Alibaba’s Cloud Arm Aliyun Launches Partnership Program to Expand Global Reach

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This article originally appeared at The WHIR

Alibaba Group’s cloud computing division Aliyun has launched a partnership program called the Marketplace Alliance Program (MAP) to expand its international reach and offer localized cloud services.

Announced on Sunday, the program will see Aliyun partner with enterprises in different regions to provide localized hybrid cloud services. Hybrid cloud adoption is set to triple over the next three years, according to a recent report by Peer 1 Hosting, and programs like Aliyun’s MAP will help support this adoption.

Initial program partners include Intel, Singtel in Singapore, Equinix and French hosting and cloud services companies PCCW and LINKBYNET. Dubai holding company Meraas is also part of the program. Aliyun announced its joint venture with Meraas last month.

“The new Aliyun program is designed to bring our customers the best cloud computing solutions by partnering with some of the most respected technology brands in the world. We will continue to bring more partners online to grow our cloud computing ecosystem,” Sicheng (Ethan) YU, vice president, Aliyun said in a statement.

As of last June, Aliyun said it served more than 1.4 million customers directly and indirectly through independent service providers. The MAP will certainly help it expand this footprint.

“As one of the first global partners of Aliyun, Singtel will offer our customers even more choices in cloud infrastructure platforms in China and around the world,” Lim Seng Kong, Singtel’s managing director (Global Enterprise Business) stated. “With Singtel’s strong Managed Cloud services capabilities, extensive customer reach and strong suite of information and communications technology services, we can also provide the springboard for Aliyun to grow its footprint in the Asia-Pacific, which is one of the fastest growing markets for cloud services.”

The new program comes as Alibaba CEO Jack Ma is traveling to lure US companies and convince them that it can take on Amazon, according to a report by WHIR sister site Talkin’ Cloud.

This first ran at http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/alibabas-cloud-arm-aliyun-launches-partnership-program-to-expand-global-reach