Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
Cloud Computing Standardization Initiatives in China: Economic and
institutional considerations
Nir KshetriProfessor, The University of North
Carolina—[email protected]
ITU Regional Workshop on Bridging the Standardization Gap
(Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013)
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Cloud Standards in China
CCID Consulting (2010): Cloud standards and cloud security: urgent issues facing Chinese cloud industry
not unique to China.
Cloud standards: infant stage. A lack of standards: difficult to regulate the development.
Technical standards, service standards and standards of quality assurance of public, private and mixed cloud
Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
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China’s International Initiatives Related to Cloud Standards
2011: China Life and China Unicom--Steering Committee of Open Data Center Alliance:
“an independent consortium ….. aimed at providing a unified vision for long term data center requirements”
Other Chinese membersChina Petroleum and Chemical CorporationChina Telecom Beijing China Power Information Technology
Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
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DMTF and CESI partnership
Jul. 2012: Distributed Management Task Force (DMTF), and China Electronics Standardization Institute (CESI): adoption of DMTF standards. DMTF to make standards meet requirements outlined by CESI. CESI: encourage Chinese companies/ univ. and non-profit orgs to adopt DMTF standards
Cloud Infrastructure Management Interface (CIMI)Open Virtualization Format (OVF) DMTF standards for Cloud auditing and software license management
Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
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Lesson from Past IT Initiatives
China’s healthcare industry: “Information Island”.Many large hospitals completed initial IT initiatives in the mid-2000s
fragmentation and incompatibility of information systems between departmentsinability to communicate and share data.
A reason for the slow diffusion of EMR: lack of a single standard.
Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
Definition of Cloud-related Concepts
Chinese Communications Standards Association (CCSA) Most parts in NIST definition acceptedTechnical reference materials for virtualization, cloud security, cloud storage and others developed by
DMTSStorage Networking Industry Association (SNIA)Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)ITU
6Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
Definition of Cloud-related Concepts
MIIT’s Telecommunications Research Institute: The removal of “on-demand self-service” as a characteristic Possibility of additional layer of mgmt/control.
Extra technical requirements for businesses.
Different from the NIST definition-three deployment models (public, private, and hybrid)No “community cloud”: shared by multiple organizations with shared missions
Distributed computing resources like CC employed in Chinese scientific research community.
7Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
The State’s Involvement in the Economy
China-specific standards requirements even if not adopted or mandated: Likely to be enforced for municipal/ provincial government contractsGovernment’s entrenchment in the economy
Large/important segment of the Chinese market
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Lack of Clear Regulations/Transparency
Major concerns for businesses: lack of clear government standards/regulations and data privacy concernsUncertainty: regulations’ evolution without transparency/outside inputSome degree of foreign participation in
CESINITSTC SOACCSA standards groupsOften not as full voting members.
11Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
Lack of Clear Regulations/Transparency
Some groups under NITSTC: no foreign companies’ participation even as observersIn industry groups that allow foreign participation
Degree of influence low/uncertain
Low degree of transparency/ impartiality compared to the development of most international cloud computing standards.
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Strength of Nationalism1970s, the CCP: standardization to ‘‘quickly build a socialist economy ….to ensure quality, advance performance …’’
Since1980s: attempts to developChinese computer OS: CCDOSDatabase management systemNetwork communication systemMiddleware products.
1990s: Aggressive actions in DVD and CD standards
Chinese cloud policies: create “indigenous innovation” requirements for domestic sales:
protect Chinese enterprises from foreign competition.
13Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
Perception of National Security and Economic Threat
Chinese officials/ Chinese business leaders: “[H]ighly confidential data about the Chinese economy, military, and government, as well as crucial technology and science developments, can be stolen or accidentally disclosed to foreign competitors, or end up in the hands of groups or individuals who seek to overturn the national government.”
L. Ann Ragland, J. McReynolds, M. Southerland & J. Mulvenon. Red Cloud Rising: Cloud Computing in China, Research Report Prepared on Behalf of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, September 5, 2013
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Discussion and Implications
China’s attempt to create domestic standards in many other ICT industries
Lesson from largely unsuccessful initiatives in the past (e.g., CCDOS in 1982).
Lack of mature technological capabilities/ technical standards/requirements to drive technology development.MIIT 2012: slow development of cloud computing standards
lack of participation of mainstream cloud providers.
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Discussion and Implications
Distrust of foreign providers Complaint regarding protectionist measures: hamper foreign participationForeign corporations: increase in costExtra technical requirements may reduce foreign firms’ competitiveness
Adapt products to China-specific standards Requirement to custom-design for China
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Conclusions and Recommendations
A complex interaction of economic and institutional factors in playTricky trade off for the Chinese regulators Many challenges confronting domestic and foreign companiesOffers a number of relevant lessonsfor the cloud standardization initiatives for other developing countries.
17Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013