China’s cloud services are expected to balloon in coming years, but U.S. firms like Google, Amazon and Microsoft face tricky decisions about entering the market.
Amazon Web Services (AWS), like other American giants, has struggled to break into China’s large market. It’s partnered with Sinnet to access Chinese clients. Credit: Tony Webster, Creative Commons
Last spring, Google abruptly shut down “Isolated Region,” an initiative aimed at providing cloud services in China and other politically sensitive markets. The decision, which was first reported by Bloomberg, surprised some analysts because it ran counter to Google’s efforts to grow its cloud services globally to compete with Amazon and Microsoft.
But in other ways, Google’s decision made perfect sense. While China’s cloud market is already massive, it is also notoriously hard
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