Alibaba Cloud is overhauling its AI partner ecosystem, unveiling the “Partner Rainforest Plan” during its annual Partner Summit 2024.
The Chinese tech giant’s cloud division has outlined several new initiatives, including an AI partner accelerator programme, enhanced incentives, and a refreshed global strategy for service partners, as it seeks to strengthen its position in the market.
Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, said: “At Alibaba Cloud, we believe that collaboration is the key to unlocking innovation and driving growth. Our global partners are not just participants, they are the architects of a new digital landscape in the AI era.
The company’s new AI Alliance Accelerator Programme aims to establish partnerships with 50 AI technology providers and 50 channel partners by 2025. Selected technology partners will receive enhanced technical support, expanded distribution channels, and dedicated AI consulting services, while channel partners will benefit from increased financial incentives for AI-related initiatives.
Alibaba Cloud has also introduced its Revitalised Service Partner Programme, designed to upskill existing partners and cultivate new ones through AI training and empowerment. The programme includes the joint development of Managed Large Language Model Services with service partners, leveraging the company’s generative AI capabilities.
The cloud provider has also committed to extending strategic partnerships with 18 service partners – including prominent names such as Deloitte, Accenture, and Cognizant Worldwide – from its existing pool of 50 global standard service partners.
In various regional developments, Alibaba Cloud has established strategic partnerships across Asia:
- Indonesia: The company has partnered with Telkom Indonesia to deliver AI-supported cloud solutions and develop digital talent.
- Japan: Information security firm Securai will localise Alibaba Cloud’s Zstack service for the Japanese market.
- Thailand: A memorandum of understanding with Yell Group aims to address growing demand for generative AI in the creative media industry.
The company, which currently maintains partnerships with approximately 12,000 organisations worldwide – including industry leaders such as Salesforce, Fortinet, IBM, and Neo4j – has introduced a Synergistic Incentive Programme to foster collaboration between its global technology and channel partners.
“Today, with our revamped global partner ecosystem, we are committed to supporting our global partners to jointly reap the benefits of the AI era and meet the diverse business demands of global customers,” Yuan concludes.
(Photo by Hannah Busing)
See also: Alibaba Marco-o1: Advancing LLM reasoning capabilities
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