China.com recently announced that it’s partnering with Google on search engine technology, branding and advertising. China.com is an online gaming and Internet service with about 30 million registered users.
China.com’s parent company, CDC, operates in software, business services, mobile services and applications, Internet, and media. It’s possible, given Google’s emphasis on the mobile marketplace and China, that Google’s partnership with China.com could presage a foray into the Chinese mobile phone market and possibly even the online games ad market. Google did not immediately return a request for comment.
Google already has a presence in China, although its willingness to censor results has drawn criticism from human rights advocates.
CDC is a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner. In the last year, CDC Corp has purchased JRG Software and c360 Solutions, makers of supply chain software. The latter company specializes in Microsoft CRM (customer relationship management) software. CDC also has substantial investments in Chinese gaming companies, including Beijing’s 17game Network Technology, which provisions online gaming services in China.