![]() ![]() Azure is a platform as a service (PaaS), which means that businesses and individuals can “lease” the digital space Azure creates to build and run websites and applications. Microsoft’s Azure is a comprehensive set of cloud services that allows developers and IT professionals to build, deploy, and manage applications. ![]() ![]() Microsoft Cloud Services in China Microsoft Azure Microsoft is also the first cloud service provider to announce that its Chinese data centers follow the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)-a regulation that most local players in China would fail to meet.įinally, using data centers in China means faster connectivity between Chinese offices with a negligible impact on global offices. In China, companies must pay in advance for these services annually, whereas global clients may modify their subscription packages monthly. Microsoft Office 365 and Azure have gained popularity for their “pay-as-you-go” models, which allow companies to increase and decrease the volume and scale of Microsoft services they consume as their own operations expand or contract. Only Microsoft’s China services can provide official VAT invoices (or a fapiao), a necessary requirement for some businesses that need to book their expenses in China for tax purposes. Microsoft has partnered with China-based 21Vianet to run two data centers in Beijing and Shanghai. The Chinese government requires that data related to the privacy of its citizens, or else connected with the country’s physical and digital infrastructure, be stored in mainland China-a regulation that can be complied with when companies choose Microsoft’s China-based services. “While this can create frustration for companies during the initial setup and familiarization phase, it does not hinder the overwhelming benefits of using the cloud.” “Cloud technology has remained a relatively closed industry in China,” said Thomas Zhang, Dezan Shira & Associates’ IT Director. However, these users will experience slower connection rates.ĭespite these limitations, using the cloud remains a cost-effective way to scale operations and increase productivity in China. Similarly, companies headquartered outside of China can still manage China-based company systems and data by using a Chinese user account. Although cloud users outside of China can still communicate and collaborate with their China-based colleagues, both must use separate user accounts and thus cannot access company data from a common source. ![]() In China, data centers that store and connect user data are “isolated” from global networks. Using cloud technology not only allows businesses to save money on IT costs, it also keeps employees around the world better connected with their colleagues, clients, and partners-an important goal for foreign companies entering and expanding in Asia. Employees access business applications online while the company data is backed up either online or in a physical data center. This fee is determined by the amount of data and number of users a business requires-making it easier for a company to scale its operations up and down. Instead of investing into physical hardware, businesses subscribe to these services and pay either a monthly or annual fee. In this article, we outline key considerations when using cloud technology in China.Ĭloud technology (also known as “cloud computing”) is when servers, storage, databases, networking, software, and analytics are hosted on the internet and stored on large, privately owned data centers. Local laws and regulations in China create both unique challenges and important considerations for businesses migrating and managing cloud technology in the country.ĭezan Shira & Associates has conducted an internal review of cloud providers in China and has partnered with Microsoft to offer a range of cloud-based solutions. The growing demand for cloud technology has led to both domestic and foreign IT companies rolling out new cloud services for Chinese consumers and businesses.ĭata centers in China are not connected internationally as they are in nearly every other country. China’s cloud technology industry is expected to grow to US$103 billion by 2020 as companies continue to digitize their business data and internal systems. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |