Alibaba Cloud partners with Siemens to foster industrial IoT in China
Alibaba Cloud has announced a partnership with Siemens in an effort to boost the industrial Internet of Things (IoT) in China.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed by the two companies that will allow them to leverage each other's technology resources to construct a unique IoT solution to support Industrie 4.0, China's manufacturing upgrade and transformation, and other industrial internet initiatives.
The MoU was signed in Berlin by Siemens AG president and CEO Joe Kaeser and Alibaba Group senior vice president Simon Hu, under the witness of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang during his official visit to Germany.
"We continue to build our global industrial digital network by partnering with Alibaba Cloud. This cooperation is a landmark deal for bringing Industrie 4.0-solutions to China as the world's powerhouse of manufacturing," says Kaeser.
"Our customers will be able to unlock the potential of the Industrial Internet of Things with MindSphere now also on the leading Chinese cloud platform. Today, we further strengthen our global leadership in automating and digitalizing the industrial world.
The signed MoU stipulates that Alibaba Cloud will implement Siemens' MindSphere into its own offering to provide services for companies in China Mainland to innovate with advanced industrial solutions.
MindSphere is Siemens' cloud-based open IoT operating system that delivers a wide range of device and enterprise connectivity options, robust applications, advanced analytics, and closed-loop innovation with complete digital twin solutions.
Under the MoU the two companies will begin working together immediately with the intention to make MindSphere on Alibaba Cloud available in 2019.
"Today's landmark partnership marks an exciting step towards Alibaba Cloud's goal to enable digital transformation across the globe. We are delighted to partner with Siemens and together we hope to accelerate the adoption of IoT products and services that will create industry-wide breakthroughs and progress," concludes Simon Hu.
