China Unicom is in negotiations with Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com over possible future cooperation in retail, cloud computing, home internet and Internet of Things (IoT), China Securities Journal reported on Wednesday.
The announcement was made by China Unicom Chairman Wang Xiaochu at an impromptu general assembly held on the same day.
China Unicom will mainly partner with Alibaba and Tencent in the field of cloud computing, with plans for potential partnerships in home internet over-the-top content (OTT) — audio, video and other media transmitted via the Internet without an operator of multiple cable or direct-broadcast satellite television systems.
“We have now finished talks with Alibaba on how to turn our clouds from competitors to collaborating partners,” Wang said. “Talks with Tencent are still in progress.”
Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com are four strategic shareholders of China Unicom.
China Unicom announced the signing of an Internet of Things (IoT) collaboration deal with Ayla Networks last month. The two companies will develop various consumer and enterprise solutions.