Alibaba Group Holding’s cloud computing services and artificial intelligence (AI) arm opened its first data centre in Mexico, as the Hangzhou-based company ramps up the development of digital infrastructure in major overseas markets.
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With the launch on Wednesday, Alibaba Cloud said it now had a global infrastructure network of 87 availability zones across 29 regions, strengthening its global cloud services business. E-commerce giant Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
“We are not only bringing world-class cloud technology to support local businesses, but also building an inclusive and thriving ecosystem in Mexico together with our local partners, developers and customers to foster innovation, collaboration and sustainable growth across Latin America,” Selina Yuan, president of international business at Alibaba Cloud, said in a statement.
Cloud computing services enable companies to buy, sell, lease or distribute a range of software and other digital resources as an on-demand service over the internet, just like electricity from a power grid. These resources are managed inside data centres.
With multiple power sources and high-bandwidth internet connections, data centres are secure, temperature-controlled facilities that house large-capacity servers and data-storage systems. More enterprises are using data centres to host or manage computing infrastructure for their AI projects.
Establishing a new data centre in Mexico reflects Alibaba Cloud’s goal to widen its international footprint in key markets and serve more enterprises outside China. The Mexico facility was launched six days after Alibaba announced it will commence operations at its second data centre in Thailand.
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