Equinix Scales Fast in Southeast Asia Through Strategic Acquisitions and Partnerships

Equinix Inc. is accelerating its push across Southeast Asia, relying on strategic partnerships and targeted acquisitions to expand high-performance infrastructure and capture demand in the region’s booming digital markets.

In May, Equinix completed the acquisition of three data centers from Total Information Management (TIM) in Metro Manila and Cavite, Philippines. The deal added more than 1,000 cabinets to its footprint and marked the company’s formal entry into the Philippines, a market where the digital economy already contributes 8.5% of GDP, or roughly US$45 billion.

Equinix President for Asia-Pacific Cyrus Adaggra said the expansion boosts interconnection across the region. “These facilities allow our customers and partners to scale securely within one of Southeast Asia’s most vibrant digital ecosystems.”

The Manila acquisition followed a joint venture announcement earlier this year with PT Astra International Tbk, which led to the opening of JK1, Equinix’s first International Business Exchange (IBX) data center in Jakarta. The eight-story facility supports high-density AI workloads with advanced cooling technologies and 100% renewable energy coverage through credits. Initial capacity is 550 cabinets, with room to scale to 1,600.

Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Investment Information Technology, Ricky Kusmayadi, welcomed the launch, calling it a key step in the country’s bid to become a digital hub. “This collaboration between global and local partners supports our vision and invites further investment in the country’s data center industry.”

Strategic Partnerships Define the Path Forward

Equinix now operates 270 data centers globally, including 63 in the Asia-Pacific region. Its Southeast Asia footprint includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the Philippines, with plans to enter Thailand. That expansion is increasingly driven by partnerships with local players that accelerate timelines, reduce integration risks, and provide critical access to land, power, and regulatory pathways.

The strategy reflects a broader industry shift: operators are finding that fragmented infrastructure and siloed expansion models are costly and slow to scale. Strategic alliances, by contrast, enable faster delivery of AI-ready capacity and regional interoperability.

Southeast Asia attracted US$230 billion in foreign direct investment last year, defying global economic headwinds. For infrastructure players, the message is clear: scale and resilience depend on networked ecosystems, not stand-alone assets.

As AI, cloud, and e-commerce reshape the region’s digital future, strategic partnerships will remain the cornerstone of sustained infrastructure leadership.

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Rex Sayson

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