ZTEsoft Technology Co. Ltd., recently unveiled its new brand, Whale Cloud Technology Co. Ltd., following Alibaba’s acquisition of ZTE’s stake in ZTEsoft. As part of the rebrand, Whale Cloud is positioning itself as a cloud-native digital transformation provider.
“The core of digital economy is data, and future competition will focus on data intelligence. Whale Cloud has over 20-year experience in processing telecom data and expertise in the information and communication technologies (ICT) field. Enabled by Alibaba Cloud, we will continue to focus on the carrier business and expand into enterprise businesses as well as vertical industries to bring the benefit of intelligent digital life to the world, said Whale Cloud CEO, Bao Zhongjun, commenting on the rebrand and its focus on digital-led solutions.
At a media briefing to launch the new brand, Yang Ming, senior vice president at Whale Cloud explained that the company’s business model is evolving to support product-based, service-based, and ecosystem-based approaches. He revealed that part of the strategy is to build an ecosystem with 30 operational partners and 100 technology partners around the world.
Speaking on ZTEsoft’s rebrand, Ron Westfall, research director, global technology, telecom and software, GlobalData, “Whale Cloud is now a more formidable competitor combining its ZSmart digital business OSS, BSS, and analytics offerings with Alibaba Cloud’s cloud, AI, IoT, and vertical assets. The new integrated portfolio enables Whale Cloud to target a broader range of emerging operator requirements including digital transformation, IT transformation, cloud transformation, and cloud service operations.”
Huang Xianglong, vice president and chief technology officer at Whale Cloud, observed that many customers have an urgency to change: “They want to transform, they understand that all telecom companies have a ceiling, and they want to catch up with the internet companies. I see no pr,’ he added.
Reflecting on what it calls a unique position in the market, Zhou Yong, vice president of Whale Cloud added that: “we are the only company with experience not only in the telco industry but in government and other industries on how to deliver digital services, but with the Alibaba partnership, we now have the infrastructure from Alibaba Cloud and ZTE’s telco capability to offer full ICT and telco connection capability.”
The company has earmarked 1 billion yuan ($145.3 million) over the next three years for research into what it views are core technologies. It also plans to launch an AI lab, a city brain research institute, and a cloud computing application development program in cooperation with Alibaba “to assure continuous innovation and quick implementation of new technologies and products.”
GlobalData’s Westfall said the Whale Cloud namesake indicates the essential role cloud will play in telco digital transformation as operators speed up their adoption of cloud platforms for enabling digital transformation and 5G-readiness. “The Whale Cloud/Alibaba Cloud portfolio intensifies competition for telco cloud business, expanding operator choices on a broader, global scale,” he concluded.