Equinix's EMEA channel boss on why it will never follow in Rackspace's footsteps
.jpg)
Equinix claims it "cannot" follow in the footsteps of Rackspace in transforming itself into a fully-fledged managed service provider.
The US-based datacentre player is eyeing up opportunities to grow its services on offer to customers and channel partners but rejected the notion that it would move away from being a hosting provider.
Its EMEA channel boss Oren Yehudai told CRN's sister publication Channel Partner Insight that this is simply a move Equinix could not make.
"We just cannot. It's not about if we want to or not, we just can't go in that direction," he said.
This is mainly because Equinix, as a firm which owns a lot of "real estate" in the form of datacentres, is publicly listed as a real estate investment trust (REIT). As such, it is required to deliver at least 75 per cent of its gross income from property rentals or sales from real estate.
But Yehudai also said Equinix's channel business has become invaluable and is cautious that growing its services business in the wrong way could sever its partner relationships.
Equinix's total revenues were $5.07bn (£4.11bn) in 2018, of which just $280m came from managed infrastructure services.
"That's one of the internal discussions that we are having, and I think it's a sign that we're maturing as a channel organisation," he said.
"I always see vendor services as a two-edged sword; it can be a huge value to the partner ecosystem, and it can be a threat. So what I don't want to do is offer a service to our direct customers, where I'm taking money away from a partner."
In Equinix's recent Q2 results, the channel accounted for 25 per cent of net new bookings, claims Yehudai, and 60 per cent of total new customers acquired during the quarter.
The firm said last year that its channel business will account for 30 per cent of total revenues by 2021, up from around 20 per cent currently.
It has bulked up its channel sales teams across the UK, the Netherlands, France and Germany and put new channel-facing roles in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Poland and Dubai.
The EMEA boss said there is no threat of Equinix following in the footsteps of hosting provider-turned-MSP Rackspace.
Rackspace was once an established hosting provider but has changed its business model to services as a consequence of public cloud providers such as AWS, Microsoft and Google pouring investment into space.
Now Rackspace partners with public cloud providers to deliver managed services, becoming a perceived threat to the partners it once served.
"When Rackspace did that, it could be that it was a deliberate choice, or it could be that it's one of those things where you start with something and then because you lose the confidence of the ecosystem, then you have to fill that gap," said Yehudai.
"I discussed this with the partners - you don't have the threat that we will try to vertically integrate and all of a sudden become a managed service provider because we will lose our status."
source channelweb
Industry: Data Centre
Latest Jobs
-
- Account Director | Cyber Security Consulting | UK - South East
- London
- N/A
-
Account Director | Cyber Security Consulting - Financial Services | UK - South East. New Role due to Growth We are looking for an experienced Account Director to develop and expand existing relationships across the financial services sector, working with investment firms, asset managers, private equity groups and strategic partners to deliver intelligent cyber consulting and a bespoke Cyber product offerings. You will act as a trusted advisor, helping organisations strengthen digital resilience, manage third-party and regulatory risk and adopt a proactive approach to cyber assurance. Key Responsibilities Manage a defined portfolio of financial clients, understanding business priorities and aligning tailored cyber solutions. Drive new client engagement while nurturing existing partnerships through a consultative, long-term approach. Present the benefits of advanced cyber services including threat intelligence, vulnerability management, incident readiness, and continuous risk monitoring. Collaborate with technical and delivery teams to ensure smooth engagement from proposal through to implementation and ongoing support. Prepare proposals, negotiate commercial terms, and clearly articulate value and business outcomes. Build trusted relationships at senior and board level. Ideal Profile Strong background in cybersecurity, consulting, or risk management within financial services. Skilled communicator with proven success managing and growing key accounts. Able to translate complex technical insight into commercial and strategic value for clients. Confident engaging with senior stakeholders and decision makers. Please note: Sponsorship is not available.
-
- SOC Analyst- Level 2- Hybrid Greater London
- London
- N/A
-
SOC Analyst- Level 2- Hybrid Greater London New opportunity created through continued growth. We’re looking for a SOC Analyst (Level 2) to strengthen a growing managed security team. You’ll work hands-on with Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR, investigating alerts, responding to incidents, and helping improve how clients stay protected. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys unravelling security events, thinking critically under pressure, and making a real difference day to day. What you’ll do · Investigate and respond to security activity across SIEM and endpoint tools · Analyse network and log data to uncover real threats · Support automation initiatives to streamline response processes · Help maintain visibility, data flow, and performance across SOC platforms What you’ll need · Practical experience using Microsoft Sentinel and Defender XDR · Confident working with KQL or similar query languages · Understanding of attacker tactics and response techniques · SC-200 certifications would be nice. · Experience supporting multiple customer environments Please note: Sponsorship is not available.
-
- Senior SOC Engineer - UK - New role due to growth
- London
- N/A
-
Senior SOC Engineer – New role due to growth We are hiring a Senior SOC Engineer to take the lead across security operations for a growing managed service. You will lead detection, response and onboarding activity across multiple clients, helping shape how the SOC evolves. Expect variety; from fine-tuning alerts and threat hunting to supporting customers and mentoring junior analysts. What you’ll bring · Strong experience across SIEM, EDR, and threat detection tools · Confident working with customers in a managed service environment · Skilled in scripting or query languages such as KQL or PowerShell · Knowledge of frameworks like NIST, ISO27001, MITRE ATT&CK · Calm communicator with a problem-solving mindset · Experience with Azure Lighthouse or delegated access models · Prior involvement in automation or SOC improvement projects Location: South East England- Hybrid role Please note: Sponsorship cannot be offered now or in the future.
-
- SENIOR Cyber Risk Consultant. Cyber Risk consultancy - the right way. UK. Hybrid - Remote first
- United Kingdom
- N/A
-
Senior Cyber Risk Consultant needed. New position due to growth Seeking a passionate Cyber Security Risk Consultant who enjoys helping clients make a different to their business. Dedicated training budgets, Unlimited holiday structured career path, Work life balance guaranteed Cyber Risk consultancy done the right way. A successful individual will have experience working with clients to identify business cyber security risk. This is a remote first opportunity which means you will spend the majority of your time working remotely. You will however spend some time meeting clients as well as meeting up with the team on a monthly basis.. Some of the nice to have certifications. CRISC, ISO27001 Lead implementer, CISA, CISM, CISSP Unable to offer Visa sponsorship now or in the future.