ChinaSoft, Alibaba subsidiary form cloud computing alliance
The internet service targets mainland companies and state agencies in a market that is booming
ChinaSoft International, a leading software and information-technology services provider based in Beijing, will collaborate with a subsidiary of Alibaba Group in a major cloud-computing initiative targeted at mainland companies and government agencies.
ChinaSoft, which is listed in Hong Kong, yesterday signed a co-operation agreement with Alibaba Cloud Computing (AliCloud) to make available over the internet ChinaSoft's flagship Resource One middleware platform, which is a set of programmes for connecting disparate software applications used in an organisation.
"The partnership with AliCloud is an important step forward in our strategic expansion into innovative and emerging cloud [computing] technology," ChinaSoft said.
Cloud computing enables companies to buy, lease, sell or distribute over the internet a range of software, business systems, data and other digital resources as an on-demand service, such as electricity from a power grid.
"Cloud" refers to the internet, which is depicted in that form in computer network diagrams.
ChinaSoft and AliCloud will co-develop what they describe as a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) solution, which both parties can market to their corporate customers.