Equinix goes partner prospecting with AI

Multinational data infrastructure company Equinix has been capitalizing on machine learning (ML) since 2018, thanks to an initiative that uses ML probabilistic modeling to predict prospective customers’ likelihood of buying Equinix offerings — a program that has contributed millions of dollars in revenue since its inception.

But as the company evolved since the launch of that project, so did its reliance on channel partners to accelerate customer acquisition and expansion. So, in 2021 Equinix revisited its prospecting platform to take it a step further by adding a data-driven sales prospecting approach that uses AI to identify partners best positioned to help the company drive new sales, both globally and within specific regions and countries.

That’s because, in certain geographies, sectors, and industries, Equinix’s channel partners are uniquely positioned to address customer demand for unbiased guidance, integrated solutions, and advanced services. Case in point: the federal sector, where it is critical to identify partners with necessary clearance and previously established relationships.

“Unlocking the immense potential of AI to deliver a tangible impact to our business was a big priority for our IT organization,” says Milind Wagle, the company’s CIO. “Building an innovative, intelligent AI-based prospecting engine for our channel program was the perfect use case that enabled us to combine the power of AI technology innovation, build competitive market differentiation for the company, and help improve the experience for our customers and our channel partners.”

Dubbed “AI-driven partner prospecting,” the initiative  pinpoints which prospective customers are best served via Equinix direct sales versus indirect partner or channel sales. The initiative, which earned Equinix a 2023 CIO 100 Award in IT Excellence, has two goals: To identify partners with the highest potential to drive new logo acquisition, and to prioritize those partners that are predicted to generate the highest bookings value.

“This allows Equinix to focus its investments and resources on the partners best suited for joint sales and resell activities,” says Ted Dangson, senior director of applied AI strategy and analytics at Equinix.