New operator of Apple’s iCloud pledges to protect users
Guizhou-Cloud Big Data Industry Co (GCBD), the new operator of US technology company Apple’s iCloud service on the Chinese mainland, told the Global Times on Thursday that it will obey the rules and regulations of the country and safeguard the security of users’ data.
Data management company GCBD, based in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China’s Guizhou Province, will start to operate an iCloud service on the mainland as of February 28, according to a statement Apple released on its official website on Wednesday.
“We’ve fully communicated with Apple about this cooperation. While Apple provides technical support, GCBD is responsible for the management,” GCBD said in a note sent to the Global Times.
“The two sides will strictly follow the rules and regulations, and protect users’ privacy and data security,” the company noted.
GCBD was formed with 235 million yuan ($36.1 million) of registered capital and approved by the provincial government of Guizhou in November 2014, according to its website.
Another US technology company – Amazon – launched a new cloud services center in Northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in December 2017.
The Chinese government has been pushing forward the big data industry in recent years, but local companies still lag behind their foreign counterparts in data management and services, Xiang Yang, an industry analyst at Beijing-based CCID Consulting, told the Global Times on Thursday.
“In this case, the local operator will rely on Apple, which is expected to provide core technical support in data management,” he said.
The local government in Guizhou has been pushing forward the big data industry in the region in recent years. In May 2015, the Global Big Data Exchange, the first of its kind in China, was established in Guizhou.
“The province tried hard to attract more high-tech companies into the region. But the response fell short of expectations due to the lack of talented staff,” the analyst said, noting that the US company will still be in charge of core data technologies in this cooperation.