Alibaba Cloud unveils global AI partner accelerator plan

Alibaba Cloud has announced a new initiative aimed at enhancing its global AI partner ecosystem.

The initiative, dubbed the "Alibaba Cloud Partner Rainforest Plan," includes an AI partner accelerator programme, an enhanced incentive scheme, and a renewed global strategy for service partners. The aim is to drive growth of partners worldwide, with a particular focus on boosting artificial intelligence and cloud computing solutions in various sectors.

Selina Yuan, President of International Business at Alibaba Cloud Intelligence, stated, "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. Today, with our revamped global partner ecosystem, we are committed to supporting our global partners to jointly reap the benefits of AI era and meet the diverse business demand of global customers."

In support of increasing global demand for AI technology, Alibaba Cloud unveiled the AI Alliance Accelerator Program. This initiative aims to establish a dedicated AI partner ecosystem by collaborating with 50 AI technology partners and 50 channel partners by 2025.

The programme offers AI technology partners enhanced technical support, wider distribution channels, collaborative go-to-market resources, and dedicated AI consulting services. Channel partners will benefit from increased financial incentives and market development funds for AI-related initiatives. The initiative seeks to enhance the enablement of partners and accelerate their digital transformation using Alibaba Cloud's AI capabilities and global technology reach.

Alongside these efforts, Alibaba Cloud launched the Revitalized Service Partner Program. This will involve training and empowering new and existing service partners to diversify their revenue streams by adding consulting, implementation, and managed services to their offerings. This programme will also see collaboration with service partners on developing AI-focused services, such as the Managed Large Language Model Service.

The company also announced plans to expand strategic partnerships with 18 service partners out of its existing 50 global standard service partners. This expansion, which includes partners like Whale Cloud, Bespin Global, and Deloitte, will focus on resource sharing and complementing capabilities to build a comprehensive service system.

The Synergistic Incentive Program was also introduced to strengthen collaboration between technology and channel partners. This program broadens the go-to-market pathway, allowing technology partners to increase revenue through Alibaba Cloud's channel network while also expanding the product portfolio available to channel partners.

The company is enhancing collaborations with global and regional partners to support global customers in the AI era, including a strategic partnership with Telkom Indonesia and collaborations with Securai in Japan and Yell Group in Thailand. These partnerships aim to support digital transformation, address growing demands for cloud services, and encourage AI-driven growth across different industries.

Currently, Alibaba Cloud partners with around 12,000 businesses globally, including major firms like Salesforce, Fortinet, IBM, and Neo4j.