Cloud computing a ray of light for Guiyang economy

Guiyang, capital of southwestern Guizhou province, is poised to become an emerging technology hub for inland China as the province seeks to lure high-tech enterprises to the city, industry insiders said.

Infobird Cloud Computing Technology Co Ltd has budgeted 600 million yuan ($96 million) toward building a cloud computing center in the city. Cloud computing is a network that hosts applications remotely.

The project is the latest result joint venture between Guiyang and Beijing Zhongguancun Science Park, which is fast becoming known as "China's Silicon Valley".

The center, which is expected to be completed in 2016, will create "tens of millions of yuan" in output value in the first year, its officers say.

Located in the Shuang Long airport economic zone of Guiyang, Infobird will build a "green" industrial community that will include research and development, information services, educational training and recreation, in a total area of over 40,000 square meters.

The company set up its new headquarters last September in Guiyang, where Wu Yimin, CEO of Infobird, is enjoying his new office.

"I made the decision during my last Mid-Autumn Festival visit back to Guiyang. The city's livability and modern, new look drew me back, not just because it is my hometown," he said. The climate also is well-suited for developing the cloud computing industry there, Wu added.

"Guiyang should be cited as one of the top ecological cities in China," he said, noting that "a good ecological environment provides negative oxygen ions, which help to promote people's creativity."

Infobird plans to expand its workforce to 100 by year's end, with research and development staff accounting for 80 percent of its total employees. Infobird also has assisted China Southern Power Grid Co Ltd in establishing a customer service center for its Guizhou branch.

As many labor-intensive call centers move out of first-tier cities in China, inland cities are becoming the new homes for such services.

Infobird plans to build an outsourcing base in Guiyang to promote the local outsourcing industry. It will provide call center outsourcing services for customers in Guizhou and throughout the nation.

Local officials believe the next-generation information technology industry, led by cloud and big data services, will give Guizhou a base for its economic takeoff.

The State Council, China's cabinet, has estimated that the nation's information consumption will reach 3.2 trillion yuan by the end of 2015, a powerful engine for boosting domestic consumption.

"The big data project offers Guizhou an opportunity to catch up with developed regions," said Chen Min'er, provincial governor, who stressed the importance of building platforms, attracting investment, cultivating markets and supporting talent for the big data industry.

Guizhou's Guiyang-Anshun New Area got the nod from the State Council at the beginning of this year during the country's latest attempt to open up inland regions.

By then, the region's population of permanent residents and output ratio per unit area should catch up with the rest of Guiyang, officials said.