Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Development
    • Development

    IBM Brings Bluemix to China Amid Source Code Sharing Reports

    By
    Darryl K. Taft
    -
    October 16, 2015
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      IBM logo

      IBM this week announced it is making its Bluemix platform as a service available in China in collaboration with 21Vianet Group, a Chinese carrier-neutral Internet data center services provider.

      Big Blue said this effort will usher in a new era of hybrid cloud-driven innovation and next-generation cognitive, analytics and Internet of things app development for developers and enterprises in China.

      As part of the agreement, IBM will provide access to Bluemix technologies, while 21Vianet will provide the infrastructure and be responsible for the end-to-end operation of Bluemix in this major technology market. Both companies will also use this collaboration to build a strong Bluemix ecosystem in China, with the goal of driving other developers and large enterprises to adopt similar models of hybrid cloud-based development.

      China is home to 10 percent of the entire global population of developers, according to analyst firm IDC—which amounts to nearly 1.9 million developers. And Forrester Research estimates the overall Chinese IT market to be worth $136 billion this year. Such numbers put developers in a key position to answer the Chinese government’s call to grow and nurture local entrepreneurship and innovation.

      Yet, IBM’s Bluemix move comes at a time when reports indicate that IBM is allegedly sharing technology with the Chinese government. According to the Wall Street Journal, IBM is allowing officials from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology to review proprietary source code for some IBM products in a secure room. If the report is accurate, this would place IBM among the first U.S. companies to allow such technology sharing with the Chinese government, which has grown increasingly aggressive about oversight of foreign technology in the country.

      The WSJ reports that Steve Mills, IBM’s executive vice president of Software and Systems, gave a speech in Beijing Thursday where he disclosed the code sharing. However, the report could not be confirmed.

      “The first thing that comes to mind is what source code they’re talking about, an especially relevant issue given IBM’s wealth of software assets,” said Charles King, principal analyst at Pund-IT. “For example, if Mills was referring to code related to the company’s Power Systems and chip architecture, that would make a great deal of sense since the IBM-sponsored OpenPOWER Foundation has several members based in China that are planning to make significant investments in Power architecture-based processors and systems.”

      In response to an eWEEK request for comment, IBM said in a statement:

      “In a 2014 Open Letter to our clients, IBM stated unequivocally that we respect the security and privacy of client data. IBM does not provide government access to client data or ‘back doors’ into our technology. That commitment remains firm.

      “In support of both the principles in that letter and the interests of our clients, IBM has in several countries established the capability to conduct limited demonstrations of specific aspects of our technology in highly-secure, controlled IBM environments that have no external communication links. This is done to reassure key stakeholders, including our clients, that no means exist for other parties to access IBM technology or data we manage on behalf of clients. Strict procedures are in place within these technology demonstration centers to ensure that no software source code is released, copied or altered in any way. Those are applied rigorously regardless of country.

      “IBM operates in full compliance with U.S. export regulations, and maintains total control of its technology during these demonstrations. These technology demonstrations are not unique to IBM. In fact, several U.S. technology companies, including Microsoft, have established similar programs in China.”

      IBM invests heavily in the Chinese market and looks to it as a key source of growth. However, in its last earnings report for the second quarter of 2015, IBM said revenue from the BRIC—Brazil, Russia, India and China—countries was down 35 percent. Overall, IBM’s revenue for the quarter was down around 1 percent.

      During his earnings call with analysts, Martin Schroeter, IBM’s senior vice president and chief financial officer, said revenue from IBM’s growth markets decelerated driven by the BRIC countries. “To put it in perspective, the BRICs impacted IBM’s overall revenue growth rate by two points in the second quarter, or said another way, our revenue excluding the BRICs would have been up 1 percent,” he said.

      “Within the BRICs, only India had modest growth, building on improved operational performance in services,” Schroeter said. “The other three countries were down at a double-digit rate. Brazil was down 16 percent, though our revenue in Brazil last year was up over 20 percent, so it was a very tough compare. The volatility of our results in Russia continued. And our revenue in China was down 25 percent, with fewer large transactions in the quarter. Outside of the BRICs, many countries improved their performance sequentially.”

      The Chinese IT market continues to be a tough nut to crack for many U.S. companies, as they figure out ways to appease the giant while trying to conduct business under scrutiny.

      Meanwhile, IBM launched Bluemix with a $1 billion investment in 2014.

      “Cloud computing is the cornerstone for helping organizations drive innovation and entrepreneurship in China,” said Robert LeBlanc, senior vice president of IBM Cloud, in a statement. “We believe that the launch of Bluemix will help China’s burgeoning community of developers create apps that have the power to impact and change industries throughout the country. The collaboration with 21Vianet Group builds on the growing global adoption of Bluemix, and we are excited to bring it to the rapidly expanding developer population of China.”

      IBM’s Bluemix catalog includes more than 120 tools and services spanning categories of big data, mobile, Watson, analytics, integration, DevOps, security and Internet of things.

      “IBM is a global, leading enterprise-level cloud computing provider,” said Josh Chen, chairman and CEO of 21Vianet Group, in a statement. “This news is the extension of IBM’s collaboration with 21Vianet in 2014 on Cloud Managed Services. 21Vianet will now also work with IBM to promote the development of enterprise cloud computing in China. Using Bluemix, we’ll provide more open enterprise cloud computing development environments, and build a complete enterprise cloud computing ecosystem with other domestic and foreign services providers throughout the country.”

      Darryl K. Taft
      Darryl K. Taft covers the development tools and developer-related issues beat from his office in Baltimore. He has more than 10 years of experience in the business and is always looking for the next scoop. Taft is a member of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) and was named 'one of the most active middleware reporters in the world' by The Middleware Co. He also has his own card in the 'Who's Who in Enterprise Java' deck.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      IT Management

      Intuit’s Nhung Ho on AI for the...

      James Maguire - May 13, 2022 0
      I spoke with Nhung Ho, Vice President of AI at Intuit, about adoption of AI in the small and medium-sized business market, and how...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×