Alibaba Cloud, WeWork join hands for expansion in China

Data intelligence major Alibaba Cloud on Thursday teamed up with WeWork, a US firm that provides shared workspaces for start-ups, and SoftBank Telecom China to offer a platform for cloud-based technology solutions and flexible working space to businesses looking to enter China or scale up their presence in the Chinese market.

Starting Thursday, businesses can benefit from the cloud and data intelligence technologies, cross-border information technology (IT) infrastructure and enterprise solutions tailored for different sectors by Alibaba Cloud.

The new venture was announced at the Alibaba Cloud Summit here on Thursday.

Professional IT consulting services provided by Softbank Telecom China are also part of the programme benefits, along with go-to-market support, access to local tech communities and other business support from all the three partners.

"It is a first-of-its-kind opportunity for any business focusing on the China market as they can benefit from the local expertise, vertical-focused experience and innovation from three companies in one package.

"Together we are committed to supporting global enterprises to connect with digitally-savvy Chinese customers," said Lancelot Guo, Vice President, Alibaba Group, and General Manager (Strategy and Marketing), Alibaba Cloud Intelligence.

Speaking on the occasion, Christian Lee, Vice Chairman, WeWork Asia, said: "The partnership is significant for WeWork because we ourselves have been through the journey of setting up and scaling our business in China. When we began our journey here in China back in 2016, we had to adopt a very localised approach to navigate in this very unique business environment. Leveraging our own experience and our partnership with Alibaba Cloud, we are confident to support and empower companies to enter and scale in China."

The platform offers exclusive pricing rate for other offerings from Alibaba Cloud and WeWork. The programme participants can also enjoy other privileges such as exclusive Alibaba Cloud-hosted technology workshops, marketing opportunities with Alibaba Cloud and discounts on products and services on WeWork Services Store.

--IANS

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