Alibaba's cloud revenue grew at 103% yoy pace in March quarter

Alibaba Group reported that its cloud division (Aliyun) generated revenue of RMB 4.385 billion (US$699 million) for its fiscal quarter ending 31-March-2018, representing 103% increase over the same period last year, and an 8% growth.

Aliyun currently represents 7% of Alibaba's overall revenue, which amounted to  RMB 61.932 billion (US$9.873 billion) for the quarter, an increase of 61% year-over-year.

The gross market value (GMV) transacted on Alibaba's China retail marketplaces for the full fiscal year ended 31-March-2018 was RMB 4,820 billion (US$768 billion), representing an accelerated year-over-year growth rate of 28% (compared to an annual growth rate of 22% in fiscal year 2017).

Some highlights of the Aliyun business

In the March 2018 quarter, Aliyun launched 316 new products and features, over 60 of which were
focused on artificial intelligence, data management and security.

Aliyun launched Link Edge, a proprietary edge computing software to enable the development of IoT applications in industries such as manufacturing, real estate and public facilities, such as airports and train stations.

Aliyun continues to expand its global footprint and customer base, most recently adding a new data
center in Indonesia, increasing the global footprint to 18 countries and regions worldwide.
Here are some selected large customers:

• China National Petroleum Corporation, one of the largest petroleum companies in China, is building its procurement platform on Alibaba Cloud, leveraging private cloud, big data, and security products and services.
• Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation is using the City Brain platform for traffic management in Malaysia’s capital city Kuala Lumpur. This platform leverages advanced technologies, including AI, big data analytics and computer vision to manage and optimize city traffic.
• Cathay Pacific, a leading global airline headquartered in Hong Kong, adopted Alibaba's security and data protection consultancy services to protect its operations in China.

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Final splice complete on Hawaiki transpacific cable with up to 43 Tbps of capacity

The final splice of the Hawaiki Submarine Cable has been made and the system is on schedule for commercial launch next month

The carrier-neutral Hawaiki subsea cable links Australia and New Zealand to the mainland United States, as well as Hawaii and American Samoa, with additional potential future landings in New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga.

The Hawaiki Cable System comprises over 15,000 km of high-capacity cable, and the use of TE SubCom's optical add/drop multiplexing (OADM) nodes allows for additional landings in the Pacific region to be added as needed.
Hawaiki will provide 43 Tb of new capacity in the Pacific region, significantly dropping the cost of connectivity in this area.

“Hawaiki will positively impact the countless communities and economies in the Pacific,” said Remi Galasso, CEO of Hawaiki. “Because of its scope and impact for communities in the Pacific region, the Hawaiki Cable System is a critical and multi-faceted endeavor. We are pleased with the progress to date and are looking forward to the project’s completion in June and the much-needed capacity it will bring to the region.”

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Shares in Carbon Black leap 26% in IPO - end point security

Shares in Carbon Black rose 26% over their IPO price to close at $23.94. The shares are now traded on Nasdaq under the symbol CBLK.

Carbon Black, which is based in Waltham, Mass., specializes in endpoint security and its solutions encompass application control, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and next-generation antivirus (NGAV).

Carbon Black operates a big data and analytics cloud platform that enables customers to defend against the most advanced cyber threats, including malware, ransomware, and non-malware attacks. The company serves more than 3,700 customers globally.

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Three weeks in, ZTE appeals to U.S. Commerce Dept as shares remain suspended

ZTE has appealed to the U.S. Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) to lift the ban on the export of U.S. products to the company, according to a regulatory filing made by ZTE to the Hong Kong exchange. There is no word on whether the appeal will be heard or acted upon by BIS.

Meanwhile, trading of ZTE's shares on the Hong Kong market remain suspended since April 16th.

ZTE posted a Q1 growth rate of 12% prior to export ban on its suppliers

Monday, April 30, 2018  Financials, ZTE  No Comments

ZTE reported revenue of RMB 28.879 billion (US$5.548 billion) for the first quarter of 2018, up 12% over the same period in 2017. Net profit after extraordinary items attributable to holders of ordinary shares of the listed company amounted to RMB 1.368 billion (US$216 million). The company said it is still assessing the impact of the export ban imposed on its U.S. suppliers by the U.S. Department of Commerce, stating that this action will have...

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Mediatek halts shipments to ZTE

Friday, April 27, 2018  Mediatek, Silicon  No Comments

Following an order from Taiwan's Bureau of Foreign Trade, Mediatek has suspended shipment of its chips and components to ZTE, according to Nikkei Asian Review. Mediatek is the second largest global supplier of systems-on-chip (SoC) solutions for mobile devices. It also supplies a range of connectivity chips for home networking and broadband CPE, along with a new line of optical components. https://s.nikkei.com/2HFl...

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Chairman of ZTE says U.S. export ban is "unfair and unreasonable"

Wednesday, April 25, 2018  China, Legal, ZTE  No Comments

The Chairman of ZTE, Mr. Yin Yimin, issued a public statement acknowledging that the company is "in a very difficult situation," stating that his team is doing its utmost to solve this situation through active communication, and imploring the company's 80,000 employees to "be stable-minded and perform their respective duties." The public statement comes nine days after the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has imposed...

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WSJ: Huawei under criminal investigation by U.S. authorities

Wednesday, April 25, 2018  Huawei  No Comments

The FBI is investigating Huawei over possible exports of prohibited technologies to Iran in violation of international sanctions. The case could lead to a ban on the export of products from the U.S. to Huawei, as happened earlier this month with ZTE.  There has been no official confirmation of an investigation. Huawei has not commented on the reports. The news sent share prices down for many suppliers of silicon and optical component...

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U.S. Commerce Dept. bans exports to ZTE

Monday, April 16, 2018  Legal, ZTE  No Comments

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has imposed a denial of export privileges against Zhongxing Telecommunications Equipment Corporation (ZTE) of China. The ban prohibits companies or individuals from participating in any way in an export transaction with ZTE. The order prohibits "Carrying on negotiations concerning, or ordering, buying, receiving, using, selling, delivering, storing, disposing of, forwarding,...

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Australia's Vertel launches SD-WAN with Nuage Networks

Vertel, an Australian national telecommunications carrier specialising in the design, build and operation of next-generation wireless networks, is deploying Nuage Networks for it upcoming SD-WAN services launch for government, enterprise and service provider customers. The service launch is expected in July this year.

The SD-WAN will also underpin the delivery of a range of enhanced ICT services such as managed security, Unified Communications, IP-PBX, video conferencing, carrier-grade WLAN, private LTE, Push to talk over Cellular (PoC) and multi-access edge computing (MEC) services.

Overview of the solution to be deployed:

• Nokia Nuage Networks Virtualized Network Services (VNS) will enable Vertel to add automation, reduce operational expenditure and deliver secure and scalable WAN services across Australia
• Nokia Professional Services team will ensure the efficient and timely completion of the project
• Nuage Networks solution provides a single SDN automation platform for the private cloud, WAN, and public cloud, ensuring flexibility, agility and operational simplification

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EdgeConneX expands North American edge data centers

EdgeConneX announced multiple planned expansions at it sEdge Data Centers (EDCs) across North America. The company plans to accommodate up to 50 MWs of additional capacity across multiple markets, including Atlanta, Denver, Miami, Phoenix, Portland, and Toronto.

EdgeConneX said it is experiencing significant growth from new customers as well as increased need for additional power capacity and space from its anchor tenants and existing clients.  In some markets, EdgeConneX is building its second and third data center facility, evolving these Edge Data Centers into campus-like environments that contain a robust ecosystem of networking, content, cloud and IT service providers interconnecting and growing at the Edge.

“I’m extremely pleased to see continued and growing demand from customers for Edge deployments,” comments Randy Brouckman, CEO of EdgeConneX.  “For over five years, we have been building Edge Data Centers for the service provider community, creating a vibrant, localized service delivery enablement platform made up of a diverse customer ecosystem.  As demonstrated by this current expansion across North America, and based on robust customer demand and positive technology trends, we expect this growth at the Edge to continue for the foreseeable future.”

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