Zayo and Equinix unveil first AI infrastructure blueprint

DENVER - Zayo and Equinix (NASDAQ:EQIX), the $77.29 billion market cap data center giant with a GOOD Financial Health Score according to InvestingPro, have jointly released an AI Infrastructure Blueprint, establishing a standardized framework for connecting AI workloads across distributed networks and data centers. Based on InvestingPro’s Fair Value analysis, Equinix currently appears to be trading above its Fair Value.

The blueprint, announced Thursday, addresses the growing challenge of scaling network infrastructure to support AI applications by defining how high-capacity networks, interconnection hubs, and data centers should work together to support both training and inference workloads. With revenue of $8.93 billion in the last twelve months and growing at 5.48%, Equinix demonstrates strong market positioning in the data center space.

"AI is transforming the digital infrastructure landscape, but there’s been no playbook for connecting training, inference, and enterprise infrastructure," said Bill Long, Chief Product and Strategy Officer at Zayo.

The framework leverages Zayo’s fiber backbone network alongside Equinix’s global connectivity fabric and 270+ interconnection hubs to create a repeatable model for AI deployment. It aims to reduce complexity and accelerate implementation for neocloud providers and enterprises deploying AI solutions.

According to the companies, the blueprint provides validated reference designs, practical guidance for long-term AI growth, and establishes common terminology across the AI networking ecosystem.

The announcement comes as AI-driven bandwidth demand is projected to increase up to six times by 2030. Zayo is responding with plans to build over 5,000 new route miles of long-haul fiber and is in the process of acquiring Crown Castle’s fiber solutions business, which would add 100,000+ metro route miles to its network.

Equinix simultaneously announced its Distributed AI infrastructure approach at its AI Summit, including an AI-ready backbone, a global AI Solution Lab, and Fabric Intelligence to support next-generation enterprise workloads.

The collaboration represents a significant step toward standardizing the infrastructure required for AI deployment at scale, based on a press release statement from the companies. Analysts maintain a bullish outlook on Equinix’s prospects, with price targets ranging from $804 to $1,200 per share. For deeper insights into Equinix’s growth strategy and financial metrics, check out the comprehensive Pro Research Report available on InvestingPro, which includes exclusive ProTips and detailed analysis of the company’s competitive position in the AI infrastructure market.

In other recent news, Equinix, Inc. announced the launch of a Distributed AI infrastructure aimed at supporting advanced AI deployments, including agentic AI. This new offering includes an AI-ready backbone for distributed deployments and a global AI Solutions Lab for testing new solutions. Additionally, Equinix has opened its first data center in Chennai, India, marking a significant expansion beyond its existing operations in Mumbai. The new facility, named CN1, represents an initial investment of $69 million and will eventually support up to 4,250 cabinets.

In governance developments, Equinix appointed Dr. Yanbing Li to its Board of Directors. Dr. Li is the Chief Product Officer at Datadog and has held notable positions at Aurora and Google. Furthermore, Equinix has partnered with several energy companies to develop new power sources for its global data centers. This collaboration includes agreements with next-generation nuclear technology providers to address electricity demands and potential power constraints. Meanwhile, Citizens JMP analyst Patrick Walravens maintained a Market Outperform rating on DocuSign Inc., with a price target of $124.00, citing the ease of selling DocuSign’s software solutions.

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