China giant Alibaba launches data center in Hong KongMay 12, 2014 - 11:20 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Just days after filing for an initial public offering in the U.S., Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding is beefing up one of its lesser-known businesses: helping online merchants manage their ever-increasing data, the Wall Street Journal reports. Alibaba, which runs online marketplaces hosting millions of merchants, said it launched a data center in Hong Kong on Monday, May 12, as a first major step to expand its fledgling cloud-computing business outside mainland China. Revenue at its cloud-computing unit is tiny when compared with that of Alibaba’s mainstay e-commerce operations, which generate revenue through advertising and commission fees. However, as transactions on Alibaba’s sites grow rapidly, analysts say that data management services could become a major business for the company going forward. Alibaba created its cloud-computing business unit in 2009 to respond to demand from sellers using the company’s shopping sites. Alibaba’s IPO filing last week showed that revenue from the cloud business stood at $90 million, accounting for only 1.4% of its total revenue, in the last nine months of 2013. The launch of the Hong Kong data center also comes as Alibaba’s two main shopping sites–Taobao and Tmall– have been trying to expand outside mainland China, beginning with Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. According to Alibaba’s website, the company has data centers in three mainland Chinese cities: Hangzhou, Qingdao and Beijing, the Journal says. Investors in the U.S. and globally are watching Alibaba’s every move to decide whether to subscribe for shares in the IPO. Some analysts estimate the listing could value Alibaba between $150 billion and $250 billion, making it one of the most valuable technology companies in the world. Alibaba said it built the new data center in Hong Kong in cooperation with a unit of Towngas, a Hong Kong gas company. Alibaba didn’t say how much it spent on the facility. Related links: Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | Scholz hopes Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty will be signed this year German Chancellor Olaf Scholz hopes that a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed this year. Armenia, Russia discuss life extension of Metsamor nuclear plant Issues regarding the extension of life of the 2nd power unit of the Armenian Nuclear Power Plant were discussed in Yerevan. Armenians stage more campaigns against territorial concessions to Azerbaijan Protesters blocked more roads across Armenia on Friday, April 26 in continuing attempts to scuttle territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. Czech-Armenian military cooperation discussed in Yerevan A delegation led by the Director General for the Industrial Cooperation Division of the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic visited Armenia. |