue to serve as a director thereafter. Such annual option grants shall vest in full on the earlier of a) the first anniversary of the grant, or b) the date of the regular Annual Meeting of Stockholders held in the year following the grant date. A new director who receives an initial option will not receive an annual option in the same calendar year. Options granted under the 2000 Director Option Plan will have an option price not less than 100% of the fair value on the date of grant and will have a 10-year contractual term, subject to continuous service of the board member. On December 18, 2008, the Company’s Board of Directors passed resolutions eliminating all automatic stock option grant mechanisms under the 2000 Director Option Plan, and replaced them with an automatic restricted stock unit grant mechanism under the 2000 Equity Incentive Plan. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had reserved 593,866 shares for issuance under the 2000 Director Option Plan of which 505,832 were still available for grant. The 2000 Director Option Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee and the Compensation Committee may terminate or amend the plan, with approval of the stockholders as may be required by applicable law, at any time.
	In September 2001, the Company adopted the 2001 Supplemental Stock Plan, under which non-statutory stock options and restricted shares/restricted stock units may be granted to consultants and employees who are not executive officers or board members, at not less than 85% of the fair value on the date of grant. Options granted prior to October 1, 2005 generally expire 10 years from the grant date, and options granted on or after October 1, 2005 will generally expire seven years from the grant date, subject to continuous service of the optionee. Current stock options granted under the 2001 Supplemental Stock Plan generally vest over four years. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had reserved a total of 1,494,275 shares for issuance under the 2001 Supplemental Stock Plan, of which 260,248 were still available for grant. The 2001 Supplemental Stock Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee, and the plan will continue in effect indefinitely unless the Compensation Committee decides to terminate it earlier.
	The 1998 Stock Plan, 2000 Equity Incentive Plan, 2000 Director Option Plan and 2001 Supplemental Stock Plan are collectively referred to as the “Equity Compensation Plans.”
	Stock Options
	Stock option activity under the Equity Compensation Plans is summarized as follows:


			Number of				Weighted			Weighted			Aggregate
			shares				average			average			intrinsic
			outstanding				exercise			remaining			value (1)
							price per			contractual			(dollars in
							share			life (years)			thousands)
	Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2011			919,916			$	64.96
	Stock options exercised			(615,754	)			63.19
	Stock options canceled			(7,633	)			63.47

	Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2012			296,529				68.68
	Stock options exercised			(147,819	)			63.66
	Stock options canceled			(655	)			3.06

	Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2013			148,055				73.99
	Stock options exercised			(71,780	)			72.44
	Additional shares granted due to special distribution			1,659				—

	Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2014			77,934				73.84			1.89			11,915

	Stock options vested and exercisable at December 31, 2014			77,934				73.84			1.89			11,915


	-1	The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the market value of the stock as of December 31, 2014 and the exercise price of the option.

	The following table summarizes information about outstanding stock options as of December 31, 2014:


			Outstanding										Exercisable
	Range of exercise prices		Number of				Weighted			Weighted-			Number of		Weighted-
			shares				average			average			shares		average
							remaining			exercise					exercise
							contractual			price					price
							life (years)
	$29.65 to $56.13			21,800				0.63		$	43.41			21,800	$	43.41
	$56.30 to $84.34			31,806				1.83			80.95			31,806		80.95
	$84.74 to $91.95			18,208				3.26			91.55			18,208		91.55
	$92.65 to $92.65			6,120				2.55			92.65			6,120		92.65

				77,934				1.89			73.84			77,934		73.84

	The Company provides the following additional disclosures for stock options as of December 31 (dollars in thousands):


			2014				2013			2012
	Total fair value of stock options exercised		$	45			$	485		$	1,111
	Total aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised (1)			9,227				19,385			54,761

	-1	The intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the market value of the stock on the date of exercise and the exercise price of the option.

	Restricted Stock Units
Since 2008, the Company primarily grants restricted stock units to its employees, including executives and non-employee directors, in lieu of stock options. The Company generally grants restricted stock units that have a service condition only or have both a service and performance condition. Each restricted stock unit is not considered issued and outstanding and does not have voting rights until it is converted into one share of the Company’s common stock upon vesting. Restricted stock unit activity is summarized as follows:


		Number of				Weighted-			Weighted-			Aggregate
		shares				average			average			intrinsic
		outstanding				grant date			remaining			value (1)
						fair value			contractual			(dollars in
						per share			life (years)			thousands)
Restricted stock units outstanding, December 31, 2011			1,678,265			$	85.37
Restricted stock units granted			821,885				148.93
Restricted stock units released, vested			(777,256	)			88.44
Restricted stock units canceled			(139,054	)			103.93

Restricted stock units outstanding, December 31, 2012			1,583,840				115.22
Restricted stock units granted			775,029				204.2
Restricted stock units released, vested			(738,767	)			199.14
Restricted stock units canceled			(110,720	)			138.27

Restricted stock units outstanding, December 31, 2013			1,509,382				122.05
Restricted stock units granted			803,692				190.9
Additional shares granted due to special distribution			48,171				224.45
Restricted stock units released, vested			(703,393	)			201.85
Restricted stock units canceled			(253,878	)			179.71

Restricted stock units outstanding, December 31, 2014			1,403,974				114.56			1.2		$	318,323


-1	The intrinsic value is calculated based on the market value of the stock as of December 31, 2014.
The total fair value of restricted stock units vested and released during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 was $141,980,000, $147,119,000 and $68,738,000.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
In June 2004, the Company’s stockholders approved the adoption of the 2004 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the “2004 Purchase Plan”) as a successor plan to a previous plan that ceased activity in 2005. A total of 500,000 shares have been reserved for issuance under the 2004 Purchase Plan, and the number of shares available for issuance under the 2004 Purchase Plan automatically increased on January 1 each year, beginning in 2005 and ending in 2014 by the lesser of 2% of the shares of common stock then outstanding or 500,000 shares. Effective November 25, 2014, 3,197 shares were added to the 2004 Purchase Plan, representing an anti-dilutive adjustment pursuant to the 2014 Special Distribution. As of December 31, 2014, a total of 3,806,501 shares remained available for purchase under the 2004 Purchase Plan. The 2004 Purchase Plan permits eligible employees to purchase common stock on favorable terms via payroll deductions of up to 15% of the employee’s cash compensation, subject to certain share and statutory dollar limits. Two overlapping offering periods commence during each calendar year, on each February 15 and August 15 or such other periods or dates as determined by the Compensation Committee from time to time, and the offering periods last up to 24 months with a purchase date every six months. The price of each share purchased is 85% of the lower of a) the fair value per share of common stock on the last trading day before the commencement of the applicable offering period or b) the fair value per share of common stock on the purchase date. The 2004 Purchase Plan is administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors, and such plan will terminate automatically in June 2024 unless a) the 2004 Purchase Plan is extended by the Board of Directors and b) the extension is approved within 12 months by the Company’s stockholders.
The Company provides the following disclosures for the 2004 Purchase Plan as of December 31 (dollars, except shares):


		2014				2013			2012
Weighted-average purchase price per share		$	144.95			$	108.97		$	78.22
Weighted average grant-date fair value per share of shares purchased			53.37				41.3			32.33
Number of shares purchased			166,384				214,985			220,290
The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of shares purchased under the 2004 Purchase Plan with the following weighted average assumptions for the years ended December 31:


		2014				2013			2012
Dividend yield			0	%			0	%		0	%
Expected volatility			34	%			41	%		46	%
Risk-free interest rate			0.19	%			0.37	%		0.4	%
Expected life (in years)			1.25				1.25			1.25
Stock-Based Compensation Recognized in the Consolidated Statement of Operations
The Company generally recognizes stock-based compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period of the awards. However, for awards with market conditions or performance conditions, stock-based compensation expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for each vesting tranche of the award.
In October 2014, the Compensation Committee approved amendments to the terms of all outstanding restricted stock units (“RSUs”) granted prior to January 1, 2014 to provide for dividend equivalent rights (“DERs”) in the event of future dividends paid on the Company’s common stock. The Compensation Committee also approved an adjustment to outstanding stock options, including those under the Company’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan (“ESPP”), to ensure that the cash portion of the 2014 Special Distribution would not negatively impact the intrinsic value of the options. Pursuant to the accounting standard for stock compensation, these actions affecting the terms of the awards are considered modifications for accounting purposes that resulted in incremental stock-based compensation expenses and will be recognized over the requisite service period for each vesting tranche of the award. The total charges associated with this modification are insignificant to the financial statements.
As of December 31, 2014, the total stock-based compensation cost related to unvested equity awards not yet recognized, net of estimated forfeitures, totaled $177,741,000 which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.07 years.

The following table presents, by operating expense, the Company’s stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013			2012
Cost of revenues		$	8,511			$	7,855		$	6,218
Sales and marketing			30,084				26,538			18,730
General and administrative			79,395				68,547			57,787

		$	117,990			$	102,940		$	82,735

The Company’s stock-based compensation recognized in the consolidated statement of operations was comprised of the following types of equity awards for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013			2012
Stock options		$	4,917			$	3,456		$	811
Restricted shares and restricted stock units			104,235				88,411			73,703
Employee stock purchase plan			8,838				11,073			8,221

		$	117,990			$	102,940		$	82,735

During the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the Company capitalized $3,958,000, $3,305,000, and $1,743,000, respectively, of stock-based compensation expense as construction in progress in property, plant and equipment.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	13. Income Taxes
	Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes is attributable to the following geographic locations for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013				2012
	Domestic		$	(46,876	)		$	(28,362	)		$	56,822
	Foreign			131,609				140,641				131,800

	Income before income taxes and income (loss) attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		$	84,733			$	112,279			$	188,622


	The tax benefit (expenses) for income taxes from continuing operations consisted of the following components for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013				2012
	Current:
	Federal		$	(98,445	)		$	(100,035	)		$	(55,064	)
	State and local			(16,243	)			(15,260	)			(21,712	)
	Foreign			(31,844	)			(29,377	)			(29,344	)

	Subtotal			(146,532	)			(144,672	)			(106,120	)

	Deferred:
	Federal			(177,877	)			111,721				42,568
	State and local			(21,539	)			17,044				14,082
	Foreign			489				(249	)			(9,094	)

	Subtotal			(198,927	)			128,516				47,556

	Provision for income taxes		$	(345,459	)		$	(16,156	)		$	(58,564	)

	The provision for income taxes attributable to the Company’s discontinued operations is included in net income from discontinued operations and gain on sale of discontinued operations in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. State and foreign taxes not based on income are included in general and administrative expenses and the aggregate amounts were insignificant for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	The Company is entitled to a deduction for federal and state tax purposes with respect to employee equity award activity. The reduction in income tax payable related to windfall tax benefits for stock-based compensation awards has been reflected as an adjustment to additional paid-in capital. For the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, the benefits arising from employee equity award activity that resulted in an adjustment to additional paid-in capital were approximately $18,561,000, $25,638,000 and $84,740,000, respectively.
	The fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012 income tax expense differed from the amounts computed by applying the U.S. federal income tax rate of 35% to pre-tax income as a result of the following for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013				2012
	Federal tax at statutory rate		$	(29,657	)		$	(39,298	)		$	(66,019	)
	State and local taxes			1,370				7,435				261
	Deferred tax assets generated in current year not benefited			(3,311	)			(4,777	)			(4,396	)
	Foreign income tax rate differential			20,002				21,392				11,466
	Non-deductible expenses			(1,274	)			(2,525	)			(2,997	)
	Stock-based compensation expense			(4,496	)			(3,273	)			(832	)
	Change in valuation allowance			1,655				1,362				(3,245	)
	Foreign financing benefits			2,981				4,303				7,395
	Uncertain tax positions reserve			(463	)			2,952				2,449
	Statutory rate change due to REIT conversion			(324,142	)			—				—
	Other, net			(8,124	)			(3,727	)			(2,646	)

	Total income tax expense		$	(345,459	)		$	(16,156	)		$	(58,564	)


	The Company had not previously provided for deferred taxes on the excess of the financial reporting over the tax basis in its investments in foreign subsidiaries that are essentially permanent in duration because the Company intended to reinvest the earnings outside the U.S. for an indefinite period of time. As a result of the Company’s conversion to a REIT effective January 1, 2015, it is no longer the Company’s intent to indefinitely reinvest undistributed foreign earnings from its operations in Europe. However, no deferred tax liability has been recognized to account for this change because the expected recovery of the basis difference will not result in taxes in the post-REIT conversion periods. As it continues to qualify as a REIT, the Company will not incur U.S. tax liability on future repatriation of foreign earnings and profits due to the zero tax rate that will apply provided the Company distributes 100% of its taxable income. The Company will continue to reinvest its undistributed foreign earnings in jurisdictions other than Europe indefinitely. The foreign withholding taxes are expected to be immaterial if these undistributed foreign earnings are distributed.
	The types of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are set out below as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013
	Deferred tax assets:
	Property, plant and equipment		$	—			$	134,727
	Reserves and accruals			11,952				42,088
	Stock-based compensation expense			1,185				15,877
	Operating loss carryforwards			27,687				28,373

	Gross deferred tax assets			40,824				221,065
Valuation allowance			(27,181	)			(31,058	)

Total deferred tax assets, net			13,643				190,007

Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment			(78,261	)			—
Unrealized currency losses			(502	)			(2,030	)
Debt discount			—				(9,347	)
Fixed assets fair value step-up			(7,210	)			(24,531	)
Intangible assets			(28,433	)			(58,499	)

Total deferred tax liabilities			(114,406	)			(94,407	)

Net deferred assets (tax liabilities)		$	(100,763	)		$	95,600

The net deferred tax assets and liabilities as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively, are attributable to the Company’s operations in the United States, Canada and certain entities in Europe, Asia-Pacific and Brazil.
The Company’s accounting for deferred taxes involves weighing positive and negative evidence concerning the realizability of the Company’s deferred tax assets in each tax jurisdiction. After considering such evidence as the nature, frequency and severity of current and cumulative financial reporting losses, and the sources of future taxable income and tax planning strategies, management concluded that valuation allowances were required in certain foreign jurisdictions. A valuation allowance is provided for the deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities, associated with the Company’s operations in certain jurisdictions located in the Company’s EMEA and Asia-Pacific regions, as well as two entities in Brazil. The operations in these jurisdictions have a history of significant losses as of December 31, 2014. As such, management does not believe these operations have established a sustained history of profitability and that a valuation allowance is, therefore, necessary.

During the year ended December 31, 2014, the Company released the valuation of allowance of $1,649,000 against the net deferred tax assets of certain foreign operating entities in the EMEA region as a result of reassessment of the future profitability and utilization of operating loss carryforwards.
During the year ended December 31, 2013, the Company released the valuation allowance of $3,211,000 against the net deferred tax assets of certain operating entities in both the Americas and EMEA regions as a result of reorganizations completed in the regions during the year. In addition, the Company established full valuation allowances of $339,000 against the net deferred tax assets of certain foreign operating entities. These foreign operating entities have incurred losses and it is expected that the businesses will not be profitable in the foreseeable future. Management cannot conclude it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets of the foreign operating entities will be realizable in the foreseeable future as the entities have not established a sustainable profitability history.
Changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows (in thousands):


		2014				2013				2012
Beginning balance		$	31,058			$	44,868			$	40,863
Recognized into income			(1,655	)			(1,362	)			3,503
Current Increase (Decrease)			721				(10,156	)			2,428
NOL and tax credit expiration			238				11				14
Translation adjustment			(3,181	)			(2,303	)			(1,940	)

Ending balance		$	27,181			$	31,058			$	44,868

Federal and state tax laws, including California tax laws, impose substantial restrictions on the utilization of net operating loss and credit carryforwards in the event of an “ownership change” for tax purposes, as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. In 2003, the Company conducted an analysis to determine whether an ownership change had occurred due to significant stock transactions in each of the reporting years disclosed at that time. The analysis indicated that an ownership change occurred during fiscal year 2002, which resulted in an annual limitation of approximately $819,000 for net operating loss carryforwards generated prior to 2003. Therefore, the Company substantially reduced its federal and state net operating loss carryforwards for the periods prior to 2003 to approximately $16,400,000. In addition, an ownership change under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code was triggered in September 2007 by the issuance of 4,211,939 shares of the Company’s common stock. However, the annual limitation associated with this ownership change is not meaningful due to the substantial market capitalization of the Company at the time of the ownership change. The Company determined that no Section 382 ownership change occurred during the year ended December 31, 2014. In addition, the net operating loss acquired in the Switch and Data Acquisition is subject to the Section 382 limitation; however, the Company has determined that none of the acquired net operating losses will expire unused as a result of the limitation.
The Company utilized all of its net operating loss carryforwards that were not subject to the limitation under Section 382 as discussed above for federal income tax purposes during the year ended December 31, 2013. The Company’s U.S. operations generated significant taxable income (versus book income) for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 primarily due to the change in the tax method for depreciation of the Company’s property, plant and equipment. As the result of announcing its plan to pursue a REIT conversion, the Company changed its methods of depreciating and amortizing various data center assets to methods that are more consistent with the characterization of such assets as real property for REIT purposes. The change in the depreciation method resulted in the recapture of depreciation expense deducted in prior years and a much smaller amount of depreciation expense for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

The Company’s net operating loss carryforwards for federal, state and foreign tax purposes which expire, if not utilized, at various intervals from 2015, are outlined below (in thousands):


Expiration Date		Federal (1)				State (1)				Foreign				Total
2015 to 2016		$	—			$	39,358			$	2,854			$	42,212
2017 to 2019			—				190				47,564				47,754
2020 to 2022			213,390				1,460				24,069				238,919
2023 to 2025			26,838				636				—				27,474
2026 to 2028			12,186				394				—				12,580
2029 to 2031			—				3,117				—				3,117
Thereafter			—				—				129,274				129,274

		$	252,414			$	45,155			$	203,761			$	501,330


	-1	The total amount of net operating loss carryforwards that will not be available to offset the Company’s future taxable income due to Section 382 limitations was $283,805, comprising $241,766 of federal and $42,039 of state.
Approximately $2,447,000 of the total net operating loss carryforwards is attributable to excess tax deductions related to employee stock awards, the benefit from which will be credited to additional paid-in capital when subsequently utilized in future years.
The beginning and ending balances of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits are reconciled below for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013				2012
Beginning balance		$	36,552			$	25,050			$	34,105
Gross increases related to prior year tax positions			1,200				14,596				1,244
Gross decreases related to prior year tax positions			(984	)			(3,028	)			(6,625	)
Gross increases related to current year tax positions			1,538				1,498				81
Decreases resulting from expiration of statute of limitation			(1,112	)			(1,564	)			(2,741	)
Decreases resulting from settlements			(1,056	)			—				(1,014	)

Ending balance		$	36,138			$	36,552			$	25,050

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax benefit (expense) in the consolidated statement of operations. During the year ended December 31, 2012, the Company recognized approximately $719,000 in interest and penalties. During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the accrued interest and penalties related to the unrecognized tax benefits were decreased by $3,126,000 and $1,612,000, respectively, primarily resulting from the settlement of a tax audit and the lapse of statutes of limitations in our foreign operations. The Company has accrued $5,437,000 and $8,563,000 for the payment of interest and penalties accrued at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.
The unrecognized tax benefits of $36,138,000 as of December 31, 2014, if subsequently recognized, will affect the Company’s effective tax rate favorably at the time when such a benefit is recognized.
Due to various tax years open for examination, it is reasonably possible that the balance of unrecognized tax benefits could significantly increase or decrease over the next 12 months as the Company may be subject to either examination by tax authorities or a lapse in statute of limitations. The Company is currently unable to estimate the range of possible adjustments to the balance of unrecognized tax benefits.

The Company’s income tax returns for all tax years remain open to examination by federal and state taxing authorities due to the Company’s net operating loss carryforwards. In addition, the Company’s tax years of 2005 through 2013 remain open and subject to examination by local tax authorities in certain foreign jurisdictions in which the Company has major operations.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
Commitments and Contingencies	Dec. 31, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	14. Commitments and Contingencies
	Purchase Commitments
	Primarily as a result of the Company’s various IBX expansion projects, as of December 31, 2014, the Company was contractually committed for $98,092,000 of unaccrued capital expenditures, primarily for IBX equipment not yet delivered and labor not yet provided, in connection with the work necessary to open these IBX data centers and make them available to customers for installation. In addition, the Company had numerous other, non-capital purchase commitments in place as of December 31, 2014, such as commitments to purchase power in select locations, primarily in select locations through 2015 and thereafter, and other open purchase orders for goods or services to be delivered or provided during 2015 and thereafter. Such other miscellaneous purchase commitments totaled $298,075,000 as of December 31, 2014.
	Contingent Liabilities
	The Company estimates exposure on certain liabilities, such as income and property taxes, based on the best information available at the time of determination. With respect to real and personal property taxes, the Company records what it can reasonably estimate based on prior payment history, current landlord estimates or estimates based on current or changing fixed asset values in each specific municipality, as applicable. However, there are circumstances beyond the Company’s control whereby the underlying value of the property or basis for which the tax is calculated on the property may change, such as a landlord selling the underlying property of one of the Company’s IBX data center leases or a municipality changing the assessment value in a jurisdiction and, as a result, the Company’s property tax obligations may vary from period to period. Based upon the most current facts and circumstances, the Company makes the necessary property tax accruals for each of its reporting periods. However, revisions in the Company’s estimates of the potential or actual liability could materially impact the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.
	From time to time, the Company may have certain contingent liabilities that arise in the ordinary course of its business activities. The Company accrues contingent liabilities when it is probable that future expenditures will be made and such expenditures can be reasonably estimated. In the opinion of management, there are no pending claims for which the outcome is expected to result in a material adverse effect in the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company.
	Employment Agreements
	The Company has entered into a severance agreement with each of its executive officers that provides for a severance payment equal to the executive officer’s annual base salary and maximum bonus in the event his or her employment is terminated for any reason other than cause or he or she voluntarily resigns under certain circumstances as described in the agreement. In addition, under the agreement, the executive officer is entitled to the payment of his or her monthly health care premiums under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act for up to 12 months. For certain executive officers, these benefits are only triggered after a change-in-control of the Company.

	Guarantor Arrangements
	As permitted under Delaware law, the Company has agreements whereby the Company indemnifies its officers and directors for certain events or occurrences while the officer or director is, or was serving, at the Company’s request in such capacity. The term of the indemnification period is for the officer’s or director’s lifetime. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is unlimited; however, the Company has a director and officer insurance policy that limits the Company’s exposure and enables the Company to recover a portion of any future amounts paid. As a result of the Company’s insurance policy coverage, the Company believes the estimated fair value of these indemnification agreements is minimal. The Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of December 31, 2014.
	The Company enters into standard indemnification agreements in the ordinary course of business. Pursuant to these agreements, the Company indemnifies, holds harmless, and agrees to reimburse the indemnified party for losses suffered or incurred by the indemnified party, generally the Company’s business partners or customers, in connection with any U.S. patent, or any copyright or other intellectual property infringement claim by any third party with respect to the Company’s offerings. The term of these indemnification agreements is generally perpetual any time after execution of the agreement. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is unlimited; however, the Company has never incurred costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements. As a result, the Company believes the estimated fair value of these agreements is minimal. The Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of December 31, 2014.
	The Company enters into arrangements with its business partners, whereby the business partner agrees to provide services as a subcontractor for the Company’s implementations. Accordingly, the Company enters into standard indemnification agreements with its customers, whereby the Company indemnifies them for other acts, such as personal property damage, of its subcontractors. The maximum potential amount of future payments the Company could be required to make under these indemnification agreements is unlimited; however, the Company has general and umbrella insurance policies that enable the Company to recover a portion of any amounts paid. The Company has never incurred costs to defend lawsuits or settle claims related to these indemnification agreements. As a result, the Company believes the estimated fair value of these agreements is minimal. The Company has no liabilities recorded for these agreements as of December 31, 2014.
	The Company has service level commitment obligations to certain of its customers. As a result, service interruptions or significant equipment damage in the Company’s IBX data centers, whether or not within the Company’s control, could result in service level commitments to these customers. The Company’s liability insurance may not be adequate to cover those expenses. In addition, any loss of services, equipment damage or inability to meet the Company’s service level commitment obligations could reduce the confidence of the Company’s customers and could consequently impair the Company’s ability to obtain and retain customers, which would adversely affect both the Company’s ability to generate revenues and the Company’s operating results. The Company generally has the ability to determine such service level credits prior to the associated revenue being recognized. The Company has no significant liabilities in connection with service level credits as of December 31, 2014.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	12 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions	Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	15. Related Party Transactions
	The Company has several significant stockholders and other related parties that are also customers and/or vendors. The Company’s related party transactions are considered arms-length transactions. The Company’s activity of related party transactions was as follows (in thousands):


		Years ended December 31,
		2014		2013		2012
	Revenues	$	8,392	$	20,140	$	31,607
	Costs and services		8,351		4,819		2,248


		As December 31,
		2014		2013
	Accounts receivable	$	1,022	$	1,776
	Accounts payable		—		2
	A member of the Company’s Board of Directors is affiliated with Crosslink Capital. Both the board member and Crosslink Capital are investors in the investment group that purchased 16 of the Company’s IBX data centers located throughout the U.S. (see Note 5).

Segment_Information

Segment Information	12 Months Ended
Segment Information	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	16. Segment Information
	While the Company has a single line of business, which is the design, build-out and operation of IBX data centers, it has determined that it has three reportable segments comprised of its Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific geographic regions. The Company’s chief operating decision-maker evaluates performance, makes operating decisions and allocates resources based on the Company’s revenue and adjusted EBITDA performance both on a consolidated basis and based on these three reportable segments. The Company defines adjusted EBITDA as income or loss from operations plus depreciation, amortization, accretion, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring charges, impairment charges and acquisition costs as presented below for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013				2012
	Adjusted EBITDA:
	Americas		$	635,007			$	608,718			$	557,800
	EMEA			269,222				216,186				183,612
	Asia-Pacific			209,662				175,994				146,445

	Total adjusted EBITDA			1,113,891				1,000,898				887,857
	Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense			(484,129	)			(431,008	)			(393,543	)
	Stock-based compensation expense			(117,990	)			(102,940	)			(82,735	)
	Restructuring charges			—				4,837				—
	Impairment charges			—				—				(9,861	)
	Acquisitions costs			(2,506	)			(10,855	)			(8,822	)

	Income from operations		$	509,266			$	460,932			$	392,896


	The Company provides the following segment disclosures related to its continuing operations as follows for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013				2012
	Total revenues:
	Americas (1)		$	1,376,103			$	1,264,774			$	1,151,917
	EMEA			637,265				525,018	(2)			432,920	(4)
	Asia-Pacific			430,408				362,974				302,539	(5)

			$	2,443,776			$	2,152,766			$	1,887,376

	Total depreciation and amortization:
	Americas		$	261,018			$	254,365			$	235,637
	EMEA			114,511				90,891	(2)			79,702	(4)
	Asia-Pacific			106,162				87,475				75,350	(5)

			$	481,691			$	432,731			$	390,689

	Capital expenditures:
	Americas		$	333,315			$	335,377			$	431,325
	EMEA			151,634				220,457	(3)			283,174	(6)
	Asia-Pacific			192,045	(8)			140,996				384,149	(7)

			$	676,994			$	696,830			$	1,098,648


	-1	Includes revenues of $1,257,661, $1,157,790 and $1,056,152, respectively, attributed to the U.S. for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	-2	Includes the operations of Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel from October 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
	-3	Includes the purchase price for the Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition (see Note 2), totaling $50,092.
	-4	Includes the operations of ancotel from July 3, 2012 to December 31, 2012 and the operations of the Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition from November 9, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
	-5	Includes the operations of Asia Tone from July 4, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
	-6	Includes the purchase prices for the ancotel Acquisition, net of cash acquired, and the Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition (see Note 2), totaling $84,236 and $22,918, respectively.
	-7	Includes the purchase price for the Asia Tone Acquisition (see Note 2), net of cash acquired, totaling $202,338.
	-8	Includes the purchase of real estate totaling $16,791.
	The Company’s long-lived assets are located in the following geographic areas as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014				2013
	Americas (1)		$	2,874,562			$	2,549,863
	EMEA			1,135,319				1,188,559
	Asia-Pacific			988,389				853,228

			$	4,998,270			$	4,591,650


	-1	Includes $2,609,268 and $2,328,755, respectively, of long-lived assets attributed to the U.S. as of December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Revenue information by category is as follows for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2014				2013				2012
Colocation		$	1,829,812			$	1,628,179			$	1,433,694
Interconnection			372,350				319,863				272,103
Managed infrastructure			105,292				97,400				88,109
Rental			10,336				4,520				3,162

Recurring revenues			2,317,790				2,049,962				1,797,068
Non-recurring revenues			125,986				102,804				90,308

		$	2,443,776			$	2,152,766			$	1,887,376

Restructuring_Charges

Restructuring Charges	12 Months Ended
Restructuring Charges	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Restructuring Charges	17. Restructuring Charges
	During the twelve months of December 31, 2014, the Company did not record any restructuring charges.
	2004 Restructuring Charge
	In December 2004, in light of the availability of fully built-out data centers in select markets at costs significantly below those costs the Company would incur in building out new space, the Company made the decision to exit leases for excess space adjacent to one of the Company’s New York metro area IBXs, as well as space on the floor above its original Los Angeles IBX. As a result of the Company’s decision to exit these spaces, the Company recorded restructuring charges totaling $17,685,000, which represents the present value of the Company’s estimated future cash payments, net of estimated sublease income and expense, through the remainder of these lease terms, as well as the write-off of all remaining property, plant and equipment attributed to the partial build out of the excess space on the floor above its Los Angeles IBX.
	In May 2013, the Company entered into a binding commitment to purchase the New York 2 IBX data center for leased space in respect of which the Company had previously recorded a restructuring reserve. As a result, the Company recorded a reversal to its outstanding accrued restructuring charge during the year ended December 31, 2013.
	A summary of the movement in the 2004 accrued restructuring charges during the years ended December 31 is outlined as follows (in thousands):


	Accrued restructuring charge as of December 31, 2011	$	7,680
	Accretion expense		416
	Cash payments		(2,417	)

	Accrued restructuring charge as of December 31, 2012		5,679
	Accretion expense		137
	Restructuring charge adjustments		(4,837	)
	Cash payments		(979	)

	Accrued restructuring charge as of December 31, 2013	$	—

Subsequent_Events

Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
Subsequent Events	Dec. 31, 2014
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	18. Subsequent Events
	In January 2015, the Company entered into a purchase agreement for certain real property located in San Jose, California, with a purchase price of approximately $38,309,000. The Company has made a non-refundable deposit of $2,000,000 and expects to close the purchase in March 2015.

	In February 2015, the Company declared a quarterly cash dividend of $1.69 per share payable, which is payable on March 25, 2015 to the Company’s common stockholders of record as of the close of business on March 11, 2015.

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio

Quarterly Financial Information	12 Months Ended
Quarterly Financial Information	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Quarterly Financial Information	19. Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited)
	The Company believes that period-to-period comparisons of its financial results should not be relied upon as an indication of future performance. The Company’s revenues and results of operations have been subject to significant fluctuations, particularly on a quarterly basis, and the Company’s revenues and results of operations could fluctuate significantly quarter-to-quarter and year-to-year. Significant quarterly fluctuations in revenues will cause fluctuations in the Company’s cash flows and the cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable accounts on the Company’s consolidated balance sheet. Causes of such fluctuations may include the volume and timing of new orders and renewals, the timing of the opening of new IBX data centers, the sales cycle for the Company’s offerings, the introduction of new offerings, changes in prices and pricing models, trends in the Internet infrastructure industry, general economic conditions, extraordinary events such as acquisitions or litigation and the occurrence of unexpected events.
	The unaudited quarterly financial information presented below has been prepared by the Company and reflects all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, which in the opinion of management are necessary to present fairly the financial position and results of operations for the interim periods presented.
	The following tables present selected quarterly information (in thousands, except per share data):


		2014
		Quarter Ended
		March 31			June 30			September 30			December 31
	Revenues	$	580,053		$	605,161		$	620,441		$	638,121
	Gross profit		292,528			312,302			316,389			324,672
	Net income (loss) attributable to Equinix		41,387			11,328			42,841			(355,103	)
	Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Equinix		55,329			33,640			(97,814	)		(450,067	)
	EPS attributable to Equinix
	Basic EPS		0.83			0.22			0.81			(6.42	)
	Diluted EPS		0.81			0.22			0.79			(6.42	)


		2013
		Quarter Ended
		March 31			June 30			September 30			December 31
	Revenues	$	516,134		$	528,871		$	543,084		$	564,677
	Gross profit		257,543			261,762			274,124			294,934
	Net income (loss) attributable to Equinix		32,843			(25,816	)		42,471			45,187
	Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Equinix		(40,382	)		(51,631	)		120,822			53,151
	EPS attributable to Equinix
	Basic EPS		0.67			(0.52	)		0.86			0.91
	Diluted EPS		0.65			(0.52	)		0.83			0.88

Nature_of_Business_and_Summary1

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Accounting Policies [Abstract]

Nature of Business

Basis of Presentation, Consolidation and Foreign Currency

Reclassifications

Use of Estimates

Discontinued Operations

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term and Long-Term Investments

Financial Instruments and Concentration of Credit Risk

2014

2013

2012

Americas

EMEA

Asia-Pacific

No single customer accounted for greater than 10% of accounts receivable or revenues as of or for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.

Property, Plant and Equipment

The Company’s estimated useful lives of its property, plant and equipment are as follows:

Core systems

3-25 years

Buildings

12-50 years

Leasehold improvements

12-40 years

Construction in progress

N/A

Personal Property

3-10 years

Asset Retirement Costs

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets

For further information on goodwill and other intangible assets, see Note 5 below.

Debt Issuance Costs

Loan fees and costs are capitalized and are amortized over the life of the related loans based on the effective interest method. Such amortization is included as a component of interest expense.

Derivatives and Hedging Activities

For further information on derivatives and hedging activities, see Note 6 below.

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Fair Value Measurements

The Company also follows the accounting standard for the measurement of fair value for nonfinancial assets and liabilities on a nonrecurring basis. These include:

•

Non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities initially measured at fair value in a business combination or other new basis event, but not measured at fair value in subsequent reporting periods;

•

Reporting units and non-financial assets and non-financial liabilities measured at fair value for goodwill impairment tests;

•

Indefinite-lived intangible assets measured at fair value for impairment assessments;

•

Non-financial long-lived assets or asset groups measured at fair value for impairment assessments or disposal;

•

Asset retirement obligations initially measured at fair value but not subsequently measured at fair value; and

•

Non-financial liabilities associated with exit or disposal activities initially measured at fair value but not subsequently measured at fair value.

For further information on fair value measurements, see Note 7 below.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Revenue Recognition

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits within income tax benefit (expense) in the consolidated statements of operations.

Stock-Based Compensation

For further information on stock-based compensation, see Note 12 below.

Foreign Currency Translation

Earnings Per Share

Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests

For further information on redeemable non-controlling interests, see Note 10 below.

Treasury Stock

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Cash Flow Hedges

Cash Flow Hedges. During the fourth quarter of 2013, the Company initiated a program to hedge its exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations for forecasted revenues and expenses in its EMEA region in order to help manage the Company’s exposure to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations between the U.S. dollar and the British Pound, Euro and Swiss Franc.

Derivatives Not Designated as Hedging Instruments

Embedded Derivatives. The Company is deemed to have foreign currency forward contracts embedded in certain of the Company’s customer agreements that are priced in currencies different from the functional or local currencies of the parties involved. These embedded derivatives are separated from their host contracts and carried on the Company’s balance sheet at their fair value. The majority of these embedded derivatives arise as a result of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries pricing their customer contracts in the U.S. dollar. Gains and losses on these embedded derivatives are included within revenues in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. During the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Company recognized a net gain of $3,807,000 and $4,836,000 associated with these embedded derivatives, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2012, gains (losses) from these embedded derivatives were not significant.

Economic Hedges of Embedded Derivatives. The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts to help manage the foreign exchange risk associated with the Company’s customer agreements that are priced in currencies different from the functional or local currencies of the parties involved (“economic hedges of embedded derivatives”). Foreign currency forward contracts represent agreements to exchange the currency of one country for the currency of another country at an agreed-upon price on an agreed-upon settlement date. Gains and losses on these contracts are included in revenues along with gains and losses of the related embedded derivatives. The Company entered into various economic hedges of embedded derivatives during the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013 and recognized a net loss of $2,602,000 and $4,497,000, respectively. The Company did not enter into any economic hedges of embedded derivatives during the year ended December 31, 2012.

Foreign Currency Forward Contracts. The Company also uses foreign currency forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk associated with certain foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities. As a result of foreign currency fluctuations, the U.S. dollar equivalent values of its foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities change. Gains and losses on these contracts are included in other income (expense), net, along with the foreign currency gains and losses of the related foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities associated with these foreign currency forward contracts. The Company entered into various foreign currency forward contracts during the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 and recognized a net gain of $12,657,000 during the year ended December 31, 2014. Gains (losses) from these foreign currency forward contracts were not significant during the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2012.

Fair Value Valuation Methods

Valuation Methods

Fair value estimates are made as of a specific point in time based on methods using the market approach valuation method which use prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities or other valuation techniques. These techniques involve uncertainties and are affected by the assumptions used and the judgments made regarding risk characteristics of various financial instruments, discount rates, estimates of future cash flows, future expected loss experience and other factors.

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Investments. The fair value of the Company’s investments in money market funds approximates their face value. Such instruments are included in cash equivalents. The Company’s U.S. government securities and money market funds are classified within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy because they are valued using quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets. The fair value of the Company’s other investments approximate their face value, including certificates of deposit and available-for-sale debt investments related to the Company’s investments in the securities of other public companies, governmental units and other agencies. The fair value of these investments is priced based on the quoted market price for similar instruments or nonbinding market prices that are corroborated by observable market data. Such instruments are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company determines the fair values of its Level 2 investments by using inputs such as actual trade data, benchmark yields, broker/dealer quotes, and other similar data, which are obtained from quoted market prices, custody bank, third-party pricing vendors, or other sources. The Company uses such pricing data as the primary input to make its assessments and determinations as to the ultimate valuation of its investment portfolio and has not made, during the periods presented, any material adjustments to such inputs. The Company is responsible for its consolidated financial statements and underlying estimates.

The Company uses the specific identification method in computing realized gains and losses. Realized gains and losses on the investments are included within other income (expense) in the Company’s consolidated statements of operations. Short-term and long-term investments are classified as available-for-sale and are carried at fair value with unrealized gains and losses reported in stockholders’ equity as a component of other comprehensive income or loss, net of any related tax effect. The Company reviews its investment portfolio quarterly to determine if any securities may be other-than-temporarily impaired due to increased credit risk, changes in industry or sector of a certain instrument or ratings downgrades over an extended period of time.

Derivative Assets and Liabilities. For derivatives, the Company uses forward contract models employing market observable inputs, such as spot currency rates and forward points with adjustments made to these values utilizing published credit default swap rates of its foreign exchange trading counterparties and other comparable companies. The Company has determined that the inputs used to value its derivatives fall within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy, therefore the derivatives are categorized as Level 2.

Segment Information

While the Company has a single line of business, which is the design, build-out and operation of IBX data centers, it has determined that it has three reportable segments comprised of its Americas, EMEA and Asia-Pacific geographic regions. The Company’s chief operating decision-maker evaluates performance, makes operating decisions and allocates resources based on the Company’s revenue and adjusted EBITDA performance both on a consolidated basis and based on these three reportable segments.

Nature_of_Business_and_Summary2

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Schedule of Revenue by Geographical Region	Derived from the Company’s EMEA and Asia-Pacific operations. The following table sets forth percentages of the Company’s revenues by geographic region for the years ended December 31:


		2014			2013			2012
	Americas		56	%		59	%		61	%
	EMEA		26	%		24	%		23	%
	Asia-Pacific		18	%		17	%		16	%
Estimated Useful Lives of Property, Plant and Equipment	The Company’s estimated useful lives of its property, plant and equipment are as follows:


	Core systems	3-25 years
	Buildings	12-50 years
	Leasehold improvements	12-40 years
	Construction in progress	N/A
	Personal Property	3-10 years

Acquisitions_Tables

Acquisitions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Acquisitions (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Unaudited Pro Forma Combined Consolidated Statements of Operations	The following table sets forth the unaudited pro forma consolidated combined results of operations for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2013			2012

	Revenues	$	2,158,415		$	1,921,995
	Net income attributable to Equinix		96,811			139,735
Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation	Based upon the purchase price and the valuation of Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel, the preliminary purchase price allocation was as follows (in thousands):



	Property, plant and equipment	$	85,969
	Intangible assets		10,011

	Total assets acquired		95,980
	Mortgage payable		(42,906	)
	Intangible—unfavorable leases		(2,982	)

	Net assets acquired	$	50,092

Acquired Identifiable Intangible Assets	The following table presents certain information on the acquired identifiable intangible assets (dollars in thousands):


	Intangible assets	Fair value			Estimated		Weighted-average
					useful lives		estimated useful
					(years)		lives (years)
	Customer contracts	$	9,363		0.3 – 8			4.9
	Unfavorable leases		(2,982	)	1 – 6			4.8
	Favorable leases		648		1 –8			7.5
Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation	Based upon the purchase price and the valuation of Asia Tone, the purchase price allocation was as follows (in thousands):


	Accounts receivable	$	1,595
	Other current assets		595
	Property, plant and equipment		142,450
	Goodwill		115,223
	Intangible assets		29,155
	Other non-current assets		784

	Total assets acquired		289,802
	Accounts payable and accrued expenses		(1,304	)
	Accrued property, plant and equipment		(27,031	)
	Loans payable		(20,661	)
	Capital leases and other financing obligations		(10,630	)
	Other current liabilities		(3,666	)
	Deferred tax liabilities		(15,190	)
	Other non-current liabilities		(8,875	)

	Net assets acquired	$	202,445

Acquired Identifiable Intangible Assets	The following table presents certain information on the acquired identifiable intangible assets (dollars in thousands):


	Intangible assets	Fair value			Estimated		Weighted-average
					useful lives		estimated useful
					(years)		lives (years)
	Customer contracts	$	14,900		6 – 20			17.2
	Customer relationships		13,800		7 – 11			8.7
	Other		455		2 – 5			4
Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation	Based upon the purchase price and the valuation of ancotel, the purchase price allocation was as follows (in thousands):


	Cash and cash equivalents	$	1,478
	Accounts receivable		332
	Other current assets		2,702
	Property, plant and equipment		17,460
	Goodwill		55,689
	Intangible assets		42,781
	Other non-current assets		381

	Total assets acquired		120,823
	Accounts payable and accrued expenses		(5,310	)
	Accrued property, plant and equipment		(1,216	)
	Current portion of loans payable		(2,548	)
	Capital leases and other financing obligations		(5,516	)
	Other current liabilities		(5,035	)
	Deferred tax liabilities		(13,280	)
	Other non-current liabilities		(2,204	)

	Net assets acquired	$	85,714

Acquired Identifiable Intangible Assets	The following table presents certain information on the acquired identifiable intangible assets (dollars in thousands):


	Intangible assets	Fair value			Estimated		Weighted-average
					useful lives		estimated useful
					(years)		lives (years)
	Customer contracts	$	38,604		7		7
	Trade names		4,177		5 – 10		9.4

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Earnings Per Share (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share	The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted EPS for the years ended December 31 (in thousands, except per share amounts):


		Years ended December 31,
		2014			2013			2012
	Net income (loss) from continuing operations	$	(260,726	)	$	96,123		$	130,058
	Net (income) loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		1,179			(1,438	)		(3,116	)

	Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Equinix, basic		(259,547	)		94,685			126,942
	Effect of assumed conversion of convertible debt:
	Interest expense, net of tax		—			—			6,789

	Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Equinix, diluted	$	(259,547	)	$	94,685		$	133,731

	Weighted-average shares used to calculate basic EPS		52,359			49,438			48,004
	Effect of dilutive securities:
	Convertible debt		—			—			2,945
	Employee equity awards		—			678			867

	Total dilutive potential shares		—			678			3,812

	Weighted-average shares used to calculate diluted EPS		52,359			50,116			51,816

	EPS from continuing operations attributable to Equinix:
	Basic EPS	$	(4.96	)	$	1.92		$	2.65

	Diluted EPS	$	(4.96	)	$	1.89		$	2.58


Anti-dilutive Potential Shares of Common Stock Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	The following table sets forth potential shares of common stock that are not included in the diluted EPS calculation above because to do so would be anti-dilutive for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2014			2013			2012

	Shares related to the potential conversion of 2.50% convertible subordinated notes		—			—			652

	Shares related to the potential conversion of 3.00% convertible subordinated notes		861			3,613			—

	Shares related to the potential conversion of 4.75% convertible subordinated notes		2,824			4,432			4,432

	Common stock related to employee equity awards		1,820			254			113

			5,505			8,299			5,197

Discontinued_Operations_Tables

Discontinued Operations (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Discontinued Operations (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Schedule of Operating Results from Discontinued Operations	The Company’s consolidated statements of operations have been reclassified to reflect its discontinued operations associated with the 16 IBX data centers for all applicable periods presented. The Company’s operating results from its discontinued operations, which includes the results of operations subsequent to April 30, 2010, the acquisition date of the 16 IBX data centers, through November 1, 2012, the closing date of the Divestiture, consisted of the following for the year ended December 31 (in thousands):


		2012
	Revenues	$	29,640
	Cost of revenues		(23,956	)
	Operating expenses		(3,422	)
	Income taxes		(1,028	)
	Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax of $13,973		11,852

	Net income from discontinued operations	$	13,086

Balance_Sheet_Components_Table

Balance Sheet Components (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Balance Sheet Components (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term and Long-Term Investments	Cash, cash equivalents and short-term and long-term investments consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Cash and cash equivalents:
	Cash (1)		$	207,953		$	186,007
	Cash equivalents:
	Money market funds			402,964			74,787
	Commercial paper			—			1,100

	Total cash and cash equivalents			610,917			261,894

	U.S. government securities			336,440			305,021
	U.S. government agency securities			192,955			125,917
	Corporate bonds			—			190,177
	Certificates of deposit			439			76,152
	Asset-backed securities			—			68,938
	Commercial paper			—			1,993

	Total marketable securities			529,834			768,198

	Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term and long-terminvestments		$	1,140,751		$	1,030,092

Summary of Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Marketable Securities	The following table summarizes the cost and estimated fair value of marketable securities based on stated effective maturities as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014						2013
			Amortized			Fair Value			Amortized			Fair Value
			Cost			Fair Value			Cost			Fair Value
	Due within one year		$	529,567		$	529,395		$	369,698		$	369,808
	Due after one year through three years			439			439			398,200			398,390

			$	530,006		$	529,834		$	767,898		$	768,198

Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Available-for-Sale Securities	As of December 31, 2014, the Company’s net unrealized gains (losses) on its available-for-sale securities were comprised of the following (in thousands):


			Amortized			Gross			Gross			Fair Value
			Cost			unrealized			unrealized
						gains			losses
	U.S. government securities		$	336,561		$	45		$	(166	)	$	336,440
	U.S. government agency securities			193,006			30			(81	)		192,955
	Certificates of deposit			439			—			—			439

			$	530,006		$	75		$	(247	)	$	529,834

	As of December 31, 2013, the Company’s net unrealized gains (losses) on its available-for-sale securities were comprised of the following (in thousands):


			Amortized			Gross			Gross			Fair Value
			Cost			unrealized			unrealized
						gains			losses
	U.S. government securities		$	304,897		$	131		$	(7	)	$	305,021
	U.S. government agency securities			125,904			35			(22	)		125,917
	Corporate bonds			190,068			149			(40	)		190,177
	Certificates of deposit			76,126			27			(1	)		76,152
	Asset-backed securities			68,914			33			(9	)		68,938
	Commercial paper			1,989			4			—			1,993

	Total		$	767,898		$	379		$	(79	)	$	768,198

Accounts Receivable, Net	Accounts receivable, net, consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Accounts receivable		$	272,036		$	323,822
	Unearned revenue			—			(132,342	)
	Allowance for doubtful accounts			(9,466	)		(6,640	)

			$	262,570		$	184,840

Activities of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts	The following table summarizes the activity of the Company’s allowance for doubtful accounts (in thousands):


	Balance as of December 31, 2011		$	4,635
	Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts			4,186
	Net recoveries (write-offs)			(5,127	)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			22

	Balance as of December 31, 2012			3,716
	Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts			5,819
	Net recoveries (write-offs)			(2,833	)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			(62	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2013			6,640
	Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts			7,093
	Net recoveries (write-offs)			(3,825	)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			(442	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2014		$	9,466

Other Current Assets	Other current assets consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Prepaid expenses		$	29,501		$	26,578
	Taxes receivable			17,071			21,584
	Deferred tax assets, net			6,579			7,442
	Other receivables			2,324			4,181
	Derivative instruments			17,732			4,457
	Restricted cash, current			3,057			3,210
	Other current assets			11,797			4,666

			$	88,061		$	72,118

Property, Plant and Equipment, Net	Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Core systems (1)		$	3,252,569		$	3,071,151
	Buildings (2)			2,074,382			1,885,895
	Leasehold improvements			1,053,451			1,033,830
	Construction in progress			460,259			219,386
	Personal Property (3)			387,909			260,774
	Land			160,035			146,903

				7,388,605			6,617,940
	Less accumulated depreciation			(2,390,335	)		(2,026,290	)

			$	4,998,270		$	4,591,650


	-1	IBX plant and machinery and IBX equipment, which were presented separately as of December 31, 2013, were primarily reclassified to core systems to conform to the consolidated financial statement presentation as of December 31, 2014.
	-2	Includes site improvements.
	-3	Computer equipment and software and furniture and fixtures, which were presented separately as of December 31, 2013, were reclassified to personal property to conform to the consolidated financial statement presentation as of December 31, 2014.



Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	Goodwill and other intangible assets, net, consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Goodwill:
	Americas		$	463,902		$	471,845
	EMEA			404,093			435,041
	Asia-Pacific			134,134			135,267

			$	1,002,129		$	1,042,153


			2014			2013
	Intangible assets:
	Intangible asset—customer contracts		$	220,674		$	233,038
	Intangible assets—favorable leases			24,300			25,147
	Intangible asset—licenses			9,697			9,697
	Intangible asset—others			8,132			8,859

				262,803			276,741
	Accumulated amortization—customer contracts			(102,074	)		(81,520	)
	Accumulated amortization—favorable leases			(7,656	)		(6,416	)
	Accumulated amortization—licenses			(1,294	)		(646	)
	Accumulated amortization—others			(4,252	)		(3,977	)

				(115,276	)		(92,559	)

			$	147,527		$	184,182

Carrying Amount of Goodwill by Geographic Regions	Changes in the carrying amount of goodwill by geographic regions are as follows (in thousands):


			Americas			EMEA			Asia-Pacific			Total
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	482,765		$	423,529		$	136,270		$	1,042,564
	Purchase accounting adjustments			—			932			(279	)		653
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			(10,920	)		10,580			(724	)		(1,064	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2013			471,845			435,041			135,267			1,042,153
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			(7,943	)		(30,948	)		(1,133	)		(40,024	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2014		$	463,902		$	404,093		$	134,134		$	1,002,129


Net Book Value of Intangible Assets by Geographic Regions	Changes in the net book value of intangible assets by geographic regions are as follows (in thousands):


			Americas			EMEA			Asia-Pacific			Total
	Balance as of December 31, 2011		$	111,549		$	37,086		$	—		$	148,635
	Asia Tone acquisition (see Note 2)			—			—			29,155			29,155
	ancotel acquisition (see Note 2)			—			42,781			—			42,781
	Dubai IBX Center acquisition (see Note 2)			—			9,400			—			9,400
	Written-off in sale of discontinued operations			(5,913	)		—			—			(5,913	)
	Impairment charge			(2,832	)		—			—			(2,832	)
	Amortization of intangibles			(13,722	)		(8,246	)		(1,607	)		(23,575	)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			385			3,165			361			3,911

	Balance as of December 31, 2012			89,467			84,186			27,909			201,562
	Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel acquisition (see Note 2)			—			10,010			—			10,010
	New York IBX Center purchase			1,100			—			—			1,100
	Adjustments			—			(2,070	)		—			(2,070	)
	Amortization of intangibles			(12,604	)		(11,613	)		(2,810	)		(27,027	)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			(1,739	)		2,196			150			607

	Balance as of December 31, 2013			76,224			82,709			25,249			184,182
	Amortization of intangibles			(12,257	)		(12,795	)		(2,704	)		(27,756	)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			(1,013	)		(7,729	)		(157	)		(8,899	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2014		$	62,954		$	62,185		$	22,388		$	147,527

Estimated Future Amortization Expense Related to Intangibles	Estimated future amortization expense related to these intangibles is as follows (in thousands):


	Year ending:
	2015		$	27,338
	2016			26,918
	2017			25,579
	2018			22,777
	2019			17,489
	Thereafter			27,426

			$	147,527

Other Assets	Other assets consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Deferred tax assets, net		$	45,134		$	229,975
	Prepaid expenses, non-current			37,006			61,039
	Debt issuance costs, net			44,477			41,847
	Deposits			26,068			25,543
	Restricted cash, non-current			14,060			16,178
	Derivative instruments			5,007			4,118
	Other assets, non-current			6,373			8,624

			$	178,125		$	387,324

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses	Accounts payable and accrued expenses consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Accounts payable		$	30,221		$	30,291
	Accrued compensation and benefits			115,184			92,106
	Accrued interest			29,116			48,310
	Accrued taxes (1)			41,295			32,047
	Accrued utilities and security			31,531			31,314
	Accrued professional fees			8,148			9,753
	Accrued repairs and maintenance			4,086			3,557
	Accrued other			26,215			15,845

			$	285,796		$	263,223


		-1	Includes income taxes payable of $21,941,000 and $5,995,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2014 and 2013.
Other Current Liabilities	Other current liabilities consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Deferred tax liabilities, net		$	83,264		$	72,004
	Deferred installation revenue			48,707			43,145
	Customer deposits			13,492			15,174
	Derivative instruments			810			6,515
	Deferred recurring revenue			6,879			5,007
	Deferred rent			2,675			3,865
	Dividends payable			4,559			—
	Asset retirement obligations			945			1,290
	Other current liabilities			1,333			958

			$	162,664		$	147,958

Other Liabilities	Other liabilities consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Asset retirement obligations, non-current		$	63,913		$	58,258
	Deferred tax liabilities, net			69,212			69,812
	Deferred installation revenue, non-current			76,744			60,947
	Deferred rent, non-current			52,968			37,955
	Accrued taxes, non-current			24,726			27,052
	Dividends payable, non-current			4,972			—
	Customer deposits, non-current			4,618			5,005
	Deferred recurring revenue, non-current			445			2,082
	Other liabilities			7,366			13,844

			$	304,964		$	274,955

Summary of Asset Retirement Obligation Liability	The following table summarizes the activity of the Company’s asset retirement obligation liability (in thousands):


	Asset retirement obligations as of December 31, 2011		$	56,587
	Additions (1)			14,879
	Adjustments			252
	Accretion expense			2,980
	Written-off in sale of discontinued operations			(12,314	)
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			766

	Asset retirement obligations as of December 31, 2012			63,150
	Additions			8,713
	Adjustments (2)			(14,874	)
	Accretion expense			2,932
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			(373	)

	Asset retirement obligations as of December 31, 2013			59,548
	Additions			5,774
	Adjustments			(871	)
	Accretion expense			2,438
	Impact of foreign currency exchange			(2,031	)

	Asset retirement obligations as of December 31, 2014		$	64,858


	-1	Includes $5,795 assumed in connection with the ancotel and Asia Tone acquisitions.
	-2	Reversal of asset retirement obligations associated with leases that were amended.

Derivatives_and_Hedging_Instru1

Derivatives and Hedging Instruments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Derivatives and Hedging Instruments (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Cash Flow Hedge Instruments	As of December 31, 2014, the Company had a total of 65 cash flow hedge instruments with maturity dates ranging from January 2015 to January 2016 as follows (in thousands):


			Notional			Fair				Accumulated
			Amount			Value (1)				other
										comprehensive
										income (loss) (2)
	Derivative assets		$	281,055		$	8,404			$	8,480
	Derivative liabilities			—			—				—

			$	281,055		$	8,404			$	8,480


		-1	All derivative assets related to cash flow hedges are included in the consolidated balance sheets within other current assets.
		-2	Included in the consolidated balance sheets within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).

	As of December 31, 2013, the Company had a total of 69 cash flow hedge instruments with maturity dates ranging from January 2014 to January 2015 as follows (in thousands):


			Notional			Fair				Accumulated
			Amount			Value (1)				other
										comprehensive
										income (loss) (2)
	Derivative assets		$	127,968		$	2,102			$	2,107
	Derivative liabilities			200,686			(3,855	)			(3,857	)

			$	328,654		$	(1,753	)		$	(1,750	)


		-1	A total of $2,099 and $3 of derivative assets related to cash flow hedges are included in the consolidated balance sheets within other current assets and other assets, respectively. A total of $3,818 and $37 of derivative liabilities related to cash flow hedges are included in the consolidated balance sheets within other current liabilities and other liabilities, respectively.
		-2	Included in the consolidated balance sheets within accumulated other comprehensive income (loss).
Schedule of Fair Value of Derivative Instruments Recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets	The following table presents the fair value of derivative instruments recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):


			Gross			amounts				Net				Gross				Net
			Amounts			offset in the				amounts (1)				amounts
						balance sheet								not offset in
														the balance
														sheet (2)
	Assets:
	Designated as hedging instruments:
	Foreign currency forward contracts		$	8,404		$	—			$	8,404			$	—			$	8,404

	Not designated as hedging instruments:
	Embedded derivatives			9,182			—				9,182				—				9,182
	Foreign currency forward and option contracts			5,153			—				5,153				(138	)			5,015

				14,335			—				14,335				(138	)			14,197
	Additional netting benefit			—			—				—				(508	)			(508	)

			$	22,739		$	—			$	22,739			$	(646	)		$	22,093

	Liabilities:
	Designated as hedging instruments:
	Foreign currency forward contracts		$	—		$	—			$	—			$	—			$	—

	Not designated as hedging instruments:
	Embedded derivatives			4			—				4				—				4
	Economic hedges of embedded derivatives			390			—				390				—				390
	Foreign currency forward and option contracts			416			—				416				(138	)			278

				810			—				810				(138	)			672
	Additional netting benefit			—			—				—				(508	)			(508	)

			$	810		$	—			$	810			$	(646	)		$	164


	-1	As presented in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets within other current assets, other assets, other current liabilities and other liabilities.
	-2	The Company enters into master netting agreements with its counterparties for transactions other than embedded derivatives to mitigate credit risk exposure to any single counterparty. Master netting agreements allow for individual derivative contracts with a single counterparty to offset in the event of default.

	The following table presents the fair value of derivative instruments recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2013 (in thousands):


			Gross			Gross				Net				Gross				Net
			Amounts			amounts				amounts (1)				amounts not
						offset in the								offset in the
						balance sheet								balance
														sheet (2)
	Assets:
	Designated as hedging instruments:
	Foreign currency forward contracts		$	2,102		$	—			$	2,102			$	(2,102	)		$	—

	Not designated as hedging instruments:
	Embedded derivatives			6,296			—				6,296				—				6,296
	Foreign currency forward and option contra			177			—				177				(177	)			—
				6,473			—				6,473				(177	)			6,296
	Additional netting benefit			—			—				—				—				—

			$	8,575		$	—			$	8,575			$	(2,279	)		$	6,296

	Liabilities:
	Designated as hedging instruments:
	Foreign currency forward contracts			3,855			—				3,855				(2,102	)			1,753

	Not designated as hedging instruments:
Embedded derivatives			115			—				115				—				115
Economic hedges of embedded derivatives			1,315			—				1,315				—				1,315
Foreign currency forward and option contracts			1,289			—				1,289				(177	)			1,112

Additional netting benefit			—			—				—				—				—
			2,719			—				2,719				(177	)			2,542

		$	6,574		$	—			$	6,574			$	(2,279	)		$	4,295


-1	As presented in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets within other current assets, other assets, other current liabilities and other liabilities.
-2	The Company enters into master netting agreements with its counterparties for transactions other than embedded derivatives to mitigate credit risk exposure to any single counterparty. Master netting agreements allow for individual derivative contracts with a single counterparty to offset in the event of default.

Fair_Value_Measurements_Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis	The Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of December 31, 2014 were as follows (in thousands):


			Fair value at		Fair value measurement using
			December 31,		Fair value measurement using
			2014		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets:
	Cash		$	207,953	$	207,953	$	—
	Money market and deposit accounts			402,964		402,964		—
	U.S. government securities			336,440		336,440		—
	U.S. government agency securities			192,955		—		192,955
	Certificates of deposit			439		—		439
	Derivative instruments (1)			22,739		—		22,739

			$	1,163,490	$	947,357	$	216,133

	Liabilities:
	Derivative instruments (1)		$	810	$	—	$	810


	-1	Includes both foreign currency embedded derivatives and foreign currency forward contracts. Amounts are included within other current assets, other assets, other current liabilities and other liabilities in the Company’s accompanying consolidated balance sheet.
	The Company’s financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis at December 31, 2013 were as follows (in thousands):


			Fair value at		Fair value measurement using
			December 31,		Fair value measurement using
			2013		Level 1		Level 2
	Assets:
	Cash		$	186,007	$	186,007	$	—
	Money market and deposit accounts			74,787		74,787		—
	U.S. government securities			305,021		305,021		—
	U.S. government agency securities			125,917		—		125,917
	Corporate bonds			190,177		—		190,177
	Certificates of deposit			76,152		—		76,152
	Asset-backed securities			68,938		—		68,938
	Commercial paper			3,093		—		3,093
	Derivative instruments (1)			8,575		—		8,575

			$	1,038,667	$	565,815	$	472,852

	Liabilities:
	Derivative instruments (1)		$	6,574	$	—	$	6,574


	-1	Includes embedded derivatives, foreign currency embedded derivatives and foreign currency forward contracts. Amounts are included within other current assets, other current liabilities and other liabilities in the Company’s accompanying consolidated balance sheet.

Leases_Tables

Leases (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Leases (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
Summary of Capital Lease and Other Financing Obligations	The Company’s capital lease and other financing obligations are summarized as follows as of December 31, 2014 (dollars in thousands):


		Capital lease			Other financing			Total
		obligations			obligations			Total
	2015	$	58,983		$	54,617		$	113,600
	2016		63,720			57,990			121,710
	2017		64,290			61,343			125,633
	2018		66,198			62,818			129,016
	2019		67,793			60,943			128,736
	Thereafter		839,465			535,928			1,375,393

	Total minimum lease payments		1,160,449			833,639			1,994,088
	Plus amount representing residual property value		—			416,339			416,339
	Less estimated building costs		—			(13,740	)		(13,740	)
	Less amount representing interest		(574,883	)		(632,400	)		(1,207,283	)

	Present value of net minimum lease payments		585,566			603,838			1,189,404
	Less current portion		(12,629	)		(8,733	)		(21,362	)

		$	572,937		$	595,105		$	1,168,042

Schedule of Minimum Future Operating Lease Payments	Minimum future operating lease payments as of December 31, 2014 are summarized as follows (in thousands):


	Year ending:
	2015	$	93,376
	2016		93,292
	2017		88,575
	2018		83,399
	2019		77,694
	Thereafter		557,004

	Total	$	993,340

Debt_Facilities_Tables

Debt Facilities (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Debt Facilities (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Convertible Debt	The Company’s convertible debt consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes		$	—		$	395,986
	4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes			157,885			373,724

				157,885			769,710
	Less amount representing debt discount			(12,032	)		(45,508	)

			$	145,853		$	724,202

Summary of Maturities of Debt Facilities	The following table sets forth maturities of the Company’s debt, including loans payable, convertible debt and senior notes, as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):


	Year ending:
	2015		$	59,466
	2016 (1)			219,071
	2017			53,959
	2018			48,636
	2019 (2)			341,478
	Thereafter			2,781,027

			$	3,503,637


	-1	Gross of $12,032 debt discount from the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes.
	-2	Gross of $1,600 debt discount from the $500.0 million multicurrency term loan facility.
Fair Value of Debt Facilities	The following table sets forth the estimated fair values of the Company’s mortgage, loans payable, senior notes and convertible debt, including current maturities, as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Mortgage and loans payable		$	553,045		$	254,607
	Convertible debt			162,159			1,009,744
	Senior notes			2,790,023			2,302,290

Interest Charges	The following table sets forth total interest costs incurred and total interest costs capitalized for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Interest expense		$	270,553		$	248,792		$	200,328
	Interest capitalized			19,004			10,608			30,643

	Interest charges incurred		$	289,557		$	259,400		$	230,971

Loans Payable [Member]
Summary of Loans Payable and Senior Notes	The Company’s mortgage and loans payable consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Term loans		$	500,000		$	140,000
	ALOG financings			56,863			67,882
	Mortgage payable			34,851			40,825
	Other loans payable			1,757			1,829

				593,471			250,536
	Less the amount representing debt discount			(1,600	)		—
	Add the amount representing mortgage premium			2,281			2,672

				594,152			253,208
	Less current portion			(59,466	)		(53,508	)

			$	534,686		$	199,700

4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Components of Convertible Subordinated Notes	The 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Equity component (1)		$	44,278		$	104,794

	Liability component:
	Principal		$	157,885		$	373,724
	Less debt discount, net (2)			(12,032	)		(45,508	)

	Net carrying amount		$	145,853		$	328,216


	-1	Included in the consolidated balance sheets within additional paid-in capital.
	-2	Included in the consolidated balance sheets within convertible debt and is amortized over the remaining life of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes.
Components of Total Interest Expense Recognized Related to Convertible Subordinated Notes	The following table sets forth total interest expense recognized related to the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Contractual interest expense		$	10,976		$	17,753
	Amortization of debt issuance costs			629			1,022
	Amortization of debt discount			10,448			15,482

			$	22,053		$	34,257

	Effective interest rate of the liability component			10.88	%		10.88	%
Senior Notes [Member]
Summary of Loans Payable and Senior Notes	The Company’s senior notes consisted of the following as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	5.375% Senior Notes due 2023		$	1,000,000		$	1,000,000
	5.375% Senior Notes due 2022			750,000			—
	4.875% Senior Notes due 2020			500,000			500,000
	5.75% Senior Notes due 2025			500,000			—
	7.00% Senior Notes due 2021			—			750,000

			$	2,750,000		$	2,250,000

5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Summary of Senior Notes Redemption Price Percentage
			Redemption price of the 2022 Notes
	2018			104.031	%
	2019			102.688	%
	2020			101.344	%
	2021 and thereafter			100	%
5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Summary of Senior Notes Redemption Price Percentage
			Redemption price of the 2025 Notes
	2020			102.875	%
	2021			101.917	%
	2022			100.958	%
	2023 and thereafter			100	%
5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Summary of Senior Notes Redemption Price Percentage
			Redemption price of the 2023
			Senior Notes
	2018			102.688	%
	2019			101.792	%
	2020 and thereafter			100.896	%
	2021 and thereafter			100	%
4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Summary of Senior Notes Redemption Price Percentage
			Redemption price of the 2020
			Senior Notes
	2017			102.438	%
	2018			101.219	%
	2019 and thereafter			100	%

Redeemable_NonControlling_Inte1

Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Noncontrolling Interest [Abstract]
Activities of Company's Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests	The following table provides a summary of the activities of the Company’s redeemable non-controlling interests (in thousands):


	Balance as of December 31, 2012	$	84,178
	Net income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		1,438
	Other comprehensive income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		(7,526	)
	Net increase in redemption value of non-controlling interests		47,940
	Impact of foreign currency translation		(2,128	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2013	$	123,902
	Net loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		(1,179	)
	Other comprehensive income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		1,810
	Net increase in redemption value of non-controlling interests		90,913
	Impact of foreign currency translation		1,724
	Exercise of vested and outstanding ALOG stock options		8,459
	Purchase price of redeemable non-controlling interests		(225,629	)

	Balance as of December 31, 2014	$	—

Stockholders_Equity_Tables

Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Equity [Abstract]
Schedule of Reserve for Authorized but Unissued Shares of Common Stock	As of December 31, 2014, the Company has reserved the following shares of authorized but unissued shares of common stock for future issuance:


	Conversion of 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes			1,937,817
	Common stock options and restricted stock units			6,441,802
	Common stock employee purchase plans			3,806,501

				12,186,120

Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	The components of the Company’s accumulated other comprehensive loss consisted of the following as of December 31, 2014 (in thousands):


			Balance as of			Net			Balance as of
			December 31,			Change			December 31,
			2013						2014
	Foreign currency translation gain (loss)		$	(132,881	)	$	(204,065	)	$	(336,946	)
	Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges (1)			(2,187	)		8,790			6,603
	Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale securities (2)			180			(279	)		(99	)
	Unamortized gain (loss) on defined benefit plans (3)			—			(2,001	)		(2,001	)
	Other comprehensive loss (income) attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests (4)			21,121			(21,121	)		—

			$	(113,767	)	$	(218,676	)	$	(332,443	)


	-1	Refer to Note 6 for a discussion of the amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net income (loss).
	-2	The realized gains and losses reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net income (loss) were insignificant for the year ended December 31, 2014.
	-3	The Company has a defined benefit pension plan covering all employees in one country where such plans are mandated by law. The Company does not have any defined benefit plans in any other countries. The unamortized gain (loss) on defined benefit plans includes gains or losses resulting from a change in the value of either the projected benefit obligation or the plan assets resulting from a change in an actuarial assumption, net of amortization.
	-4	Includes $1,810 of other comprehensive income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and $19,311 of accumulated other comprehensive income reclassified to additional paid-in capital upon the Company’s purchase of the redeemable non-controlling interests in ALOG in July 2014 (Note 2).

StockBased_Compensation_Tables

Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Stock-Based Compensation (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Outstanding Stock Options	The following table summarizes information about outstanding stock options as of December 31, 2014:


			Outstanding									Exercisable
	Range of exercise prices		Number of			Weighted			Weighted-			Number of		Weighted-
			shares			average			average			shares		average
						remaining			exercise					exercise
						contractual			price					price
						life (years)
	$29.65 to $56.13			21,800			0.63		$	43.41			21,800	$	43.41
	$56.30 to $84.34			31,806			1.83			80.95			31,806		80.95
	$84.74 to $91.95			18,208			3.26			91.55			18,208		91.55
	$92.65 to $92.65			6,120			2.55			92.65			6,120		92.65

				77,934			1.89			73.84			77,934		73.84

Schedule of Additional Disclosure for Stock Options	The Company provides the following additional disclosures for stock options as of December 31 (dollars in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Total fair value of stock options exercised		$	45		$	485		$	1,111
	Total aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised (1)			9,227			19,385			54,761

	-1	The intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the market value of the stock on the date of exercise and the exercise price of the option.



Summary of Restricted Stock Unit Activity	Restricted stock unit activity is summarized as follows:


			Number of			Weighted-			Weighted-			Aggregate
			shares			average grant			average			intrinsic
			outstanding			date fair value			remaining			value (1)
						per share			contractual life			(dollars in
									(years)			thousands)
	Restricted stock units outstanding, December 31, 2011			1,678,265		$	85.37
	Restricted stock units granted			821,885			148.93
	Restricted stock units released, vested			(777,256	)		88.44
	Restricted stock units canceled			(139,054	)		103.93

	Restricted stock units outstanding, December 31, 2012			1,583,840			115.22
	Restricted stock units granted			775,029			204.2
	Restricted stock units released, vested			(738,767	)		199.14
	Restricted stock units canceled			(110,720	)		138.27

	Restricted stock units outstanding, December 31, 2013			1,509,382			122.05
	Restricted stock units granted			803,692			190.9
	Additional shares granted due to special distribution			48,171			224.45
	Restricted stock units released, vested			(703,393	)		201.85
	Restricted stock units canceled			(253,878	)		179.71

	Restricted stock units outstanding, December 31, 2014			1,403,974			114.56			1.2		$	318,323


	-1	The intrinsic value is calculated based on the market value of the stock as of December 31, 2014.
Disclosures for 2004 Purchase Plan	The Company provides the following disclosures for the 2004 Purchase Plan as of December 31 (dollars, except shares):


			2014			2013			2012
	Weighted-average purchase price per share		$	144.95		$	108.97		$	78.22
	Weighted average grant-date fair value per share of shares purchased			53.37			41.3			32.33
	Number of shares purchased			166,384			214,985			220,290



Assumptions in Computation of Fair Value	The Company uses the Black-Scholes option-pricing model to determine the fair value of shares purchased under the 2004 Purchase Plan with the following weighted average assumptions for the years ended December 31:


			2014			2013			2012
	Dividend yield			0	%		0	%		0	%
	Expected volatility			34	%		41	%		46	%
	Risk-free interest rate			0.19	%		0.37	%		0.4	%
	Expected life (in years)			1.25			1.25			1.25
Stock-Based Compensation Expense Recognized in Company's Consolidated Statement of Operations	The following table presents, by operating expense, the Company’s stock-based compensation expense recognized in the Company’s consolidated statement of operations for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Cost of revenues		$	8,511		$	7,855		$	6,218
	Sales and marketing			30,084			26,538			18,730
	General and administrative			79,395			68,547			57,787

			$	117,990		$	102,940		$	82,735

Equinix Equity Awards [Member]
Summary of Stock Option Activity	Stock option activity under the Equity Compensation Plans is summarized as follows:


			Number of			Weighted			Weighted			Aggregate
			shares			average			average			intrinsic
			outstanding			exercise price			remaining			value (1)
						per share			contractual life			(dollars in
									(years)			thousands)
	Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2011			919,916		$	64.96
	Stock options exercised			(615,754	)		63.19
	Stock options canceled			(7,633	)		63.47

	Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2012			296,529			68.68
	Stock options exercised			(147,819	)		63.66
	Stock options canceled			(655	)		3.06

	Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2013			148,055			73.99
	Stock options exercised			(71,780	)		72.44
	Additional shares granted due to special distribution			1,659			—

	Stock options outstanding at December 31, 2014			77,934			73.84			1.89			11,915

	Stock options vested and exercisable at December 31, 2014			77,934			73.84			1.89			11,915


	-1	The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between the market value of the stock as of December 31, 2014 and the exercise price of the option.
Stock-Based Compensation Expense Recognized in Company's Consolidated Statement of Operations	The Company’s stock-based compensation recognized in the consolidated statement of operations was comprised of the following types of equity awards for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Stock options		$	4,917		$	3,456		$	811
	Restricted shares and restricted stock units			104,235			88,411			73,703
	Employee stock purchase plan			8,838			11,073			8,221

			$	117,990		$	102,940		$	82,735

Income_Taxes_Tables

Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes Attributable to Geographic Locations	Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes is attributable to the following geographic locations for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Domestic		$	(46,876	)	$	(28,362	)	$	56,822
	Foreign			131,609			140,641			131,800

	Income before income taxes and income (loss) attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		$	84,733		$	112,279		$	188,622


Components of Tax Benefit (Expenses) for Income Taxes from Continuing Operations	The tax benefit (expenses) for income taxes from continuing operations consisted of the following components for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Current:
	Federal		$	(98,445	)	$	(100,035	)	$	(55,064	)
	State and local			(16,243	)		(15,260	)		(21,712	)
	Foreign			(31,844	)		(29,377	)		(29,344	)

	Subtotal			(146,532	)		(144,672	)		(106,120	)

	Deferred:
	Federal			(177,877	)		111,721			42,568
	State and local			(21,539	)		17,044			14,082
	Foreign			489			(249	)		(9,094	)

	Subtotal			(198,927	)		128,516			47,556

	Provision for income taxes		$	(345,459	)	$	(16,156	)	$	(58,564	)

Income Tax Reconciliation	The fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012 income tax expense differed from the amounts computed by applying the U.S. federal income tax rate of 35% to pre-tax income as a result of the following for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Federal tax at statutory rate		$	(29,657	)	$	(39,298	)	$	(66,019	)
	State and local taxes			1,370			7,435			261
	Deferred tax assets generated in current year not benefited			(3,311	)		(4,777	)		(4,396	)
	Foreign income tax rate differential			20,002			21,392			11,466
	Non-deductible expenses			(1,274	)		(2,525	)		(2,997	)
	Stock-based compensation expense			(4,496	)		(3,273	)		(832	)
	Change in valuation allowance			1,655			1,362			(3,245	)
	Foreign financing benefits			2,981			4,303			7,395
	Uncertain tax positions reserve			(463	)		2,952			2,449
	Statutory rate change due to REIT conversion			(324,142	)		—			—
	Other, net			(8,124	)		(3,727	)		(2,646	)

	Total income tax expense		$	(345,459	)	$	(16,156	)	$	(58,564	)





Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	The types of temporary differences that give rise to significant portions of the Company’s deferred tax assets and liabilities are set out below as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Deferred tax assets:
	Property, plant and equipment		$	—		$	134,727
	Reserves and accruals			11,952			42,088
	Stock-based compensation expense			1,185			15,877
	Operating loss carryforwards			27,687			28,373

	Gross deferred tax assets			40,824			221,065
	Valuation allowance			(27,181	)		(31,058	)

	Total deferred tax assets, net			13,643			190,007

	Deferred tax liabilities:
	Property, plant and equipment			(78,261	)		—
	Unrealized currency losses			(502	)		(2,030	)
	Debt discount			—			(9,347	)
	Fixed assets fair value step-up			(7,210	)		(24,531	)
	Intangible assets			(28,433	)		(58,499	)

	Total deferred tax liabilities			(114,406	)		(94,407	)

	Net deferred assets (tax liabilities)		$	(100,763	)	$	95,600

Changes in Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets	Changes in the valuation allowance for deferred tax assets for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 are as follows (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Beginning balance		$	31,058		$	44,868		$	40,863
	Recognized into income			(1,655	)		(1,362	)		3,503
	Current Increase (Decrease)			721			(10,156	)		2,428
	NOL and tax credit expiration			238			11			14
	Translation adjustment			(3,181	)		(2,303	)		(1,940	)

	Ending balance		$	27,181		$	31,058		$	44,868

Schedule of Net Operating Loss Carryforwards	The Company’s net operating loss carryforwards for federal, state and foreign tax purposes which expire, if not utilized, at various intervals from 2015, are outlined below (in thousands):


	Expiration Date		Federal (1)			State (1)			Foreign			Total
	2015 to 2016		$	—		$	39,358		$	2,854		$	42,212
	2017 to 2019			—			190			47,564			47,754
	2020 to 2022			213,390			1,460			24,069			238,919
	2023 to 2025			26,838			636			—			27,474
	2026 to 2028			12,186			394			—			12,580
	2029 to 2031			—			3,117			—			3,117
	Thereafter			—			—			129,274			129,274

			$	252,414		$	45,155		$	203,761		$	501,330


		-1	The total amount of net operating loss carryforwards that will not be available to offset the Company’s future taxable income due to Section 382 limitations was $283,805, comprising $241,766 of federal and $42,039 of state.
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits	The beginning and ending balances of the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits are reconciled below for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Beginning balance		$	36,552		$	25,050		$	34,105
	Gross increases related to prior year tax positions			1,200			14,596			1,244
	Gross decreases related to prior year tax positions			(984	)		(3,028	)		(6,625	)
	Gross increases related to current year tax positions			1,538			1,498			81
	Decreases resulting from expiration of statute of limitation			(1,112	)		(1,564	)		(2,741	)
	Decreases resulting from settlements			(1,056	)		—			(1,014	)

	Ending balance		$	36,138		$	36,552		$	25,050

Related_Party_Transactions_Tab

Related Party Transactions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Related Party Transactions (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Activity of Related Party Transactions	The Company’s activity of related party transactions was as follows (in thousands):


		Years ended December 31,
		2014		2013		2012
	Revenues	$	8,392	$	20,140	$	31,607
	Costs and services		8,351		4,819		2,248


		As December 31,
		2014		2013
	Accounts receivable	$	1,022	$	1,776
	Accounts payable		—		2

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Segment Information (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Schedule of Adjusted EBITDA	The Company defines adjusted EBITDA as income or loss from operations plus depreciation, amortization, accretion, stock-based compensation expense, restructuring charges, impairment charges and acquisition costs as presented below for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Adjusted EBITDA:
	Americas		$	635,007		$	608,718		$	557,800
	EMEA			269,222			216,186			183,612
	Asia-Pacific			209,662			175,994			146,445

	Total adjusted EBITDA			1,113,891			1,000,898			887,857
	Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense			(484,129	)		(431,008	)		(393,543	)
	Stock-based compensation expense			(117,990	)		(102,940	)		(82,735	)
	Restructuring charges			—			4,837			—
	Impairment charges			—			—			(9,861	)
	Acquisitions costs			(2,506	)		(10,855	)		(8,822	)

	Income from operations		$	509,266		$	460,932		$	392,896

Segment Disclosures	The Company provides the following segment disclosures related to its continuing operations as follows for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Total revenues:
	Americas (1)		$	1,376,103		$	1,264,774		$	1,151,917
	EMEA			637,265			525,018	(2)		432,920	(4)
	Asia-Pacific			430,408			362,974			302,539	(5)

			$	2,443,776		$	2,152,766		$	1,887,376

	Total depreciation and amortization:
	Americas		$	261,018		$	254,365		$	235,637
	EMEA			114,511			90,891	(2)		79,702	(4)
	Asia-Pacific			106,162			87,475			75,350	(5)

			$	481,691		$	432,731		$	390,689

	Capital expenditures:
	Americas		$	333,315		$	335,377		$	431,325
	EMEA			151,634			220,457	(3)		283,174	(6)
	Asia-Pacific			192,045	(8)		140,996			384,149	(7)

			$	676,994		$	696,830		$	1,098,648


	-1	Includes revenues of $1,257,661, $1,157,790 and $1,056,152, respectively, attributed to the U.S. for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012.
	-2	Includes the operations of Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel from October 1, 2013 to December 31, 2013.
	-3	Includes the purchase price for the Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition (see Note 2), totaling $50,092.
	-4	Includes the operations of ancotel from July 3, 2012 to December 31, 2012 and the operations of the Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition from November 9, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
	-5	Includes the operations of Asia Tone from July 4, 2012 to December 31, 2012.
	-6	Includes the purchase prices for the ancotel Acquisition, net of cash acquired, and the Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition (see Note 2), totaling $84,236 and $22,918, respectively.
	-7	Includes the purchase price for the Asia Tone Acquisition (see Note 2), net of cash acquired, totaling $202,338.
	-8	Includes the purchase of real estate totaling $16,791.
Long-Lived Assets	The Company’s long-lived assets are located in the following geographic areas as of December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013
	Americas (1)		$	2,874,562		$	2,549,863
	EMEA			1,135,319			1,188,559
	Asia-Pacific			988,389			853,228

			$	4,998,270		$	4,591,650


		-1	Includes $2,609,268 and $2,328,755, respectively, of long-lived assets attributed to the U.S. as of December 31, 2014 and 2013.
Revenue Information by Category	Revenue information by category is as follows for the years ended December 31 (in thousands):


			2014			2013			2012
	Colocation		$	1,829,812		$	1,628,179		$	1,433,694
	Interconnection			372,350			319,863			272,103
	Managed infrastructure			105,292			97,400			88,109
	Rental			10,336			4,520			3,162

	Recurring revenues			2,317,790			2,049,962			1,797,068
	Non-recurring revenues			125,986			102,804			90,308

			$	2,443,776		$	2,152,766		$	1,887,376

Restructuring_Charges_Tables

Restructuring Charges (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Restructuring Charges (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Summary of Accrued Restructuring Charges	A summary of the movement in the 2004 accrued restructuring charges during the years ended December 31 is outlined as follows (in thousands):


	Accrued restructuring charge as of December 31, 2011	$	7,680
	Accretion expense		416
	Cash payments		(2,417	)

	Accrued restructuring charge as of December 31, 2012		5,679
	Accretion expense		137
	Restructuring charge adjustments		(4,837	)
	Cash payments		(979	)

	Accrued restructuring charge as of December 31, 2013	$	—

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio1

Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
Quarterly Financial Information (Tables)	Dec. 31, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Quarterly Information	The following tables present selected quarterly information (in thousands, except per share data):


		2014
		Quarter Ended
		March 31			June 30			September 30			December 31
	Revenues	$	580,053		$	605,161		$	620,441		$	638,121
	Gross profit		292,528			312,302			316,389			324,672
	Net income (loss) attributable to Equinix		41,387			11,328			42,841			(355,103	)
	Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Equinix		55,329			33,640			(97,814	)		(450,067	)
	EPS attributable to Equinix
	Basic EPS		0.83			0.22			0.81			(6.42	)
	Diluted EPS		0.81			0.22			0.79			(6.42	)


		2013
		Quarter Ended
		March 31			June 30			September 30			December 31
	Revenues	$	516,134		$	528,871		$	543,084		$	564,677
	Gross profit		257,543			261,762			274,124			294,934
	Net income (loss) attributable to Equinix		32,843			(25,816	)		42,471			45,187
	Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Equinix		(40,382	)		(51,631	)		120,822			53,151
	EPS attributable to Equinix
	Basic EPS		0.67			(0.52	)		0.86			0.91
	Diluted EPS		0.65			(0.52	)		0.83			0.88

Nature_of_Business_and_Summary3

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2007	Jun. 30, 2009
	Center	Services	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2007	Jun. 30, 2009
Item Effected [Line Items]
Number of markets data center operates in	9
Number of network providers that provide internet access		1,000
Cash equivalents maturity period		90 days
Short term investment maturity		90 days and one year
A single customer is accounted for a percentage of accounts receivable or revenues for a period		10.00%	10.00%	10.00%
Impairment charge		$0	$0	$9,861,000
Impairment charges related to property, plant and equipment				7,029,000
Impairment charges related to intangible assets				$2,832,000
Percentage of revenue derived from recurring revenue streams		90.00%
Equity awards vesting period		4 years
Expected dividend rate		0.00%
Americas and Europe, Middle East and Africa and Asia-Pacific [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Number of markets data center operates in		33
Americas [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Discount rate		9.80%
EMEA [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Discount rate		10.10%
Asia-Pacific [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Discount rate		8.90%
2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, percentage		2.50%
3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, percentage		3.00%			3.00%
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, percentage		4.75%				4.75%
2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes Due April 2012 [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, percentage		2.50%
3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes Due October 2014 [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, percentage		3.00%
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Debt instrument, interest rate, percentage		4.75%	4.75%	4.75%
Executives [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Equity awards vesting period		2 years
Executives [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Item Effected [Line Items]
Equity awards vesting period		4 years

Nature_of_Business_and_Summary4

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Schedule of Revenue by Geographical Region (Detail) (Geographic Concentration Risk [Member], Sales [Member])	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Americas [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentages of revenue by geographic regions	56.00%	59.00%	61.00%
EMEA [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentages of revenue by geographic regions	26.00%	24.00%	23.00%
Asia-Pacific [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Percentages of revenue by geographic regions	18.00%	17.00%	16.00%

Nature_of_Business_and_Summary5

Nature of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Estimated Useful Lives of Property, Plant and Equipment (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Core systems [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, in years	3 years
Core systems [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, in years	25 years
Buildings [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, in years	12 years
Buildings [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, in years	50 years
Leasehold improvements [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, in years	12 years
Leasehold improvements [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, in years	40 years
Personal property [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, in years	3 years
Personal property [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Nature Of Operations And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Estimated useful life, in years	10 years

Acquisitions_Additional_Inform

Acquisitions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Nov. 08, 2012	Jul. 03, 2012	Jul. 02, 2012	Jul. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2011
	Center	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2013	Nov. 08, 2012	Jul. 03, 2012	Jul. 02, 2012	Jul. 31, 2014	Apr. 30, 2011
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Net cash consideration			$49,337,000	$309,492,000
Data center	16
Data center under construction	9
Net increase in the redemption value of the redeemable non-controlling interests		-90,913,000	-47,940,000	-21,270,000
Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition					50,092,000
Acquisition costs			4,794,000
Discount rate reflects assets in future		9.00%
E-Hosting DataFort FZ, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition						22,918,000
Capital stock acquired, percentage						100.00%
Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition							230,500,000
Net cash consideration							202,445,000
Asia Tone Acquisition [Member] \| Hong Kong [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Data center		6
Disaster recovery center		1
Asia Tone Acquisition [Member] \| Shanghai [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Data center		6
Disaster recovery center		1
Data center under construction		1
Asia Tone Acquisition [Member] \| Singapore [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Data center		6
Disaster recovery center		1
Asia Tone [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition costs				4,887,000
Discount rate reflects assets in future		14.40%
Revenues				23,083,000
Net income (loss) from acquisition				1,604,000
Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition								85,714,000
Acquisition costs				1,365,000
Discount rate reflects assets in future		12.80%
Capital stock acquired, percentage								100.00%		90.00%
Net cash consideration		84,236,000
Revenues				11,494,000
Net income (loss) from acquisition				-3,281,000
Acquisition date		25-Apr-11
Indirect controlling interest										53.00%
Ancotel Acquisition [Member] \| Hong Kong [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Edge nodes								1
Ancotel Acquisition [Member] \| Frankfurt Germany [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Data center								1
Ancotel Acquisition [Member] \| London [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Edge nodes								1
Acquisition of ALOG [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Acquisition date		31-Jul-14
Percentage of ownership									10.00%
Equity interest percentage									100.00%
Cash consideration for acquisition									225,629,000
Business acquisition contingent consideration									686,000
Net increase in the redemption value of the redeemable non-controlling interests									90,966,000
Business acquisition, transaction cost									1,333,000
Acquisition of ALOG [Member] \| Riverwood and ALOG Management [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition									216,484,000
Acquisition of ALOG [Member] \| ALOG Employees [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition									$8,459,000

Acquisitions_Preliminary_Purch

Acquisitions - Preliminary Purchase Price Allocation (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$1,002,129,000	$1,042,153,000	$1,042,564,000
Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	1,478,000
Accounts receivable	332,000
Other current assets	2,702,000
Property, plant and equipment	17,460,000
Goodwill	55,689,000
Intangible assets	42,781,000
Other non-current assets	381,000
Total assets acquired	120,823,000
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	-5,310,000
Accrued property, plant and equipment	-1,216,000
Current portion of loans payable	-2,548,000
Capital leases and other financing obligations	-5,516,000
Other current liabilities	-5,035,000
Deferred tax liabilities	-13,280,000
Other non-current liabilities	-2,204,000
Net assets acquired	85,714,000
Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable	1,595,000
Other current assets	595,000
Property, plant and equipment	142,450,000
Goodwill	115,223,000
Intangible assets	29,155,000
Other non-current assets	784,000
Total assets acquired	289,802,000
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	-1,304,000
Accrued property, plant and equipment	-27,031,000
Current portion of loans payable	-20,661,000
Capital leases and other financing obligations	-10,630,000
Other current liabilities	-3,666,000
Deferred tax liabilities	-15,190,000
Other non-current liabilities	-8,875,000
Net assets acquired	202,445,000
Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment	85,969,000
Intangible assets	10,011,000
Total assets acquired	95,980,000
Current portion of loans payable	-42,906,000
Intangible-unfavorable leases	-2,982,000
Net assets acquired	$50,092,000

Acquisitions_Acquired_Identifi

Acquisitions - Acquired Identifiable Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014
Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value	$42,781
Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value		10,010
Customer contracts [Member] \| Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value			38,604
Estimated useful lives (years)			7 years
Weighted-average estimated useful lives (years)			7 years
Customer contracts [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value			14,900
Weighted-average estimated useful lives (years)			17 years 2 months 12 days
Customer contracts [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value			9,363
Weighted-average estimated useful lives (years)			4 years 10 months 24 days
Customer relationships [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value			13,800
Weighted-average estimated useful lives (years)			8 years 8 months 12 days
Others [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value			455
Weighted-average estimated useful lives (years)			4 years
Trade names [Member] \| Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value			4,177
Weighted-average estimated useful lives (years)			9 years 4 months 24 days
Unfavorable leases [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value			-2,982
Weighted-average estimated useful lives (years)			4 years 9 months 18 days
Favorable leases [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Fair value			$648
Weighted-average estimated useful lives (years)			7 years 6 months
Minimum [Member] \| Customer contracts [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			6 years
Minimum [Member] \| Customer contracts [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			3 months 18 days
Minimum [Member] \| Customer relationships [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			7 years
Minimum [Member] \| Others [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			2 years
Minimum [Member] \| Trade names [Member] \| Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			5 years
Minimum [Member] \| Unfavorable leases [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			1 year
Minimum [Member] \| Favorable leases [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			1 year
Maximum [Member] \| Customer contracts [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			20 years
Maximum [Member] \| Customer contracts [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			8 years
Maximum [Member] \| Customer relationships [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			11 years
Maximum [Member] \| Others [Member] \| Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			5 years
Maximum [Member] \| Trade names [Member] \| Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			10 years
Maximum [Member] \| Unfavorable leases [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			6 years
Maximum [Member] \| Favorable leases [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful lives (years)			8 years

Acquisitions_Unaudited_Pro_For

Acquisitions - Unaudited Pro Forma Combined Consolidated Statements of Operations (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenues	$2,158,415
Net income attributable to Equinix	96,811
Ancotel and Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Revenues		1,921,995
Net income attributable to Equinix		$139,735

Earnings_Per_Share_Computation

Earnings Per Share - Computation of Basic and Diluted Earnings Per Share (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	($260,726)	$96,123	$130,058
Net (income) loss attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests	1,179	-1,438	-3,116
Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Equinix, basic	-259,547	94,685	126,942
Effect of assumed conversion of convertible debt:
Interest expense, net of tax			6,789
Net income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to Equinix, diluted	($259,547)	$94,685	$133,731
Weighted-average shares used to calculate basic EPS	52,359	49,438	48,004
Effect of dilutive securities:
Convertible debt			2,945
Employee equity awards		678	867
Total dilutive potential shares		678	3,812
Weighted-average shares used to calculate diluted EPS	52,359	50,116	51,816
Basic EPS	($4.96)	$1.92	$2.65
Diluted EPS	($4.96)	$1.89	$2.58

Earnings_Per_Share_Antidilutiv

Earnings Per Share - Anti-dilutive Potential Shares of Common Stock Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share (Detail)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive potential shares of common stock excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	5,505	8,299	5,197
Shares related to the potential conversion of convertible subordinated notes [Member] \| 2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive potential shares of common stock excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount			652
Shares related to the potential conversion of convertible subordinated notes [Member] \| 3.00% Convertible subordinated notes [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive potential shares of common stock excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	861	3,613
Shares related to the potential conversion of convertible subordinated notes [Member] \| 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive potential shares of common stock excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	2,824	4,432	4,432
Common stock related to employee equity awards [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Anti-dilutive potential shares of common stock excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	1,820	254	113

Earnings_Per_Share_Antidilutiv1

Earnings Per Share - Anti-dilutive Potential Shares of Common Stock Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share (Parenthetical) (Detail)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Convertible debt interest rate	2.50%	2.50%	2.50%
3.00% Convertible subordinated notes [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Convertible debt interest rate	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Convertible debt interest rate	4.75%	4.75%	4.75%

Discontinued_Operations_Additi

Discontinued Operations - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Aug. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
	Center	Dec. 31, 2012
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of data centers		$76,458
Data centers in markets	16
Data centers operates in number of markets	9
Buffalo [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Cleveland [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Detroit [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Indianapolis [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Nashville [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Phoenix [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Pittsburgh [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
St Louis [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Tampa [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Chicago [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Dallas [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
New York [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Philadelphia [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Seattle [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Silicon Valley [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1
Washington, D.C [Member]
Schedule Of Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Data centers in markets	1

Discontinued_Operations_Schedu

Discontinued Operations - Schedule of Operating Results from Discontinued Operations (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Revenues	$29,640
Cost of revenues	-23,956
Operating expenses	-3,422
Income taxes	-1,028
Gain on sale of discontinued operations, net of tax of $13,973	11,852
Net income from discontinued operations	$13,086

Discontinued_Operations_Schedu1

Discontinued Operations - Schedule of Operating Results from Discontinued Operations (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2012
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Gain on sale of discontinued operations, tax	$13,973

Balance_Sheet_Components_Cash_

Balance Sheet Components - Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term and Long-Term Investments (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Cash	$207,953	$186,007
Money market funds	402,964	74,787
Commercial paper		1,100
Total cash and cash equivalents	610,917	261,894	252,213	278,823
Total marketable securities	529,834	768,198
Total cash, cash equivalents and short-term and long-term investments	1,140,751	1,030,092
U.S. government securities [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Total marketable securities	336,440	305,021
U.S. government agency securities [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Total marketable securities	192,955	125,917
Corporate bonds [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Total marketable securities		190,177
Certificates of deposit [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Total marketable securities	439	76,152
Asset-backed securities [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Total marketable securities		68,938
Commercial paper [Member]
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Total marketable securities		$1,993

Balance_Sheet_Components_Addit

Balance Sheet Components - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Balance Sheet Related Disclosures [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents maturity period	90 days or less	90 days or less
Short-term investments maturity period	One year or less	One year or less
Long-term investments maturity period	Greater than one year and less than three years	Greater than one year and less than three years
Aggregate capital leased assets, gross	$585,288,000	$428,974,000
Accumulated depreciation	$83,291,000	$56,041,000

Balance_Sheet_Components_Summa

Balance Sheet Components - Summary of Cost and Estimated Fair Value of Marketable Securities (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Amortized Cost, Due within one year	$529,567	$369,698
Amortized Cost, Due after one year through three years	439	398,200
Amortized Cost	530,006	767,898
Fair Value, Due within one year	529,395	369,808
Fair Value, Due after one year through three years	439	398,390
Fair Value, Total	$529,834	$768,198

Balance_Sheet_Components_Net_U

Balance Sheet Components - Net Unrealized Gains (Losses) on Available-for-Sale Securities (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	$530,006	$767,898
Gross unrealized gains	75	379
Gross unrealized losses	-247	-79
Fair Value, Total	529,834	768,198
U.S. government securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	336,561	304,897
Gross unrealized gains	45	131
Gross unrealized losses	-166	-7
Fair Value, Total	336,440	305,021
U.S. government agency securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	193,006	125,904
Gross unrealized gains	30	35
Gross unrealized losses	-81	-22
Fair Value, Total	192,955	125,917
Corporate bonds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost		190,068
Gross unrealized gains		149
Gross unrealized losses		-40
Fair Value, Total		190,177
Certificates of deposit [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost	439	76,126
Gross unrealized gains		27
Gross unrealized losses		-1
Fair Value, Total	439	76,152
Asset-backed securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost		68,914
Gross unrealized gains		33
Gross unrealized losses		-9
Fair Value, Total		68,938
Commercial paper [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost		1,989
Gross unrealized gains		4
Fair Value, Total		$1,993

Balance_Sheet_Components_Accou

Balance Sheet Components - Accounts Receivable, Net (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Receivables [Abstract]
Accounts receivable	$272,036	$323,822
Unearned revenue		-132,342
Allowance for doubtful accounts	-9,466	-6,640	-3,716	-4,635
Accounts receivable, net	$262,570	$184,840

Balance_Sheet_Components_Activ

Balance Sheet Components - Activities of Allowance for Doubtful Accounts (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]
Beginning Balance	$6,640	$3,716	$4,635
Provision for allowance for doubtful accounts	7,093	5,819	4,186
Net recoveries (write-offs)	-3,825	-2,833	-5,127
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-442	-62	22
Ending Balance	$9,466	$6,640	$3,716

Balance_Sheet_Components_Other

Balance Sheet Components - Other Current Assets (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Prepaid expenses	$29,501	$26,578
Taxes receivable	17,071	21,584
Deferred tax assets, net	6,579	7,442
Other receivables	2,324	4,181
Derivative instruments	17,732	4,457
Restricted cash, current	3,057	3,210
Other current assets	11,797	4,666
Other current assets, total	$88,061	$72,118

Balance_Sheet_Components_Prope

Balance Sheet Components - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	$1,002,129	$1,042,153	$1,042,564
Intangible assets, gross	262,803	276,741
Accumulated amortization	-115,276	-92,559
Intangible assets, net	147,527	184,182	201,562	148,635
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Americas [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	463,902	471,845	482,765
Intangible assets, net	62,954	76,224	89,467	111,549
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| EMEA [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	404,093	435,041	423,529
Intangible assets, net	62,185	82,709	84,186	37,086
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Asia-Pacific [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	134,134	135,267	136,270
Intangible assets, net	22,388	25,249	27,909
Customer contracts [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, gross	220,674	233,038
Accumulated amortization	-102,074	-81,520
Favorable leases [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, gross	24,300	25,147
Accumulated amortization	-7,656	-6,416
Licenses [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, gross	9,697	9,697
Accumulated amortization	-1,294	-646
Others [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, gross	8,132	8,859
Accumulated amortization	($4,252)	($3,977)

Balance_Sheet_Components_Goodw

Balance Sheet Components - Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	$1,002,129	$1,042,153	$1,042,564
Intangible assets, gross	262,803	276,741
Accumulated amortization	-115,276	-92,559
Intangible assets, net	147,527	184,182	201,562	148,635
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Americas [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	463,902	471,845	482,765
Intangible assets, net	62,954	76,224	89,467	111,549
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| EMEA [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	404,093	435,041	423,529
Intangible assets, net	62,185	82,709	84,186	37,086
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Asia-Pacific [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Goodwill	134,134	135,267	136,270
Intangible assets, net	22,388	25,249	27,909
Customer contracts [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, gross	220,674	233,038
Accumulated amortization	-102,074	-81,520
Favorable leases [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, gross	24,300	25,147
Accumulated amortization	-7,656	-6,416
Licenses [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, gross	9,697	9,697
Accumulated amortization	-1,294	-646
Others [Member]
Goodwill And Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Intangible assets, gross	8,132	8,859
Accumulated amortization	($4,252)	($3,977)

Balance_Sheet_Components_Carry

Balance Sheet Components - Carrying Amount of Goodwill by Geographical Regions (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance, Beginning	$1,042,153	$1,042,564
Purchase accounting adjustments		653
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-40,024	-1,064
Balance, Ending	1,002,129	1,042,153
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Americas [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance, Beginning	471,845	482,765
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-7,943	-10,920
Balance, Ending	463,902	471,845
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| EMEA [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance, Beginning	435,041	423,529
Purchase accounting adjustments		932
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-30,948	10,580
Balance, Ending	404,093	435,041
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Asia-Pacific [Member]
Goodwill [Line Items]
Balance, Beginning	135,267	136,270
Purchase accounting adjustments		-279
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-1,133	-724
Balance, Ending	$134,134	$135,267

Balance_Sheet_Components_Net_B

Balance Sheet Components - Net Book Value of Intangible Assets by Geographic Regions (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net beginning balance	$184,182	$201,562	$148,635
Written-off in sale of discontinued operations			-5,913
Adjustments		-2,070
Impairment charge			-2,832
Amortization of intangibles	-27,756	-27,027	-23,575
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-8,899	607	3,911
Intangible assets, net ending balance	147,527	184,182	201,562
Asia Tone [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period			29,155
Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period			42,781
Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period			9,400
Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period		10,010
New York IBX Center Purchase [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period		1,100
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Americas [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net beginning balance	76,224	89,467	111,549
Written-off in sale of discontinued operations			-5,913
Impairment charge			-2,832
Amortization of intangibles	-12,257	-12,604	-13,722
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-1,013	-1,739	385
Intangible assets, net ending balance	62,954	76,224	89,467
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| EMEA [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net beginning balance	82,709	84,186	37,086
Adjustments		-2,070
Amortization of intangibles	-12,795	-11,613	-8,246
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-7,729	2,196	3,165
Intangible assets, net ending balance	62,185	82,709	84,186
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Asia-Pacific [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets, net beginning balance	25,249	27,909
Amortization of intangibles	-2,704	-2,810	-1,607
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-157	150	361
Intangible assets, net ending balance	22,388	25,249	27,909
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Asia Tone [Member] \| Asia-Pacific [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period			29,155
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Ancotel Acquisition [Member] \| EMEA [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period			42,781
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition [Member] \| EMEA [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period			9,400
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member] \| EMEA [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period		10,010
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| New York IBX Center Purchase [Member] \| Americas [Member]
Intangible Assets Excluding Goodwill [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired during period		$1,100

Balance_Sheet_Components_Estim

Balance Sheet Components - Estimated Future Amortization Expense Related to Intangibles (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
2015	$27,338
2016	26,918
2017	25,579
2018	22,777
2019	17,489
Thereafter	27,426
Intangible assets, net	$147,527	$184,182	$201,562	$148,635

Balance_Sheet_Components_Other1

Balance Sheet Components - Other Assets (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Deferred tax assets, net	$45,134	$229,975
Prepaid expenses, non-current	37,006	61,039
Debt issuance costs, net	44,477	41,847
Deposits	26,068	25,543
Restricted cash, non-current	14,060	16,178
Derivative instruments	5,007	4,118
Other assets, non-current	6,373	8,624
Other assets	$178,125	$387,324

Balance_Sheet_Components_Accou1

Balance Sheet Components - Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accounts payable	$30,221	$30,291
Accrued compensation and benefits	115,184	92,106
Accrued interest	29,116	48,310
Accrued taxes	41,295	32,047
Accrued utilities and security	31,531	31,314
Accrued professional fees	8,148	9,753
Accrued repairs and maintenance	4,086	3,557
Accrued other	26,215	15,845
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	$285,796	$263,223

Balance_Sheet_Components_Accou2

Balance Sheet Components - Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Income taxes payable	$21,941,000	$5,995,000

Balance_Sheet_Components_Other2

Balance Sheet Components - Other Current Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Deferred tax liabilities, net	$83,264	$72,004
Deferred installation revenue	48,707	43,145
Customer deposits	13,492	15,174
Derivative instruments	810	6,515
Deferred recurring revenue	6,879	5,007
Deferred rent	2,675	3,865
Dividends payable	4,559
Asset retirement obligations	945	1,290
Other current liabilities	1,333	958
Other current liabilities, total	$162,664	$147,958

Balance_Sheet_Components_Other3

Balance Sheet Components - Other Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Asset retirement obligations, non-current	$63,913	$58,258
Deferred tax liabilities, net	69,212	69,812
Deferred installation revenue, non-current	76,744	60,947
Deferred rent, non-current	52,968	37,955
Accrued taxes, non-current	24,726	27,052
Dividends payable, non-current	4,972
Customer deposits, non-current	4,618	5,005
Deferred recurring revenue, non-current	445	2,082
Other liabilities	7,366	13,844
Other liabilities noncurrent	$304,964	$274,955

Balance_Sheet_Components_Summa1

Balance Sheet Components - Summary of Asset Retirement Obligation Liability (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Asset Retirement Obligation Disclosure [Abstract]
Asset retirement obligations, beginning balance	$59,548	$63,150	$56,587
Additions	5,774	8,713	14,879
Adjustments	-871	-14,874	252
Accretion expense	2,438	2,932	2,980
Written-off in sale of discontinued operations			-12,314
Impact of foreign currency exchange	-2,031	-373	766
Asset retirement obligations, ending balance	$64,858	$59,548	$63,150

Balance_Sheet_Components_Summa2

Balance Sheet Components - Summary of Asset Retirement Obligation Liability (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Asset Retirement Obligations [Line Items]
Additions	$5,774	$8,713	$14,879
Ancotel and Asia Tone Acquisition [Member]
Asset Retirement Obligations [Line Items]
Additions			$5,795

Derivatives_and_Hedging_Activi

Derivatives and Hedging Activities - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
	Derivative	Derivative
Derivative [Line Items]
Gains reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) to revenue	4,332,000
Cash flow hedge instruments [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Number of cash flow hedge instruments	65	69
Derivative instruments maturity range, minimum	2015-01	2014-01
Derivative instruments maturity range, maximum	2016-01	2015-01
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Objectives for using derivative instruments	Embedded Derivatives. The Company is deemed to have foreign currency forward contracts embedded in certain of the Companybs customer agreements that are priced in currencies different from the functional or local currencies of the parties involved. These embedded derivatives are separated from their host contracts and carried on the Companybs balance sheet at their fair value. The majority of these embedded derivatives arise as a result of the Companybs foreign subsidiaries pricing their customer contracts in the U.S. dollar. Economic Hedges of Embedded Derivatives. The Company uses foreign currency forward contracts to help manage the foreign exchange risk associated with the Companybs customer agreements that are priced in currencies different from the functional or local currencies of the parties involved (beconomic hedges of embedded derivativesb). Foreign currency forward contracts represent agreements to exchange the currency of one country for the currency of another country at an agreed-upon price on an agreed-upon settlement date. Foreign Currency Forward Contracts. The Company also uses foreign currency forward contracts to manage the foreign exchange risk associated with certain foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities. As a result of foreign currency fluctuations, the U.S. dollar equivalent values of its foreign currency-denominated assets and liabilities change
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] \| Embedded derivatives [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Net gain (loss) on embedded derivatives	3,807,000	4,836,000
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] \| Economic hedges of embedded derivatives [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Net gain (loss) on embedded derivatives	2,602,000	4,497,000

Derivatives_and_Hedging_Activi1

Derivatives and Hedging Activities - Summary of Cash Flow Hedge Instruments (Detail) (Cash flow hedge instruments [Member], USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Notional Amount, Derivative assets	$281,055	$127,968
Notional Amount, Derivative liabilities		200,686
Notional Amount, Total	281,055	328,654
Fair Value, Derivative assets	8,404	2,102
Fair Value, Derivative liabilities		-3,855
Fair Value, Total	8,404	-1,753
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair Value, Derivative assets	8,480	2,107
Fair Value, Derivative liabilities		-3,857
Fair Value, Total	$8,480	($1,750)

Derivatives_and_Hedging_Activi2

Derivatives and Hedging Activities - Summary of Cash Flow Hedge Instruments (Parenthetical) (Detail) (Cash flow hedge instruments [Member], USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair Value, Derivative assets	$8,404	$2,102
Fair Value, Derivative liabilities		3,855
Other current assets [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair Value, Derivative assets		2,099
Other assets [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair Value, Derivative assets		3
Other current liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair Value, Derivative liabilities		3,818
Other liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Fair Value, Derivative liabilities		$37

Derivatives_and_Hedging_Activi3

Derivatives and Hedging Activities - Schedule of Fair Value of Derivative Instruments Recognized in Consolidated Balance Sheets (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross Amounts	$22,739	$8,575
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative assets, Net amounts	22,739	8,575
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet	-646	-2,279
Fair value of derivative assets, Net	22,093	6,296
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross Amounts	810	6,574
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net amounts	810	6,574
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet	-646	-2,279
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net	164	4,295
Additional netting benefit [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet	-508
Fair value of derivative assets, Net	-508
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet	-508
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net	-508
Designated as hedging instruments [Member] \| Foreign currency forward contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross Amounts	8,404	2,102
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative assets, Net amounts	8,404	2,102
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet		-2,102
Fair value of derivative assets, Net	8,404
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross Amounts		3,855
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net amounts		3,855
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet		-2,102
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net		1,753
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross Amounts	14,335	6,473
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative assets, Net amounts	14,335	6,473
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet	-138	-177
Fair value of derivative assets, Net	14,197	6,296
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross Amounts	810	2,719
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net amounts	810	2,719
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet	-138	-177
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net	672	2,542
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] \| Embedded derivatives [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross Amounts	9,182	6,296
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative assets, Net amounts	9,182	6,296
Fair value of derivative assets, Net	9,182	6,296
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross Amounts	4	115
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net amounts	4	115
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net	4	115
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] \| Economic hedges of embedded derivatives [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross Amounts	390	1,315
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net amounts	390	1,315
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net	390	1,315
Not designated as hedging instruments [Member] \| Foreign currency forward and option contracts [Member]
Derivative [Line Items]
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross Amounts	5,153	177
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative assets, Net amounts	5,153	177
Fair value of derivative assets, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet	-138	-177
Fair value of derivative assets, Net	5,015
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross Amounts	416	1,289
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts offset in the balance sheet	0	0
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net amounts	416	1,289
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Gross amounts not offset in the balance sheet	-138	-177
Fair value of derivative liabilities, Net	$278	$1,112

Fair_Value_Measurements_Financ

Fair Value Measurements - Financial Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on Recurring Basis (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative assets	$22,739	$8,575
Derivative liabilities	810	6,574
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative assets	22,739	8,575
Total financial assets	1,163,490	1,038,667
Derivative liabilities	810	6,574
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Total financial assets	947,357	565,815
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Derivative assets	22,739	8,575
Total financial assets	216,133	472,852
Derivative liabilities	810	6,574
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Cash [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	207,953	186,007
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Cash [Member] \| Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	207,953	186,007
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Money market and deposit accounts [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	402,964	74,787
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Money market and deposit accounts [Member] \| Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	402,964	74,787
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| U.S. government securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial assets	336,440	305,021
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| U.S. government securities [Member] \| Level 1 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Financial assets	336,440	305,021
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| U.S. government agency securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	192,955	125,917
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| U.S. government agency securities [Member] \| Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	192,955	125,917
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Corporate bonds [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		190,177
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Corporate bonds [Member] \| Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		190,177
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Certificates of deposit [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	439	76,152
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Certificates of deposit [Member] \| Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	439	76,152
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Asset-backed securities [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		68,938
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Asset-backed securities [Member] \| Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		68,938
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Commercial paper [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		3,093
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member] \| Commercial paper [Member] \| Level 2 [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$3,093

Leases_Additional_Information_

Leases - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
Leases - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Oct. 31, 2014
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Weighted average effective interest rate of lease	8.43%
Operating leases expire through various dates	2053
Total rent expense	$105,391,000	$112,704,000	$113,338,000
Minimum [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Capital lease expiration period	2015
Maximum [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Capital lease expiration period	2053
Dallas IBX Financing [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Financing obligation liabilities				28,089,000	13,908,000
Expiration date of lease	1-Dec-29
Silicon Valley 2 Capital Lease [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Expiration date of lease	1-Sep-29
Capital lease asset					81,542,000
Capital lease liability					82,000,000
New York 1 Capital Lease [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Expiration date of lease	1-Dec-29
Capital lease asset				28,269,000
Capital lease liability				28,490,000
Hong Kong 2 IBX financing [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Financing obligation liabilities						15,694,000
Expiration date of lease	1-Jun-24
Chicago 2 Capital Lease [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Expiration date of lease	1-Aug-30
Capital lease asset						49,971,000
Capital lease liability						49,971,000
Tokyo 5 IBX financing [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Lease period, in years							40 years
Cumulative minimum rent obligation							31,759,000
Construction start date	1-Oct-14
Financing obligation liabilities	$746,000
Lease commenced date	11/1/15
Expiration date of lease	1-Dec-35
Tokyo 5 IBX financing [Member] \| Non-cancellable [Member]
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Lease period, in years							20 years

Leases_Summary_of_Capital_Leas

Leases - Summary of Capital Lease and Other Financing Obligations (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule Of Capitalized Lease [Line Items]
Current portion of capital lease and other financing obligations	($21,362)	($17,214)
Capital lease and other financing obligations, less current portion	1,168,042	914,032
Capital lease obligations [Member]
Schedule Of Capitalized Lease [Line Items]
2015	58,983
2016	63,720
2017	64,290
2018	66,198
2019	67,793
Thereafter	839,465
Total minimum lease payments	1,160,449
Less amount representing interest	-574,883
Present value of net minimum lease payments	585,566
Current portion of capital lease and other financing obligations	-12,629
Capital lease and other financing obligations, less current portion	572,937
Present value of net minimum lease payments	585,566
Other financing obligations [Member]
Schedule Of Capitalized Lease [Line Items]
2015	54,617
2016	57,990
2017	61,343
2018	62,818
2019	60,943
Thereafter	535,928
Total minimum lease payments	833,639
Plus amount representing residual property value	416,339
Less estimated building costs	-13,740
Less amount representing interest	-632,400
Present value of net minimum lease payments	603,838
Current portion of capital lease and other financing obligations	-8,733
Capital lease and other financing obligations, less current portion	595,105
Present value of net minimum lease payments	603,838
Capital Lease and Other Financing Obligations Total [Member]
Schedule Of Capitalized Lease [Line Items]
2015	113,600
2016	121,710
2017	125,633
2018	129,016
2019	128,736
Thereafter	1,375,393
Total minimum lease payments	1,994,088
Plus amount representing residual property value	416,339
Less estimated building costs	-13,740
Less amount representing interest	-1,207,283
Present value of net minimum lease payments	1,189,404
Current portion of capital lease and other financing obligations	-21,362
Capital lease and other financing obligations, less current portion	1,168,042
Present value of net minimum lease payments	$1,189,404

Leases_Schedule_of_Minimum_Fut

Leases - Schedule of Minimum Future Operating Lease Payments (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014
Leases [Abstract]
2015	$93,376
2016	93,292
2017	88,575
2018	83,399
2019	77,694
Thereafter	557,004
Total	$993,340

Debt_Facilities_Summary_of_Loa

Debt Facilities - Summary of Loans Payable and Senior Notes (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loans payable	$593,471	$250,536
Less the amount representing debt discount	-1,600
Add the amount representing mortgage premium	2,281	2,672
Loans payable current and non current	594,152	253,208
Less current portion	-59,466	-53,508
Loans payable, less current portion	534,686	199,700
Loans payable current and non current	594,152	253,208
U.S. term loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loans payable	500,000	140,000
ALOG financings [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loans payable	56,863	67,882
Mortgage payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loans payable	34,851	40,825
Other loans payable [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loans payable	$1,757	$1,829

Debt_Facilities_Additional_Inf

Debt Facilities - Additional Information (Detail)

12 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Jun. 30, 2012

Dec. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2012

Dec. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2012

Dec. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2012

Dec. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2012

Nov. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2012

Dec. 31, 2014

Oct. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2014

USD ($)

Senior Revolving Credit Line [Member]

U.S. Financing [Member]

ALOG Financings [Member]

Mortgage payable [Member]

2013 ALOG [Member]

Senior credit facility [Member]

USD ($)

U.S. term loan [Member]

Senior Revolving Credit Line [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

USD ($)

BRL

USD ($)

BRL

USD ($)

Revolving credit facility [Member]

Term loan facility [Member]

Revolving Credit Line [Member]

Minimum [Member]

Maximum [Member]

USD ($)

U.S. term loan [Member]

USD ($)

Term loan facility [Member]

Debt Instrument [Line Items]

Line of credit facility, maximum borrowing capacity

$550,000,000

$750,000,000

$200,000,000

$25,536,000

60,318,000

$48,807,000

100,000,000

$1,500,000,000

$1,000,000,000

$500,000,000

Credit facility, term

5 years

Line of credit facility, maturity date

17-Dec-19

Credit facility, frequency of payment

Interest on each series of the notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 1 and July 1 of each year

Semi-annual interest payments

Quarterly

Credit facility, periodic payment

10,000,000

Credit facility, bullet payment

300,000,000

LIBOR rates

The U.S. Term Loan bore interest at a rate based on LIBOR or, at the option of the Company, the Base Rate (defined as the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the Bank of America prime rate and (c) one-month LIBOR plus 1.00%) plus, in either case, a margin that varies as a function of the Company's senior leverage ratio in

The term loan bears interest at a rate based on LIBOR or, at the Company's option, the base rate, which is defined as the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus 1/2 of 1%, (b) the Bank of America prime rate and (c) one-month LIBOR plus, in either case, a margin that varies as a function of the Companybs consolidated net lease adjusted leverage ratio that ranges between 1.25% and 1.75% per annum if the Company elects to use the LIBOR index and in the range of 0.25% to 0.75% per annum if the Company elects to use the base rate index.

Applicable margin rate

0.95%

1.25%

1.60%

2.00%

2.25%

2.75%

1.00%

1.25%

1.40%

1.75%

Margin base rate

0.00%

0.25%

0.60%

1.00%

0.25%

0.75%

Repayment of remaining principal

110,000,000

110,740,000

Sublimit for letters of credit borrowing

150,000,000

Line of credit facility quarterly non-utilization fee range

0.30%

0.40%

0.25%

0.35%

Interest at the rate based on LIBOR

Borrowings under the U.S. Revolving Credit Line bore interest at a rate based on LIBOR or, at the option of the Company, the Base Rate (defined above) plus, in either case, a margin that varies as a function of the Company's senior leverage ratio in the range of 0.95%-1.60% per annum if the Company elected to use the LIBOR index and in the range of 0.00%-0.60% per annum if the Company elected to use the Base Rate index.

Borrowings under the U.S. revolving credit line bear interest at a rate based on LIBOR or, at our option, the base rate, as defined above, plus, in either case, a margin that varies as a function of its consolidated net lease adjusted leverage ratio that ranges between 1.00% and 1.40% per annum if the Company elects to use the LIBOR index and in the range of 0.25% to 0.75% per annum if the Company elects to use the base rate index.

Term loan facility, outstanding amount

3,503,637,000

500,000,000

Effective interest rate

8.43%

14.32%

4.25%

13.82%

1.66%

Number of irrevocable letters of credit

Letters of credit issued

43,330,000

Letters of credit outstanding

43,330,000

Revolving credit facility, amount available to borrow

956,670,000

Debt issuance costs

10,159,000

Loss on debt extinguishment

-156,990,000

-108,501,000

-5,204,000

2,534,000

Mortgage payable

$42,906,000

Mortgage payable expiration date

2022-08

Debt_Facilities_Convertible_De

Debt Facilities - Convertible Debt (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, face amount	$157,885,000	$769,710,000
Less amount representing debt discount	-12,032,000	-45,508,000
Convertible subordinated debt, Total	145,853,000	724,202,000
3.00% Convertible subordinated notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, face amount		395,986,000
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, face amount	157,885,000	373,724,000
Less amount representing debt discount	($12,032,000)	($45,508,000)

Debt_Facilities_Convertible_De1

Debt Facilities - Convertible Debt (Parenthetical) (Detail)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
3.00% Convertible subordinated notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible debt interest rate	3.00%	3.00%	3.00%
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible debt interest rate	4.75%	4.75%	4.75%

Debt_Facilities_Additional_Inf1

Debt Facilities - Additional Information 1 (Detail) (USD $)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
Debt Facilities - Additional Information 1 (Detail) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2009	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Nov. 30, 2014	31-May-14	Sep. 30, 2007
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes aggregate principal amount		$157,885,000	$769,710,000
Interest payable commencement date		1-Jul-15
Credit facility, frequency of payments		Interest on each series of the notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 1 and July 1 of each year
Cash payment		153,473,000	52,500,000	329,111,000
Loss on debt extinguishment		-156,990,000	-108,501,000	-5,204,000
Company election to satisfy obligation in cash	100.00%
Capped call, description		In May and June 2014, the Company amended the Capped Call to provide that early exchanges of the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes would not result in the termination of a relative amount of the Capped Call if the Company did not exercise the Capped Call at the time the 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes were exchanged.
3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes aggregate principal amount					1,595,496					395,986,000
Convertible debt interest rate		3.00%								3.00%
Debt instrument maturity date		15-Oct-14
Interest payable commencement date		15-Apr-08
Credit facility, frequency of payments		Interest is payable semi-annually on April 15 and October 15 of each year
Exchange value of convertible subordinated notes of aggregate principal amount		178,744,000				217,199,000
Convertible subordinated notes common stock					178,741,000	1,948,578
Cash payment						5,387,000
Loss on debt extinguishment							4,210,000
Conversion numerator					8.9264
Conversion rate denominator					1,000
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes aggregate principal amount	373,750,000
Convertible debt interest rate	4.75%	4.75%
Debt instrument maturity date		15-Jun-16
Interest payable commencement date		15-Dec-09
Credit facility, frequency of payments		Interest is payable semi-annually on June 15 and December 15 of each year
Exchange value of convertible subordinated notes of aggregate principal amount						215,830,000			215,830,000
Convertible subordinated notes common stock						2,411,851			2,411,851
Cash payment						51,671,000			51,671,000
Loss on debt extinguishment		46,973,000
Conversion numerator								12.2736
Conversion rate denominator	1,000							1,000
Adjusted conversion price per share								$81.48
Debt conversion, maturity date		15-Mar-16
Subordinated notes converted into common stock		1,937,817
Remaining bond discount amortization period		1 year 5 months 16 days
Capped call premium, total		$49,664,000
Capped call redemption					1,215,406
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member] \| Condition One [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Adjusted conversion price per share		$105.92
Trading period, in days		20
Consecutive trading days		30 days
Adjusted conversion price per share, percentage		130.00%
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member] \| Condition Two [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Consecutive trading days		10 days
Percentage of trading price of convertible subordinated notes, maximum		98.00%
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member] \| Initial conversion rate [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Conversion numerator	11.8599
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Adjusted conversion price per share	84.32	$84.32			$81.48
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Adjusted conversion price per share		$114.82			$110.85

Debt_Facilities_Components_of_

Debt Facilities - Components of Convertible Subordinates Notes (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Less debt discount, net	($12,032)	($45,508)
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Equity component	44,278	104,794
Principal	157,885	373,724
Less debt discount, net	-12,032	-45,508
Net carrying amount	$145,853	$328,216

Debt_Facilities_Components_of_1

Debt Facilities - Components of Total Interest Expense Recognized Related to Convertible Subordinated Notes (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Interest charges incurred	$289,557	$259,400	$230,971
Effective interest rate of the liability component	8.43%
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual interest expense	10,976	17,753
Amortization of debt issuance costs	629	1,022
Amortization of debt discount	10,448	15,482
Interest charges incurred	$22,053	$34,257
Effective interest rate of the liability component	10.88%	10.88%

Debt_Facilities_Summary_of_Sen

Debt Facilities - Summary of Senior Notes (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Nov. 30, 2014	Jul. 31, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes	$2,750,000,000	$2,250,000,000
5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes	1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes	750,000,000			750,000,000
4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes	500,000,000	500,000,000	500,000,000
5.75% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes	500,000,000
7.00% Senior Notes due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes		$750,000,000			$750,000,000

Debt_Facilities_Summary_of_Sen1

Debt Facilities - Summary of Senior Notes (Parenthetical) (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Nov. 30, 2014
5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes stated percentage	5.38%
Senior notes maturity	2023
5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes stated percentage	5.38%	5.38%
Senior notes maturity	2022
4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes stated percentage	4.88%
Senior notes maturity	2020
5.75% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes stated percentage	5.75%
Senior notes maturity	2025
7.00% Senior Notes due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes stated percentage	7.00%
Senior notes maturity	2021

Debt_Facilities_Additional_Inf2

Debt Facilities - Additional Information 2 (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
Debt Facilities - Additional Information 2 (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2011	Nov. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes aggregate principal amount	$2,750,000,000	$2,250,000,000		$2,750,000,000	$2,750,000,000
Interest payable commencement date	1-Jul-15
Credit facility, frequency of payments	Interest on each series of the notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 1 and July 1 of each year
Cash payment	153,473,000	52,500,000	329,111,000
Convertible subordinated notes aggregate principal amount	157,885,000	769,710,000		157,885,000	157,885,000
Accrued and unpaid interest	29,116,000	48,310,000		29,116,000	29,116,000
Loss on debt extinguishment	-156,990,000	-108,501,000	-5,204,000
London 4 and 5 IBX data centers [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on debt extinguishment		13,189,000
New York 5 and 6 IBX data centers [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on debt extinguishment		1,710,000
U.S. Financing [Member] \| U.S. term loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Prepayment and termination of U.S term loan and U.S revolving credit line	2,534,000
7.00% Senior Notes due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes aggregate principal amount		750,000,000				750,000,000
Senior notes stated percentage	7.00%			7.00%	7.00%
Debt instrument maturity date	15-Jul-21
Interest payable commencement date	15-Jan-12
Credit facility, frequency of payments	Interest is payable semi-annually in arrears on January 15 and July 15 of each year
Cash payment				866,861,000
Convertible subordinated notes aggregate principal amount	750,000,000			750,000,000	750,000,000
Debt instrument premium	93,965,000			93,965,000	93,965,000
Accrued and unpaid interest	22,896,000			22,896,000	22,896,000
Loss on debt extinguishment	103,273,000				103,273,000
Redemption premium	93,965,000
Write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs	9,307,000
5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes aggregate principal amount	750,000,000			750,000,000	750,000,000		750,000,000
Senior notes stated percentage	5.38%			5.38%	5.38%		5.38%
Debt instrument maturity date	1-Jan-22
Senior notes indenture outstanding	65.00%
Debt instrument redemption term	At any time prior to January 1, 2018, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2022 Senior Notes (calculated giving effect to any issuance of additional notes of such series) outstanding under the 2022 Senior Notes indenture, at a redemption price equal to 105.375% of the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings, provided that (i) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2022 Senior Notes issued under the 2022 indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption (excluding 2022 Senior Notes held by the Company and its subsidiaries) and (ii) the redemption must occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such equity offerings.
5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable premium as a percentage of principal amount	1.00%			1.00%	1.00%
5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to January 1, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of aggregate principal amount for redemption	35.00%
Redemption price, percentage	100.00%
5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to January 1, 2018 [Member] \| Redeem Upto 35% of Aggregate Principal Amount [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	105.38%
5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes aggregate principal amount							500,000,000
Senior notes stated percentage	5.75%			5.75%	5.75%
Debt instrument maturity date	1-Jan-25
Senior notes indenture outstanding	65.00%
Debt instrument redemption term	At any time prior to January 1, 2018, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes (calculated giving effect to any issuance of additional notes of such series) outstanding under the 2025 Senior Notes indenture, at a redemption price equal to 105.750% of the principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings; provided that (1) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Senior Notes issued under the 2025 Senior Notes indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption (excluding 2025 Senior Notes held by the Company and its subsidiaries); and (2) the redemption must occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such equity offering.
5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable premium as a percentage of principal amount	1.00%			1.00%	1.00%
5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to January 1, 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of aggregate principal amount for redemption	35.00%
5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to January 1, 2018 [Member] \| Redeem Upto 35% of Aggregate Principal Amount [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	105.75%
5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to January 1, 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.00%
5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 and 5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issuance costs, net of amortization	16,762,000			16,762,000	16,762,000
4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes aggregate principal amount	500,000,000	500,000,000		500,000,000	500,000,000			500,000,000
Senior notes stated percentage	4.88%			4.88%	4.88%
Debt instrument maturity date	1-Apr-20
Interest payable commencement date	1-Oct-13
Senior notes indenture outstanding	65.00%
Debt instrument redemption term	At any time prior to April 1, 2016, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes outstanding at a redemption price equal to 104.875% of the principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings; provided that (i) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2020 Senior Notes issued under the 2020 Senior Notes indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption (excluding the 2020 Senior Notes held by the Company and its subsidiaries); and (ii) the redemption must occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such equity offering.
4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable premium as a percentage of principal amount	1.00%			1.00%	1.00%
4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to April 1, 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of aggregate principal amount for redemption	35.00%
Redemption price, percentage	104.88%
4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to April 1, 2017 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.00%
5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes aggregate principal amount	1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000		1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000			1,000,000,000
Senior notes stated percentage	5.38%			5.38%	5.38%
Debt instrument maturity date	1-Apr-23
Senior notes indenture outstanding	65.00%
Debt instrument redemption term	At any time prior to April 1, 2016, the Company may on any one or more occasions redeem up to 35% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes outstanding at a redemption price equal to 105.375% of the principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to, but not including, the redemption date, with the net cash proceeds of one or more equity offerings; provided that (i) at least 65% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Senior Notes issued under the 2023 Senior Notes indenture remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption (excluding the 5.375% Senior Notes held by the Company and its subsidiaries); and (ii) the redemption must occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such equity offering.
5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Applicable premium as a percentage of principal amount	1.00%			1.00%	1.00%
5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to April 1, 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of aggregate principal amount for redemption	35.00%
Redemption price, percentage	105.38%
5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member] \| Debt Instrument Redemption Period Prior to April 12018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.00%
4.875% Senior Notes Due 2020 and 5.375% Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Senior notes aggregate principal amount								1,500,000,000
Credit facility, frequency of payments	Semi-annual interest payments
Debt issuance costs, net of amortization	16,193,000			16,193,000	16,193,000
3.00% and 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on debt extinguishment	51,183,000
8.125% senior notes due 2018 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Loss on debt extinguishment		93,602,000
Redemption premium		80,925,000
Write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs		8,927,000
Other transaction-related fees		$3,750,000

Debt_Facilities_Summary_of_Sen2

Debt Facilities - Summary of Senior Notes Redemption Price Percentage (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2020 [Member] \| 5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.90%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2020 [Member] \| 5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	102.88%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2020 [Member] \| 5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	101.34%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2021 [Member] \| 5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	101.92%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2022 [Member] \| 5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.96%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2023 and Thereafter [Member] \| 5.750% Senior Notes due 2025 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.00%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2018 [Member] \| 5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	102.69%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2018 [Member] \| 4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	101.22%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2018 [Member] \| 5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	104.03%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2019 [Member] \| 5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	101.79%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2019 [Member] \| 5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	102.69%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2021 and Thereafter [Member] \| 5.375% Senior Notes due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.00%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2021 and Thereafter [Member] \| 5.375% Senior Notes due 2022 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.00%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2017 [Member] \| 4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	102.44%
Debt Instrument Redemption Period 2019 and Thereafter [Member] \| 4.875% Senior Notes due 2020 [Member]
Debt Instrument, Redemption [Line Items]
Redemption price, percentage	100.00%

Debt_Facilities_Summary_of_Mat

Debt Facilities - Summary of Maturities of Debt Facilities (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
2015	$59,466
2016	219,071
2017	53,959
2018	48,636
2019	341,478
Thereafter	2,781,027
Total long term debt	$3,503,637

Debt_Facilities_Summary_of_Mat1

Debt Facilities - Summary of Maturities of Debt Facilities (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross amount representing debt discount	$12,032	$45,508
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross amount representing debt discount	12,032	45,508
Term loan facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Gross amount representing debt discount	$1,600

Debt_Facilities_Fair_Value_of_

Debt Facilities - Fair Value of Debt Facilities (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Mortgage and loans payable	$553,045	$254,607
Convertible debt	162,159	1,009,744
Senior notes	$2,790,023	$2,302,290

Debt_Facilities_Interest_Charg

Debt Facilities - Interest Charges (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest expense	$270,553	$248,792	$200,328
Interest capitalized	19,004	10,608	30,643
Interest charges incurred	$289,557	$259,400	$230,971

Redeemable_NonControlling_Inte2

Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests - Activities of Company's Redeemable Non-Controlling Interests (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2014
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Beginning balance	$123,902,000	$123,902,000	$84,178,000
Net income (loss) attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests		-1,179,000	1,438,000	3,116,000
Other comprehensive income attributable to redeemable non-controlling interests	1,810,000	1,810,000	-7,526,000	-6,485,000
Net increase in redemption value of non-controlling interests		90,913,000	47,940,000	21,270,000
Impact of foreign currency translation		1,724,000	-2,128,000
Purchase price of redeemable non-controlling interests		-1,334,000
Ending balance			123,902,000	84,178,000
Acquisition of ALOG [Member]
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Net increase in redemption value of non-controlling interests					-90,966,000
Acquisition of ALOG [Member] \| ALOG Stock Options Settlement Agreement [Member]
Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest [Line Items]
Exercise of vested and outstanding ALOG stock options		$8,459,000

Stockholders_Equity_Additional

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2007	Jun. 30, 2009	Nov. 30, 2011
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, shares authorized	300,000,000	300,000,000
Preferred stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Total consideration for common stock repurchase	$297,958,000	$48,799,000	$13,364,000
Re-issued, value		6,000	12,000
Short term dividend payable	4,559,000
Long term dividend payable	4,972,000
2014 Special Distribution [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Special distribution, amount				416,000,000
Special distribution, per share				$7.57
Special distribution, payable date				25-Nov-14
Record date				27-Oct-14
Maximum percentage of total distribution payable to all stockholders				20.00%
Special distribution, common stock per share				$224.45
Special distribution, common stock shares				1,482,419
Special distribution, common stock amount				83,266,000
Short term dividend payable	4,559,000
Long term dividend payable	4,972,000
2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes	2.50%	2.50%	2.50%
3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes	3.00%					3.00%
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes	4.75%						4.75%
2013 Share Repurchase Program [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Amount authorized under the share repurchase program		500,000,000
Share repurchase expiration date	31-Dec-14	31-Dec-14
Number of common stock shares repurchased during the period	1,517,743	288,739
Average price	$196.32	$169.01
Total consideration for common stock repurchase	297,958,000	48,799,000
Re-issued, shares	1,752,615
Re-issued, value	345,858,000
2013 Share Repurchase Program [Member] \| 3.00% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes	3.00%
2013 Share Repurchase Program [Member] \| 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes	4.75%
2011 Share Repurchase Program [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Amount authorized under the share repurchase program								250,000,000
Share repurchase expiration date	31-Dec-12
Number of common stock shares repurchased during the period			131,489		870,421
Average price			$101.64		$99.57
Total consideration for common stock repurchase			100,030,000
Re-issued, shares	355,477	8,266	638,167
Re-issued, value	$66,424,000	$811,000	$63,354,000
2011 Share Repurchase Program [Member] \| 2.50% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes			2.50%
2011 Share Repurchase Program [Member] \| 4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Convertible subordinated notes	4.75%
Series A [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized	25,000,000
Series A-1 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized	25,000,000
Undesignated [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized	50,000,000

Stockholders_Equity_Schedule_o

Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Reserve for Authorized but Unissued Shares of Common Stock (Detail)	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Increased number of common shares in reserve	12,186,120
Common stock options and restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Increased number of common shares in reserve	6,441,802
Common stock employee purchase plans [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Increased number of common shares in reserve	3,806,501
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Increased number of common shares in reserve	1,937,817

Stockholders_Equity_Schedule_o1

Stockholders' Equity - Schedule of Reserve for Authorized but Unissued Shares of Common Stock (Parenthetical) (Detail) (4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member])	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
4.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Convertible debt interest rate	4.75%	4.75%	4.75%

Stockholders_Equity_Components

Stockholders' Equity - Components of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance as of December 31, 2013	($113,767)
Net Change	-218,676
Balance as of December 31, 2014	-332,443
Foreign currency translation gain (loss) [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance as of December 31, 2013	-132,881
Net Change	-204,065
Balance as of December 31, 2014	-336,946
Unrealized gain (loss) on cash flow hedges [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance as of December 31, 2013	-2,187
Net Change	8,790
Balance as of December 31, 2014	6,603
Unrealized gain (loss) on available for sale securities [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance as of December 31, 2013	180
Net Change	-279
Balance as of December 31, 2014	-99
Unamortized gain (loss) on defined benefit plans [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Net Change	-2,001
Balance as of December 31, 2014	-2,001
Other comprehensive loss (income) attributable to redeemable non-controlling interest [Member]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Line Items]
Balance as of December 31, 2013	21,121
Net Change	($21,121)

Stockholders_Equity_Additional1

Stockholders' Equity - Additional Information (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Other comprehensive income attributable to non-controlling interests	$1,810	$1,810	($7,526)	($6,485)
Purchase of redeemable non-controlling interests		1,334
Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Purchase of redeemable non-controlling interests					$19,311

StockBased_Compensation_Additi

Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
	Nov. 25, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Jul. 31, 2014	31-May-11	31-May-10	31-May-00	Jul. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2001
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition			$297,958,000	$48,799,000	$13,364,000
Number of shares available for future issuance under the employee stock purchase plan			3,806,501
Shares reserved for issuance		500,000
Additional shares for future issuance under the employee stock purchase plan		500,000
Anti dilutive shares added to special distribution plan	3,197
Percentage of purchase price reductions under the employee stock purchase plan			15.00%
Share-based compensation expense not yet recognized			177,741,000
Expected recognized period (in years)			2 years 26 days
Capitalized stock-based compensation expense			3,958,000	3,305,000	1,743,000
Acquisition of ALOG [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Cash consideration for acquisition						8,459,000
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted stock units vested and released, net			$141,980,000	$147,119,000	$68,738,000
2000 Equity Incentive Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, number of shares available for grant			4,172,370
Percentage of fair market value of common stock on the grant date							85.00%
Vesting period (in years)								4 years
Number of shares available for future issuance under the employee stock purchase plan			16,847,005
2000 Director Option Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, number of shares available for grant			505,832
Percentage of fair market value of common stock on the grant date									100.00%
Stock option expiration from grant date									10 years
Vesting period (in years)									4 years
Number of shares available for future issuance under the employee stock purchase plan			593,866
Options granted prior to October 1, 2005 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock option expiration from grant date			10 years
Options granted after October 1, 2005 [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock option expiration from grant date			7 years
ALOG Equity Awards [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock options granted										885,840
Weighted-average exercise price										$6.35
Weighted-average fair value per share										$1.53
2012 ALOG Equity Awards [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, number of shares available for grant			18,421,648
Number of shares immediately vested			4,711,808
2001 Supplemental Stock Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share-based compensation arrangement by share-based payment award, number of shares available for grant				260,248
Stock option expiration from grant date											10 years
Vesting period (in years)				4 years
Number of shares available for future issuance under the employee stock purchase plan				1,494,275
Minimum percentage of fair value of grant											85.00%

StockBased_Compensation_Summar

Stock-Based Compensation - Summary of Stock Option Activity (Detail) (Equinix Equity Awards [Member], USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Equinix Equity Awards [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock options outstanding, beginning balance	148,055	296,529	919,916
Stock options exercised	-71,780	-147,819	-615,754
Stock options canceled		-655	-7,633
Additional shares granted due to special distribution	1,659
Stock options outstanding, ending balance	77,934	148,055	296,529
Stock options outstanding, Weighted average exercise price per share, beginning balance	$73.99	$68.68	$64.96
Stock options vested and exercisable, outstanding	77,934
Stock options exercised, Weighted average exercise price per share	$72.44	$63.66	$63.19
Stock options canceled, Weighted average exercise price per share		$3.06	$63.47
Additional shares granted due to special distribution, Weighted average exercise price per share	$0
Stock options outstanding Weighted average exercise price per share, ending balance	$73.84	$73.99	$68.68
Stock options vested and exercisable, Weighted average exercise price per share	$73.84
Stock options outstanding, weighted average remaining contractual life (years)	1 year 10 months 21 days
Stock options vested and exercisable, Weighted average remaining contractual life (years)	1 year 10 months 21 days
Stock options outstanding, Aggregate intrinsic value	$11,915
Stock options vested and exercisable, Aggregate intrinsic value	$11,915

StockBased_Compensation_Schedu

Stock-Based Compensation - Schedule of Outstanding Stock Options (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining contractual life (years), Outstanding	1 year 10 months 21 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$73.84
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$73.84
Number of shares, Outstanding	77,934
Number of shares, Exercisable	77,934
$29.65 to $56.13 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining contractual life (years), Outstanding	7 months 17 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$43.41
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$43.41
Number of shares, Outstanding	21,800
Number of shares, Exercisable	21,800
Exercise price lower range	$29.65
Exercise price upper range	$56.13
$56.30 to $84.34 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining contractual life (years), Outstanding	1 year 9 months 29 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$80.95
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$80.95
Number of shares, Outstanding	31,806
Number of shares, Exercisable	31,806
Exercise price lower range	$56.30
Exercise price upper range	$84.34
$84.74 to $91.95 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining contractual life (years), Outstanding	3 years 3 months 4 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$91.55
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$91.55
Number of shares, Outstanding	18,208
Number of shares, Exercisable	18,208
Exercise price lower range	$84.74
Exercise price upper range	$91.95
$92.65 to $92.65 [Member]
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Weighted average remaining contractual life (years), Outstanding	2 years 6 months 18 days
Weighted-average exercise price, Outstanding	$92.65
Weighted-average exercise price, Exercisable	$92.65
Number of shares, Outstanding	6,120
Number of shares, Exercisable	6,120
Exercise price lower range	$92.65
Exercise price upper range	$92.65

StockBased_Compensation_Schedu1

Stock-Based Compensation - Schedule of Additional Disclosure for Stock Options (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Total fair value of stock options exercised	$45	$485	$1,111
Total aggregate intrinsic value of stock options exercised	$9,227	$19,385	$54,761

StockBased_Compensation_Summar1

Stock-Based Compensation - Summary of Restricted Stock Unit Activity (Detail) (USD $)	0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Nov. 25, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Additional shares granted due to special distribution	3,197
Restricted Stock Units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Restricted shares outstanding, beginning balance		1,509,382	1,583,840	1,678,265
Restricted shares granted		803,692	775,029	821,885
Additional shares granted due to special distribution		48,171
Restricted shares released, vested		-703,393	-738,767	-777,256
Restricted stock units canceled		-253,878	-110,720	-139,054
Restricted shares outstanding, ending balance		1,403,974	1,509,382	1,583,840
Restricted shares outstanding, Weighted-average grant date fair value, beginning balance		$122.05	$115.22	$85.37
Restricted shares granted, Weighted-average grant date fair value		$190.90	$204.20	$148.93
Additional shares granted due to special distribution, Weighted-average grant date fair value		$224.45
Restricted shares released, vested, Weighted-average grant date fair value		$201.85	$199.14	$88.44
Restricted stock units canceled, Weighted-average grant date fair value		$179.71	$138.27	$103.93
Restricted shares outstanding, Weighted-average grant date fair value, ending balance		$114.56	$122.05	$115.22
Restricted shares outstanding, Weighted-average remaining contractual life (years)		1 year 2 months 12 days
Restricted shares outstanding, Aggregate intrinsic value		$318,323

StockBased_Compensation_Disclo

Stock-Based Compensation - Disclosures for 2004 Purchase Plan (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Weighted-average purchase price per share	$144.95	$108.97	$78.22
Weighted average grant-date fair value per share of shares purchased	$53.37	$41.30	$32.33
Number of shares purchased	166,384	214,985	220,290

StockBased_Compensation_Assump

Stock-Based Compensation - Assumptions in Computation of Fair Value (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Dividend yield	0.00%
Employee stock purchase plans [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Dividend yield	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Expected volatility	34.00%	41.00%	46.00%
Risk-free interest rate	0.19%	0.37%	0.40%
Expected life (in years)	1 year 3 months	1 year 3 months	1 year 3 months

StockBased_Compensation_StockB

Stock-Based Compensation - Stock-Based Compensation Expense Recognized in Company's Consolidated Statement of Operations (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	$117,990	$102,940	$82,735
Stock-based compensation expense	117,990	102,940	82,735
Stock options [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	4,917	3,456	811
Stock-based compensation expense	4,917	3,456	811
Restricted shares and restricted stock units [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	104,235	88,411	73,703
Stock-based compensation expense	104,235	88,411	73,703
Employee stock purchase plans [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	8,838	11,073	8,221
Stock-based compensation expense	8,838	11,073	8,221
Cost of revenues [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	8,511	7,855	6,218
Stock-based compensation expense	8,511	7,855	6,218
Sales and marketing [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	30,084	26,538	18,730
Stock-based compensation expense	30,084	26,538	18,730
General and administrative [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Compensation Cost [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense	79,395	68,547	57,787
Stock-based compensation expense	$79,395	$68,547	$57,787

Income_Taxes_Income_Loss_from_

Income Taxes - Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes Attributable to Geographic Locations (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Domestic	($46,876)	($28,362)	$56,822
Foreign	131,609	140,641	131,800
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	$84,733	$112,279	$188,622

Income_Taxes_Components_of_Tax

Income Taxes - Components of Tax Benefit (Expenses) for Income Taxes from Continuing Operations (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Current:
Federal	($98,445)	($100,035)	($55,064)
State and local	-16,243	-15,260	-21,712
Foreign	-31,844	-29,377	-29,344
Subtotal	-146,532	-144,672	-106,120
Deferred:
Federal	-177,877	111,721	42,568
State and local	-21,539	17,044	14,082
Foreign	489	-249	-9,094
Subtotal	-198,927	128,516	47,556
Provision for income taxes	($345,459)	($16,156)	($58,564)

Income_Taxes_Additional_Inform

Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
Income Taxes - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2007
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Excess tax benefit	$18,561,000	$25,638,000	$84,740,000
Federal income tax rate	35.00%
Income tax rate at full distribution of taxable income	0.00%
Percetage of taxable income distributed	100.00%
Valuation allowances against net deferred tax assets		27,181,000	31,058,000	44,868,000	40,863,000
Valuation allowances against deferred tax assets		721,000	-10,156,000	2,428,000
Net operating loss carryforwards, annual limitation	The analysis indicated that an ownership change occurred during fiscal year 2002, which resulted in an annual limitation of approximately $819,000 for net operating loss carryforwards generated prior to 2003. Therefore, the Company substantially reduced its federal and state net operating loss carryforwards for the periods prior to 2003 to approximately $16,400,000.
Common stock issued	56,505,122	50,233,224
Net operating loss carryforwards attributable to excess tax deductions related to employee stock awards	2,447,000
Interest and penalties of unrecognized tax benefits			719,000
Unrecognized tax benefits decreased, interest and penalties accrued	3,126,000	1,612,000
Unrecognized tax benefits, interest and penalties accrued	5,437,000	8,563,000
Unrecognized tax benefits that would impact effective tax rate	36,138,000
Internal Revenue Code [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Common stock issued						4,211,939
Foreign operating entities [Member]
Income Tax Contingency [Line Items]
Valuation allowances against net deferred tax assets	1,649,000	3,211,000
Valuation allowances against deferred tax assets		$339,000

Income_Taxes_Income_Tax_Reconc

Income Taxes - Income Tax Reconciliation (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal tax at statutory rate	($29,657)	($39,298)	($66,019)
State and local taxes	1,370	7,435	261
Deferred tax assets generated in current year not benefited	-3,311	-4,777	-4,396
Foreign income tax rate differential	20,002	21,392	11,466
Non-deductible expenses	-1,274	-2,525	-2,997
Stock-based compensation expense	-4,496	-3,273	-832
Change in valuation allowance	1,655	1,362	-3,245
Foreign financing benefits	2,981	4,303	7,395
Uncertain tax positions reserve	-463	2,952	2,449
Statutory rate change due to REIT conversion	-324,142
Other, net	-8,124	-3,727	-2,646
Provision for income taxes	($345,459)	($16,156)	($58,564)

Income_Taxes_Schedule_of_Defer

Income Taxes - Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Deferred tax assets:
Property, plant and equipment		$134,727
Reserves and accruals	11,952	42,088
Stock-based compensation expense	1,185	15,877
Operating loss carryforwards	27,687	28,373
Gross deferred tax assets	40,824	221,065
Valuation allowance	-27,181	-31,058	-44,868	-40,863
Total deferred tax assets, net	13,643	190,007
Deferred tax liabilities:
Property, plant and equipment	-78,261
Unrealized currency losses	-502	-2,030
Debt discount		-9,347
Fixed assets fair value step-up	-7,210	-24,531
Intangible assets	-28,433	-58,499
Total deferred tax liabilities	-114,406	-94,407
Net deferred assets (tax liabilities)	($100,763)	$95,600

Income_Taxes_Changes_in_Valuat

Income Taxes - Changes in Valuation Allowance for Deferred Tax Assets (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Beginning balance	$31,058	$44,868	$40,863
Recognized into income	-1,655	-1,362	3,503
Current Increase (Decrease)	721	-10,156	2,428
NOL and tax credit expiration	238	11	14
Translation adjustment	-3,181	-2,303	-1,940
Ending balance	$27,181	$31,058	$44,868

Income_Taxes_Schedule_of_Net_O

Income Taxes - Schedule of Net Operating Loss Carryforwards (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	501,330
2015 to 2016 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	42,212
2017 to 2019 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	47,754
2020 to 2022 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	238,919
2023 to 2025 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	27,474
2026 to 2028 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	12,580
2029 to 2031 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	3,117
Thereafter [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	129,274
Minimum [Member] \| 2015 to 2016 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-15
Minimum [Member] \| 2017 to 2019 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-17
Minimum [Member] \| 2020 to 2022 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-20
Minimum [Member] \| 2023 to 2025 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-23
Minimum [Member] \| 2026 to 2028 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-26
Minimum [Member] \| 2029 to 2031 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-29
Maximum [Member] \| 2015 to 2016 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-16
Maximum [Member] \| 2017 to 2019 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-19
Maximum [Member] \| 2020 to 2022 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-22
Maximum [Member] \| 2023 to 2025 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-25
Maximum [Member] \| 2026 to 2028 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-28
Maximum [Member] \| 2029 to 2031 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Expiration dates	31-Dec-31
Federal [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	252,414
Federal [Member] \| 2020 to 2022 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	213,390
Federal [Member] \| 2023 to 2025 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	26,838
Federal [Member] \| 2026 to 2028 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	12,186
State [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	45,155
State [Member] \| 2015 to 2016 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	39,358
State [Member] \| 2017 to 2019 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	190
State [Member] \| 2020 to 2022 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	1,460
State [Member] \| 2023 to 2025 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	636
State [Member] \| 2026 to 2028 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	394
State [Member] \| 2029 to 2031 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	3,117
Foreign [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	203,761
Foreign [Member] \| 2015 to 2016 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	2,854
Foreign [Member] \| 2017 to 2019 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	47,564
Foreign [Member] \| 2020 to 2022 [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	24,069
Foreign [Member] \| Thereafter [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating Loss Carryforwards	129,274

Income_Taxes_Schedule_of_Net_O1

Income Taxes - Schedule of Net Operating Loss Carryforwards (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards that will not be available to offset	$283,805
Federal [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards that will not be available to offset	241,766
State [Member]
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Net operating loss carryforwards that will not be available to offset	$42,039

Income_Taxes_Reconciliation_of

Income Taxes - Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Beginning balance	$36,552	$25,050	$34,105
Gross increases related to prior year tax positions	1,200	14,596	1,244
Gross decreases related to prior year tax positions	-984	-3,028	-6,625
Gross increases related to current year tax positions	1,538	1,498	81
Decreases resulting from expiration of statute of limitation	-1,112	-1,564	-2,741
Decreases resulting from settlements	-1,056		-1,014
Ending balance	$36,138	$36,552	$25,050

Commitments_and_Contingencies_

Commitments and Contingencies - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014
	Claims
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Number of pending claims	0
Indemnification agreements [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Liabilities under guarantor agreements	0
Indemnification agreement two [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Liabilities under guarantor agreements	0
Service level credits [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Liabilities under guarantor agreements	0
Miscellaneous purchase commitments [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Purchase commitments	298,075,000
Capital expenditures [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Purchase commitments	98,092,000

Related_Party_Transactions_Act

Related Party Transactions - Activity of Related Party Transactions (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Revenues	$8,392	$20,140	$31,607
Costs and services	8,351	4,819	2,248
Accounts receivable	1,022	1,776
Accounts payable		$2

Segment_Information_Additional

Segment Information - Additional Information (Detail)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
	Segment
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of reportable segments	3

Segment_Information_Schedule_o

Segment Information - Schedule of Adjusted EBITDA (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Americas	$1,113,891	$1,000,898	$887,857
Depreciation, amortization and accretion expense	-484,129	-431,008	-393,543
Stock-based compensation expense	-117,990	-102,940	-82,735
Restructuring charges		4,837
Impairment charges	0	0	-9,861
Acquisitions costs	-2,506	-10,855	-8,822
Income from operations	509,266	460,932	392,896
Americas [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Americas	635,007	608,718	557,800
EMEA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Americas	269,222	216,186	183,612
Asia-Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Americas	$209,662	$175,994	$146,445

Segment_Information_Segment_Di

Segment Information - Segment Disclosures (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$2,443,776	$2,152,766	$1,887,376
Total depreciation and amortization	481,691	432,731	390,689
Capital expenditures	676,994	696,830	1,098,648
Americas [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	1,376,103	1,264,774	1,151,917
Total depreciation and amortization	261,018	254,365	235,637
Capital expenditures	333,315	335,377	431,325
EMEA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	637,265	525,018	432,920
Total depreciation and amortization	114,511	90,891	79,702
Capital expenditures	151,634	220,457	283,174
Asia-Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	430,408	362,974	302,539
Total depreciation and amortization	106,162	87,475	75,350
Capital expenditures	$192,045	$140,996	$384,149

Segment_Information_Segment_Di1

Segment Information - Segment Disclosures (Parenthetical) (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$2,443,776	$2,152,766	$1,887,376
Purchase of business, net of cash acquired		49,337	309,492
Purchase of real estate	16,791	74,332	24,656
U.S. [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	1,257,661	1,157,790	1,056,152
Ancotel Acquisition [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Purchase of business, net of cash acquired	84,236
Dubai IBX Data Center Acquisition [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Purchase of business, net of cash acquired	22,918
EMEA [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	637,265	525,018	432,920
Asia-Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	430,408	362,974	302,539
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| EMEA [Member] \| Frankfurt Kleyer 90 Carrier Hotel Acquisition [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Purchase of business, net of cash acquired	50,092
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Asia-Pacific [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Purchase of real estate	16,791
Reportable Geographical Components [Member] \| Asia-Pacific [Member] \| Asia Tone [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Purchase of business, net of cash acquired	$202,338

Segment_Information_LongLived_

Segment Information - Long-Lived Assets (Detail) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Company's long-lived assets	$4,998,270	$4,591,650
Americas [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Company's long-lived assets	2,874,562	2,549,863
EMEA [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Company's long-lived assets	1,135,319	1,188,559
Asia-Pacific [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Company's long-lived assets	$988,389	$853,228

Segment_Information_LongLived_1

Segment Information - Long-Lived Assets (Parenthetical) (Detail) (Americas [Member], USD $)	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Americas [Member]
Revenues from External Customers and Long-Lived Assets [Line Items]
Long-lived assets attributed to the U.S.	$2,609,268	$2,328,755

Segment_Information_Revenue_In

Segment Information - Revenue Information by Category (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenue	$2,443,776	$2,152,766	$1,887,376
Recurring Revenues [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenue	2,317,790	2,049,962	1,797,068
Recurring Revenues [Member] \| Colocation [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenue	1,829,812	1,628,179	1,433,694
Recurring Revenues [Member] \| Interconnection [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenue	372,350	319,863	272,103
Recurring Revenues [Member] \| Managed infrastructure services [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenue	105,292	97,400	88,109
Recurring Revenues [Member] \| Rental [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenue	10,336	4,520	3,162
Non-recurring Revenues [Member]
Revenue from External Customer [Line Items]
Revenue	$125,986	$102,804	$90,308

Restructuring_Charges_Addition

Restructuring Charges - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges	$0
2004 Restructuring Charge [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charges represents the present value of the estimated future cash payments	$17,685,000

Restructuring_Charges_Summary_

Restructuring Charges - Summary of Accrued Restructuring Charges (Detail) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Restructuring charge adjustments	$4,837
Cash payments for restructuring charges	-4,837
Restructuring charges [Member]
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Accrued restructuring charge, beginning balance	5,679	7,680
Accretion expense	137	416
Restructuring charge adjustments	-4,837
Cash payments for restructuring charges	-979	-2,417
Accrued restructuring charge, ending balance		$5,679

Subsequent_Events_Additional_I

Subsequent Events - Additional Information (Detail) (Subsequent Event [Member], USD $)	1 Months Ended
	Feb. 28, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Dividends declared date	2015-02
Cash dividend declaration per share	$1.69
Special distribution, payable date	25-Mar-15
Dividends payable, date of Record	11-Mar-15
California [Member]
Subsequent Event [Line Items]
Purchase price		$38,309,000
Payment for the non-refundable deposits		$2,000,000

Quarterly_Financial_Informatio2

Quarterly Financial Information - Quarterly Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenues	$638,121	$620,441	$605,161	$580,053	$564,677	$543,084	$528,871	$516,134
Gross profit	324,672	316,389	312,302	292,528	294,934	274,124	261,762	257,543
Net income (loss) attributable to Equinix	-355,103	42,841	11,328	41,387	45,187	42,471	-25,816	32,843	-259,547	94,685	140,028
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Equinix	($450,067)	($97,814)	$33,640	$55,329	$53,151	$120,822	($51,631)	($40,382)	($458,912)	$81,960	$182,684
Earnings per share ("EPS") attributable to Equinix (Note 3):
Basic EPS	($6.42)	$0.81	$0.22	$0.83	$0.91	$0.86	($0.52)	$0.67	($4.96)	$1.92	$2.92
Diluted EPS	($6.42)	$0.79	$0.22	$0.81	$0.88	$0.83	($0.52)	$0.65	($4.96)	$1.89	$2.83