ITU Regional Workshop on
Bridging the Standardization Gap
(Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013)
Cloud Computing Standardization
Initiatives in China: Economic and
institutional considerations
Nir Kshetri
Professor, The University of North
Carolina—Greensboro
nbkshetr@uncg.edu
Yangon, Myanmar, 28-29 November 2013
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
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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 members
China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation
China Telecom
Beijing China Power Information
Technology
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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
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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 departments
inability to communicate and share data.
A reason for the slow diffusion of EMR: lack of a
single standard.
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Definition of Cloud-related Concepts
Chinese Communications Standards
Association (CCSA)
Most parts in NIST definition accepted
Technical reference materials for
virtualization, cloud security, cloud storage
and others developed by
DMTS
Storage Networking Industry Association (SNIA)
Cloud Security Alliance (CSA)
ITU
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Definition of Cloud-related Concepts
MIIT’s Telecommunications Research
Institute: The removal of “on-demand selfservice” 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.
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Kshetri, Palvia and Dai (2011).
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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 contracts
Government’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 concerns
Uncertainty: regulations’ evolution without
transparency/outside input
Some degree of foreign participation in
CESI
NITSTC SOA
CCSA standards groups
Often not as full voting members.
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Lack of Clear Regulations/Transparency
Some groups under NITSTC: no foreign
companies’ participation even as
observers
In 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 Nationalism
1970s, the CCP: standardization to ‘‘quickly
build a socialist economy ….to ensure quality,
advance performance …’’
Since1980s: attempts to develop
Chinese computer OS: CCDOS
Database management system
Network communication system
Middleware 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.
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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 participation
Foreign corporations: increase in cost
Extra 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 play
Tricky trade off for the Chinese regulators
Many challenges confronting domestic and
foreign companies
Offers a number of relevant lessons
for the cloud standardization initiatives for
other developing countries.
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