Alibaba cloud computing service promises privacy for global clients | CER

Alibaba said today: “Customers…have absolute ownership over any and all data generated on the Alibaba Cloud Computing (Aliyun) platform, including the rights to freely and safely access, share, exchange, transfer or delete their data at any time”.

The company said it is adding solid state drive (SSD) backed cloud storage, which will massively improve read-write performance over its existing HDD-based offerings, and virtual private cloud services (VPC) for high performance compute and analytics workloads.

Alibaba’s cloud arm has issued a “Data Protection Pact” as it looks to expand into global markets like the U.S. “Aliyun will continuously be committed to building a cloud-computing ecosystem to efficiently and securely serve global clients”.

“We hereby promise to strictly abide by this pledge, and encourage the entire industry to collectively exercise the self-regulation that is vital in promoting the sustainable development of this data technology economy”. The service provider will not be able to alter or manage the client’s data. The company has already attracted Rovio Entertainment, creator of the hit mobile game mad Birds, to utilise its cloud computing services.

During Data Technology Day, Aliyun unveiled its full landscape of cloud-computing products and solutions, detailing how they have been used in recent years to help traditional enterprises improve the efficiency, scalability and cost-effectiveness of their I.T. platforms.

Western consumers haven’t always held Chinese brands in the highest esteem, however, particularly when it comes to handling data – a point Aliyun’s president acknowledged. “It took us six years, and we hope to match or even surpass Amazon in three to four years”. Revenue at the unit rose 49 percent to $1.57 billion in the March quarter.

Mr. Hu acknowledges the challenges faced by Aliyun in the U.S. market; in trying to draw-in local customers.

The pact is one way of assuring customers that the Chinese company can take security seriously, despite the bad rap the country’s businesses sometimes get. The company did not, however, cite any specific standards or internationally recognised guidelines on data protection in its plans. “We do business within the scope of laws”, Chief Technology Officer Zhang Wensong said.