Alibaba is making its strongest push outside of China by teaming up with a number of partners to boost its global cloud offerings through Aliyun.
Likely aiming to go head-to-head with rivals such as Amazon, Google, IBM and Microsoft, Alibaba is gearing up to launch the Marketplace Alliance Program (MAP) for its Aliyun cloud computing subsidiary.
MAP is a global partnership program that will give enterprises access to the whole suite of cloud computing services of Aliyun and global partners. These collaborations will allow Aliyun to use existing data centers from its partner companies instead of building its own centers to bolster its services.
Not only will Alibaba save significant funds by not building new data centers, but this new push will also allow it to localize its cloud computing services and potentially reach new markets. Through these partnerships with enterprises in different regions, the company will be able to cater to the regional needs of global developers by offering localized hybrid cloud services.
Initial partners for Aliyun's MAP initiative include world-leading technology companies, IT and telecommunications forces such as Intel, Singapore's Singtel and a number of other global brands.
With these new collaborations, Aliyun aims to provide hybrid cloud services in a number of segments, including Internet, gaming, finance, entertainment, education, health care and more. Aliyun will optimize its offerings based on regional needs, leveraging the expertise of its global partners in local markets.
MAP "is designed to bring our customers the best cloud-computing solutions by partnering some of the most respected technology brands in the world," said Ethan Yu, Aliyun vice president. "We will continue to bring more partners online to grow our cloud computing ecosystem."
The deals will be mutually beneficial, helping both Aliyun and its partners achieve their goals in this segment of the market. Aliyun, for its part, will be able to penetrate foreign markets more quickly, while its global partners will benefit from more business in China and Asia, where Alibaba and Aliyun are well-established.
In addition to Intel and Singtel, initial Aliyun MAP partners also include Dubai's Meraas Holdings, U.S. data center provider Equinix, Hong Kong's telco and IT company PCCW, French cloud services provider and website hosting company LinkByNet, and Hong Kong's Towngas public utility (The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Ltd.). Alibaba will announce more partners as it signs more deals.
Amazon's cloud business will be one of its biggest rivals, and it will be interesting to see how it will all pan out. For now, Aliyun is off to a strong start globally.
