Equinix Change to REIT Seen Saving $312 Million in Taxes: Tech

Equinix Inc., operator of data centers for companies such as AT&T Inc. and Amazon.com Inc., is the latest technology business to consider changing its corporate status to cut hundreds of millions of tax dollars.

Demand for Equinix’s services is booming as more companies and consumers turn to the company to manage their Web traffic, mobile apps and online video. As Equinix’s data centers -- essentially computer-age warehouses -- continue to sprawl, the property required to house them has convinced Chief Executive Officer Stephen Smith that the time may be ripe to redefine the business as a real estate investment trust, a designation set aside for companies that invest heavily in real estate.