China Telecom, IBM focus on SME cloud

China Telecom has signed a three-year agreement with IBM to help small and medium businesses in China implement secure, cost-effective and scalable SAP cloud-based applications.

The Chinese carrier will manage client infrastructure including cloud platform resources, networking and mobile devices and IBM will integrate the software, hardware and end-to-end service capabilities to create a complete environment that supports SAP applications on the cloud.

Clients will be able to migrate and integrate new applications into the cloud, while maintaining and operating current and legacy applications, the companies said.

IBM aims to provide the tools and education China Telecom requires to support SMB clients throughout all phases of implementation, including testing, customization and ongoing issue resolution.

Under the agreement the companies will first focus on clients in the Guangdong province and then extend the project to such key areas as Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, Beijing and Tianjin.

“Today’s announcement represents an important step in the Chinese cloud computing market that will provide one of the fastest growing segments within China greater access to cloud resources,” said D.C. Chien, general manager and chief executive officer, IBM Greater China Group. “Our work with China Telecom will provide small-to-medium sized businesses in China with the means to more quickly deploy enterprise-grade cloud capabilities and assist them in driving innovation via the cloud.”

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