Tencent, one of the largest internet service providers in China, has been taking aim at China’s cloud computing market, building new cloud computing data centers using advanced environmentally friendly and energy-efficient technologies. It has also been focusing heavily on research and development.

China’s promising cloud computing market is estimated to grow from about 16.7bn CNY in 2010 to about 117.4bn CNY in 2013, with an annual compound average growth rate of 91.5%.

Tencent has already built a number of data centers of various sizes across China, the largest of these are in Shenzhen, Shanghai and Tianjin.

In April 2011, Tencent decided to increase its investment in the Tianjin data center for research and development and data storage to 3.5bn CNY. The new data center is estimated to provide a total of 90,000 sq m space and host 200,000 servers upon completion. It will serve as a national cloud computing data center for Tencent, providing comprehensive cloud platform services for both internet users and third- party enterprises.

In August that same year, Tencent signed a cooperation agreement with Shanghai Municipal Government for building Tecent East China Cloud Computing Center and E-business Base in Qingpu District of Shanghai. The cloud computing data center, which is still under construction, will be built as one of the most advanced cloud computing and cloud storage infrastructure service platforms in Asia.

In September, Tencent announced its plan of building a cloud computing data center in Liangjiang New area of Chongqing. It is said that the data center project will be implemented in three phases, and once fully built will host 300,000 servers.

Its final project for 2011 broke ground in December. The Shenshan cloud computing data center in Shenzhen is a national cloud computing demonstration project with a total investment of 2bn Yuan. Covering an area of 200,000 sq m and hosting about 200,000 servers, the data center is expected to become one of the largest cloud computing data centers in South China, which will provide quality services to hundreds of millions internet users in this region.

Using advanced technologies
Tencent has always been committed to building low-cost and environmentally friendly cloud computing data centers. Its largest data center - the Tianjin cloud computing data center - is among first of its kind in China to deploy natural air cooling and water-side natural cooling technologies.

Coupled with the energy saving servers developed by Tencent itself, the data center can keep its annual average PUE below 1.5, a much lower level compared with the average PUE of China’s data centers.

Tencent is also a proactive user of advanced technologies. As a large data center operator, Tecent utilizes server O/S automation technology, which not only enhances the management capacity of data centers but also saves huge operation and maintenance costs.

It is also one of the first companies to employ micro modular data center technology and high voltage direct current (HVDC) technology in China, both of which contribute to significant cost savings and enhancement of system performance.

Focus on research and development
Tencent attaches great importance to research and development for cloud-computing- related technologies. In July 2010, Tencent partnered with Novell, an American software and services company, to develop a cloud computing platform for internet data centers.

Tencent’s cloud computing platform combines advantages of both Amazon cloud and Google cloud, emphasizing the development of a rich variety of capabilities, including maintenance and operation capability, mass data computing and storage capability, mass data analysis ability, automatic migration and deployment capability across internet data centers, security insurance capability for users, platform and applications, among others.

Up to now, Tencent has received 29 cloud computing patents. It is also an active participant in discussions around cloud computing standards for the information industry of China. A case in point is its remarkable contribution to the compiling of Cloud Computing PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) Platform Interface Standardizations.

Sources from Tencent told FOCUS they thought China’s cloud computing players will face uncertainties, unless they can find a feasible operation mode for putting their cloud computing services into commercial use. Since cloud computing services of major cloud computing players, including Baidu Cloud and Ali Cloud, are largely designed to meet their own business needs, it remains a very valuable subject to study how cloud computing can serve an even larger commercial market.