Accelerating lead time & simplifying choices inside the cabinet with Smart Build

Predefined options for faster, easier cabinet deployments

Decisions, decisions … Have you ever felt overwhelmed by too many choices? Sometimes, more options create complexity rather than flexibility. That’s why Equinix’s Smart Build is designed to streamline decision-making and speed up cage deployments for our customers.

Making it easier to do business with us 

Once a customer has purchased space and power from Equinix, they need to pivot on the nitty-gritty of getting it up and running—the extra things you don't think about but matter to ensure a seamless setup and experience.

That’s where Smart Build comes in, offering key solutions for custom parts, plus labor and accessories that help get deployments up and running. And our new Accessories model moves us toward pre-selected, off-the-shelf options that accelerate lead times.

Think of it like building out a kitchen—you could install a custom Viking range, but for most, a high-quality GE range does the job just as well, at a better cost and with quicker access. Similarly, our Accessories offer reliable, pre-approved products with set delivery SLAs that meet most customers' needs without the long wait. While we still support custom builds, we want to make it easier for customers by offering predefined, pre-approved, and pre-priced options that seamlessly fit within our power and IBX space constraints

Offloading the heavy lifting to Equinix

Under the Smart Build umbrella, we also offer Smart Hands, a service that provides on-demand, remote maintenance for our colocation customers. If a customer isn’t physically present at a site, they can call on Smart Hands to reboot a server, inspect hardware, or perform other essential tasks. Think of it like home maintenance—sure, you could go to a hardware store to fix a leaky faucet yourself, but most people prefer calling a plumber. With Smart Hands, customers get expert support without the hassle

What’s next on the roadmap?

Our top priority is standardization—getting customers up and running faster by removing complexity from quote to fulfillment.

• Expanding accessories: By the end of the year, we’ll be broadening our add-on accessories program, offering more ready-to-deploy solutions inside the cabinet. This means faster deployments and less guesswork for customers. For example, we’re adding copper, fiber, and basket trays to help customers easily organize and connect their infrastructure cabling between cabinets
• Introducing visualization tools: We’re working on tools that will allow customers to see their cage layout before deployment. Imagine designing a car online—choosing specs, colors, and features before buying. We want to bring that experience to our customers, helping them drag and drop cabinets, power distribution units (PDUs), and other elements into a virtual cage layout to make decisions faster