When Steve Jobs announced Apple's icloud service earlier this month, the word "cloud" has soon become a catchphrase here in China. Even though the majority of people are not very clear about the power of the "cloud", industry insiders believe the third wave of reform in the information technology industry is approaching. Our reporter Zeng Liang filed this report read by Chen Zhe.
Most people don't know much about the technology behind cloud computing, but they actually use it all the time.
When you upload a photo or video to a website, post an article on a blog or email, you're using cloud computing. The platform that you use for your photo, video, blog and email are all part of the "Cloud". And the cloud can offer more.
Professor Yangyang is with the Cloud Computing Expert Association of Chinese Institutes of Electronics. He explains how cloud computing works.
"It's like a huge super computer which owns the capacity of millions of computers and servers and can be accessed through the internet using cell phones, notebook etc."
Some say Cloud computing is like using public utilities such as water.
When you need to use it, just open the tap, and you get as much as you want.
You don't have to pay for the water that you don't use.
With cloud computing your data is held in huge data centers spread around the globe.
US IT giant Apple's recent release of its iCloud service has made the media zero in on cloud computing.
In China, cloud computing is also exploding onto the scene. The past two years have seen a number of companies entering the sector.
Recently, the first commercial data module, named "Cloud Container," has been launched in the Yizhuang area of Beijing by the Cloud Frame Scientific & Technical Corporation.
The Cloud Container is the size of a container for leftovers.
The CEO of the company that produces it, Xu Hongzhong says it can accommodate as much data as four national libraries and millions of hi-def movies.
"Our new cloud box is much easier to install. It takes only 4 weeks to get the data centre up and running, which was unimaginable before. This efficiency is important for cloud computing."
They have already received orders from the government and several industrial companies.
As an emerging strategic industrial zone, Yizhuang in southeastern Beijing has prioritized the cloud-computing industry.
Currently, more than ten enterprises in the cloud-computing industry have been set up in the Yizhuang "cloud valley", facilitated by the municipal government of Beijing.
Professor Yangyang says this shows the government is aware of the importance of developing the industry.
"The government has realized that cloud computing will bring about reform in the IT sector, as well as opportunities. Cloud computing will make it easier to share information, and help save money. It makes up for the weak links in China's IT sector".
He believes the wide application of cloud computing in China will be coming soon.
However, as the sector grows rapidly, many people also worry about possible information leaks.
But Professor angyang says cloud computing actually makes information safer.
"I think we are not short of the very technology to protect the information from disclosure. The unified management of cloud computing will help us achieve the goal. The problem is how we define privacy. We need unified regulations and laws to protect the information on the cloud."
The potential risk doesn't seem to be a problem for the ballooning market.
Zhou Zhenggang is a research manager at International Data Center, a market research company.
He says cloud computing in China is developing at a much faster pace than the rest of the world.
"China's cloud computing market has grown by 58% year on year, doubling that of the global market. The public cloud industry has generated as much as 600 million US dollars from 2010 to 2011".
Zhou Zhenggang says while China is keeping up with the development of cloud computing in other developed countries, the only problem is the Internet.
"I think the technology gap in cloud computing is not that wide. However, the internet infrastructure in China is not as established as in developed countries, like the bandwidth. So we have yet to see wider applications."
He says in the future, more and more small and medium sized companies will turn to public cloud services.
Large state-owned companies which have already set up their own data centers will gradually build their private clouds.
Most people don't know much about the technology behind cloud computing, but they actually use it all the time.
When you upload a photo or video to a website, post an article on a blog or email, you're using cloud computing. The platform that you use for your photo, video, blog and email are all part of the "Cloud". And the cloud can offer more.
Professor Yangyang is with the Cloud Computing Expert Association of Chinese Institutes of Electronics. He explains how cloud computing works.
"It's like a huge super computer which owns the capacity of millions of computers and servers and can be accessed through the internet using cell phones, notebook etc."
Some say Cloud computing is like using public utilities such as water.
When you need to use it, just open the tap, and you get as much as you want.
You don't have to pay for the water that you don't use.
With cloud computing your data is held in huge data centers spread around the globe.
US IT giant Apple's recent release of its iCloud service has made the media zero in on cloud computing.
In China, cloud computing is also exploding onto the scene. The past two years have seen a number of companies entering the sector.
Recently, the first commercial data module, named "Cloud Container," has been launched in the Yizhuang area of Beijing by the Cloud Frame Scientific & Technical Corporation.
The Cloud Container is the size of a container for leftovers.
The CEO of the company that produces it, Xu Hongzhong says it can accommodate as much data as four national libraries and millions of hi-def movies.
"Our new cloud box is much easier to install. It takes only 4 weeks to get the data centre up and running, which was unimaginable before. This efficiency is important for cloud computing."
They have already received orders from the government and several industrial companies.
As an emerging strategic industrial zone, Yizhuang in southeastern Beijing has prioritized the cloud-computing industry.
Currently, more than ten enterprises in the cloud-computing industry have been set up in the Yizhuang "cloud valley", facilitated by the municipal government of Beijing.
Professor Yangyang says this shows the government is aware of the importance of developing the industry.
"The government has realized that cloud computing will bring about reform in the IT sector, as well as opportunities. Cloud computing will make it easier to share information, and help save money. It makes up for the weak links in China's IT sector".
He believes the wide application of cloud computing in China will be coming soon.
However, as the sector grows rapidly, many people also worry about possible information leaks.
But Professor angyang says cloud computing actually makes information safer.
"I think we are not short of the very technology to protect the information from disclosure. The unified management of cloud computing will help us achieve the goal. The problem is how we define privacy. We need unified regulations and laws to protect the information on the cloud."
The potential risk doesn't seem to be a problem for the ballooning market.
Zhou Zhenggang is a research manager at International Data Center, a market research company.
He says cloud computing in China is developing at a much faster pace than the rest of the world.
"China's cloud computing market has grown by 58% year on year, doubling that of the global market. The public cloud industry has generated as much as 600 million US dollars from 2010 to 2011".
Zhou Zhenggang says while China is keeping up with the development of cloud computing in other developed countries, the only problem is the Internet.
"I think the technology gap in cloud computing is not that wide. However, the internet infrastructure in China is not as established as in developed countries, like the bandwidth. So we have yet to see wider applications."
He says in the future, more and more small and medium sized companies will turn to public cloud services.
Large state-owned companies which have already set up their own data centers will gradually build their private clouds.
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