DataBank Hires Former Rackspace Exec as Channel Chief

DataBank, the provider of enterprise-class data center, connectivity and managed services, has appointed William Pratt, previously with Rackspace and Datapipe, as vice president of channel and managed services sales.

The newly created position bolsters DataBank’s channel partner program and further ensures that its suite is “optimized to complement the channel’s offerings and meet end-user requirements,” the company said. Pratt is responsible for the partner program’s strategic vision and overall growth.

DataBank’s William Pratt

In addition, Pratt will oversee the company’s go-to-market strategy for managed services and supporting hybrid solutions across all platforms.

Pratt tells Channel Partners DataBank is on a “high-growth trajectory with multiple world-class data center expansions across the United States, which offers more options for enterprises and of course the channel, too.”

“DataBank is also very focused on helping channel partners leverage the latest in technology and in delivering the best solution for end-user clients,” he said. “It’s a great place to be right now.”

Pratt brings 20 years of experience to DataBank in executive sales roles, and most recently was senior vice president of colocation, and vice president of enterprise and channel sales at Datapipe, which was acquired by Rackspace in 2017.

“Channel partners are always looking for ways to be more effective and drive results for their end-user clients,” Pratt said. “We are seeing a lot of demand for hybrid solutions. Managed services, is of course, a big part of that. We want to continue our focus on designing the best solution and with that comes working closely with channel partners to educate them on the options available — everything from tech support, security, backups and recovery and then balancing the mix of colocation, public cloud and private cloud. By arming channel partners with a full suite of options and dedicated tech support, they will have more success in winning deals and longer-term relationships.”

DataBank will have will have more tools and resources available to the channel in the year ahead — “all designed to help partners streamline the sales cycle, educate them on the latest technology and earn competitive commissions,” Pratt said.

“We’re excited to have Bill on the team,” said Stephen Callahan, DataBank’s senior vice president of sales. “He joins DataBank at an incredible time of growth for the company, as we are seeing an increased demand for hybrid solutions from our partners, prospects and customers. Bill’s industry track record and expertise will allow him to hit the ground running and make an immediate impact on our channel and managed services initiatives.”