China Unicom just launched what Web Hot Review is calling a “full-service” OpenStack-based cloud the Wo-Cloud brand, according to Web Host Industry Review.
The company will focus on “IaaS- and PaaS-level products for 3G, broadband, and public customers” with this public service cloud, China Unicom president Lu Yimin said in a statement, adding that “China Unicom will focus on IaaS- and PaaS-level products for 3G, broadband, and public customers by creating a public service cloud.”
On December 18, public cloud leader Amazon Web Services announced plans for a China service operating out of a Beijing data center. IBM followed within hours with news that it was bringing SmartCloud Enterprise + to China as well in partnership with 21Vianet, a big carrier-neutral internet provider in China. Microsoft last year announced its own 21Vianet partnership to bring Windows Azure and Office 365 to China.
Wo-Cloud will face other formidable domestic competitors as well. Alibaba, the giant Chinese commerce provider’s Aliyun cloud division is expanding its services inside china and also is building a presence outside the country.