WORLDTECHLumen and Microsoft widen co-selling to link AI data through Azure
Microsoft and Lumen Technologies have expanded their co-selling collaboration, dated November 2, 2026, and are focusing on the connections enterprise AI workloads depend on. The companies present the aim as helping businesses link the data, applications and infrastructure that AI runs on.
What the companies agreed
Microsoft announced the expanded co-selling collaboration on Monday, framing it as a response to a central obstacle in enterprise AI adoption: connecting the information, software and infrastructure on which AI workloads operate. Under the arrangement, Lumen intends to make its full range of cloud networking and application connectivity offerings available on Azure, so that customers can reach and roll out those offerings more easily through Microsoft's cloud and AI ecosystem.
The two companies also plan joint account planning around enterprise opportunities where network modernisation, migration to the Azure cloud platform and AI transformation increasingly overlap. Over time they intend to identify further Lumen capabilities that could be brought to Azure and Microsoft Marketplace.
Why networks are part of the AI problem
According to the announcement, organisations need to draw on data and applications spread across public clouds, private data centres, offices and partner environments as their AI initiatives grow. The networks linking those environments often remain fragmented and complex.
Lumen says its capabilities allow customers to align network transformation with Azure modernisation plans earlier, so that connectivity, security, data movement and AI infrastructure decisions are planned together as part of a single enterprise architecture.
Marketplace option and stated priorities
Alkira, a Lumen Connect solution available through Microsoft Marketplace, gives customers an established purchasing option for its cloud-native networking capabilities. Microsoft and Lumen list three priorities for the collaboration: connecting distributed data for AI by linking enterprise sites, data centres and clouds; simplifying hybrid and multi-cloud networking with consistent policies and visibility; and adapting to changing needs by connecting new clouds, partners and applications without treating each as a separate networking project.
Lumen and Microsoft say they will share further details as their joint go-to-market plans progress.
Open questions
- When will the companies share the additional details they have promised?
- Which further Lumen capabilities will be brought to Azure and Microsoft Marketplace?