Taiwanese companies in the cloud computing industry, including Quanta Computer, Inventec and Chunghwa Telecom, will pool resources to build up a comprehensive hardware, software and applications supply chain to facilitate cooperation with China in the cloud computing technology and foray into a variety of global markets, local media reports said Monday.

The project, code-named “Cloud Valley,” will be launched at the end of this month, the reports said, adding that the project, similar to China’s “Cloud Base” pilot project, will provide integrated research and development, testing and certification, display, manpower incubation and business mediation services.

More than 20 local companies in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector have agreed to join the “Cloud Valley” project initiated by the Taiwan Clouding Computing Association (TCCA), according to the reports.

The following are excerpts from the local media coverage of the cloud computing supply chain development project:

Economic Daily News:

Under the “Cloud Valley” project, the cloud computing association will actively push for cooperation with China in cloud computing services and technology standardization.

Association staff said China is also working hard to boost its cloud computing technology and has set up over 10 cloud bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing and Shenzhen to accelerate application and innovation in cloud computing products, technologies, solutions and specific cases.

“There should be ample room for the two sides of the Taiwan Strait to cooperate in the cloud computing field,” said an association spokesman.

Cloud computing industry executives and engineering experts from Taiwan and China are scheduled to meet in July to discuss feasible cooperative programs, according to the spokesman.

At least 25 local companies, including Quanta, Chunghwa Telecom, Invectec, Asus and Wistron, have signed up for the “Cloud Valley” project to jointly explore mainland China’s cloud computing market which is worth an estimated 1 trillion Chinese yuan (US$158.3 billion), he said.

Noting that the government attaches great importance to cloud computing applications and innovation, the spokesman said Chunghwa Telecom Chairman Lu Hsueh-chin who concurrently heads TCCA and Invetec Chairman Richard Lee gave Vice President-elect Wu Den-yih a briefing on the “Cloud Valley” project last Friday. (Feb. 6, 2012).

Commercial Times:

Steve Chang, chairman and founder of Trend Micro, a leading computer security company, said in a recent interview that cloud computing will influence technology industry for at least 30 years.

“Cloud computing is still in an infant stage and both hardware and software business maps will be reshaped in the years ahead,” Chang said, adding that Taiwan must speed up development in hardware, software and applications in the cloud race.

He also predicted that Microsoft could benefit from the heated competition between the two information and communications industry giants Apple Inc. and Google Inc. (Feb. 6, 2012).

http://focustaiwan.tw/SearchNews/hyDetailws.aspx?qid=201202060045&q=computer

News from Focus Taiwan

Taipei, Jan. 2 (CNA) Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), will be invited to visit Taiwan in June for the 10th anniversary celebration of the country’s accession to the world regulatory body, the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) said Monday.

To mark the anniversary, the MOEA’s Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) said, it is organizing a series of activities in June that will include international seminars and speeches by trade officials, experts, and business leaders from around the world.

Lamy will be invited to attend the celebrations and if he accepts, he will be the highest WTO official to ever visit Taiwan, the BOFT said.

Since Taiwan joined the WTO on Jan. 1, 2002, the country has globalized and institutionalized its regulations on international trade and made them transparent, BOFT officials said.

Under the WTO framework, Taiwan has also been able to take part in multilateral trade talks and join the efforts of other WTO signatories to map out international trade regulations.

With WTO membership, Taiwan has not only expanded its global trade but has also been able to seek greater economic benefits under the WTO framework, BOFT officials said.

For instance, Taiwan joined Japan and the United States in suing the European Union at the WTO in June 2008, saying the EU’s duties on goods such as computer screens and printers violated the International Technology Agreement (ITA).

Taiwan’s flat panels and other electronic products were allowed to enter the EU tariff-free after Taiwan, Japan and the U.S. won the lawsuit in the summer of 2010, according to BOFT officials.

http://focustaiwan.tw/SearchNews/hyDetailws.aspx?qid=201201020015&q=computer

News from CNA.