IBM has turned to the Chinese Internet service provider Tencent to help build out its public cloud portfolio with Software-as-a-Service offerings that tap into mobile, cloud and big data for use in internal processes and operations.
Tencent is a giant ISP in China, boasting the largest quantity of the country’s service users.
Its cloud provides infrastructure for applications in social media and gaming, but it targets both developers and enterprises with its cloud’s growing capacity module.By joining forces, the companies will look to play up their individual strengths. For IBM, that's obviously enterprise software and information technology systems. IBM has agreed to provide consulting services focused on Internet and cloud, including cloud transformation, business process, cloud migration and integration. Both companies agreed to deploy IBM SaaS offerings on Tencent Cloud, including enterprise marketing, CRM, enterprise asset management and collaborative office.
Tencent Cloud will provide the operation and management of Infrastructure-as-a-Service public cloud or private cloud, and also oversee the operations of cloud platform resources like networking and equipment.
For now, the companies plan to focus on offerings designed for emerging small and medium enterprises in the smarter cities and smarter healthcare industries.
"As 'Internet mode' has become mature gradually, Tencent has expected that such mode can be deeply applied into the industries and also promote the development and reform of the industries," said Tang Daosheng, senior EVP of Tencent Group. "Tencent has a stable and reliable cloud computing platform, whereas IBM has accumulated abundant industry knowledge and experience by providing long-term services for enterprise-level customers, so in the future, both parties will work together to bring Internet mode to more enterprise-level clients based on cloud computing."
