Rumor: Apple to open R&D and data center facilities in China
Apple is rumored to be readying for a push into China that involves the opening of a supposed research and development center in Beijing and the relocation of a number of App Store and iTunes servers to better serve the Asian market.
Apple CEO Tim Cook visiting an Authorized Apple Reseller during his most recent trip to China.
Sources told popular Chinese web portal Tencent (via BrightWire) on Tuesday that Apple CEO Tim Cook outlined plans for the R&D center with acting Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun on Jan. 8.
Cook recently visited China and met with the country's head of industry and information technology Miao Wei to discuss Apple's business in the region as well as global communications sector in general. The executive also held talks with the world's largest cellular carrier China Mobile over "matters of cooperation," indicating negotiations for a deal to sell the iPhone or iPad on the telecom's network are ongoing. Currently Apple has two partner carriers in the country in China Telecom and China Unicom.
During the alleged meeting with Wang, Cook also noted that Apple will move to China an undisclosed number of servers dedicated to the App Store and iTunes. Separate sources indicated that Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province or Inner Mongolia could be potential location for the data center which is expected to improve download times for users in the region. The exact nature of the R&D center was not revealed.
Apple is expanding its reach internationally with a new R&D center in Israel aimed at chip making technologies as well as rumored interest in building a facility as part of Russia's "Technopark" initiative.
Apple CEO Tim Cook visiting an Authorized Apple Reseller during his most recent trip to China.
Sources told popular Chinese web portal Tencent (via BrightWire) on Tuesday that Apple CEO Tim Cook outlined plans for the R&D center with acting Beijing Mayor Wang Anshun on Jan. 8.
Cook recently visited China and met with the country's head of industry and information technology Miao Wei to discuss Apple's business in the region as well as global communications sector in general. The executive also held talks with the world's largest cellular carrier China Mobile over "matters of cooperation," indicating negotiations for a deal to sell the iPhone or iPad on the telecom's network are ongoing. Currently Apple has two partner carriers in the country in China Telecom and China Unicom.
During the alleged meeting with Wang, Cook also noted that Apple will move to China an undisclosed number of servers dedicated to the App Store and iTunes. Separate sources indicated that Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province or Inner Mongolia could be potential location for the data center which is expected to improve download times for users in the region. The exact nature of the R&D center was not revealed.
Apple is expanding its reach internationally with a new R&D center in Israel aimed at chip making technologies as well as rumored interest in building a facility as part of Russia's "Technopark" initiative.
Comments
This makes sense, so the stock will tank another 5% tomorrow. I think this is so funny, from every perspective.
Plus, I suspect, there are a lot of pretty smart people in China, many of which might like to stay in China.
Lot's of folks have opened R&D facilities in China or India, but to little result. Seems very "un-Apple like" to follow that pattern (although I could see doing ethnographic based design research there.)
"To little result"? Just your wild hunch that you thought we should all care to know, or do you have any evidence?
Quote:
Originally Posted by DESuserIGN
Lot's of folks have opened R&D facilities in China or India, but to little result. Seems very "un-Apple like" to follow that pattern (although I could see doing ethnographic based design research there.)
Well, I have been to IBM's R&D facilities in New Delhi (India) a few times, and while I can't be very specific (due to obvious reasons), I have seen some extraordinary product developments there (and there was nothing ethnographic about it). And I am not talking about stolen/copied, or reverse-engineered stuff either.
A global company like Apple should not subscribe to ignorance. Making some investments can also go a long way in getting some support. I do not see anything wrong with such a move.
Makes perfect sense. This is the only way Apple will crack the Chinese market with the App Store because I'm pretty sure the Chinese government will require near total control over the servers and will demand the ability to remove "offensive" apps (political or otherwise) at will. I'd also wager they will insist on a large kickback on every app sale... y'know... "for the kids".
Quote:
Originally Posted by SpamSandwich
Makes perfect sense. This is the only way Apple will crack the Chinese market with the App Store because I'm pretty sure the Chinese government will require near total control over the servers and will demand the ability to remove "offensive" apps (political or otherwise) at will. I'd also wager they will insist on a large kickback on every app sale... y'know... "for the kids".
I agree. I was actually surprised by how quickly Apple was able to get the Chinese App Store up and running. Companies need to go through a lot of red-tape (and "grey-tape") to operate over here, it appears that Apple is playing the game right. Google could learn a few things from them.
So does the US government. And Apple has complied.
Why shouldn't they in China!?
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
So does the US government. And Apple has complied.
What apps would be allowed domestically by Apple's policies to which the US government would object?
i don't think a R&D center in china makes much sense. chinese character support has been nice already. what else is needed for chinese market? all i can think of for apple to have a "R&D" center is for testing apple products, apple apps localization, and some apple specific services. if apple localizes its products, then it will segment its markets.
I am not arguing the merits (whether here or elsewhere), but simply stating a factual point.
Here are just two examples, since you seem to have missed it:
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/12/apple-pulls-app-for-creating-fake-drivers-licenses-following-u-s-senators-complaint/
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/08/apple-bans-dui-checkpoint-apps/
Originally Posted by anantksundaram
I am not arguing the merits (whether here or elsewhere), but simply stating a factual point.
Here are just two examples, since you seem to have missed it:
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/12/12/apple-pulls-app-for-creating-fake-drivers-licenses-following-u-s-senators-complaint/
http://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/08/apple-bans-dui-checkpoint-apps/
Ah, yes, those. Thanks for reminding me; you're right.
Well, America, it was nice while it lasted.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton
Well, America, it was nice while it lasted.
Say it aint so.
Ho ho, the fat lady is merely humming
She forgot the words, and it looks like she'll not remember them for a long, long time . . .
It ain't so.
its does make sense to broaden their server fleet to other countries, I think we can all agree on that point. However, what worries me personally is how this will affect connectivity globally. One of the distinct advantages I had while in China on my last trip was that Apple devices were the only devices I could use to connect back home when the Chinese Government put a lock-down on the Internet during the last year's Chinese elections and the US elections back in October/November. If you were on a computer...I couldn't communicate back home at all. Gmail, Hotmail, Google search...everything was locked down to local search only. The only things that seemed to work for me was my iPhone and iPad via Apple. I couldn't use skype, but Facetime worked. I couldn't use Gmail on a web browser, but my mail app on my iPhone work. My theory was that since Apple's native applications run through services outside of China, it was much more difficult for the Chinese Government to block those connections. But that's just my theory on the matter. With that, If Apple starts introducing servers in China, who's to say the Chinese Government isn't going to step in and lock them down too. That would really be a hindrance for people like me who frequently travel to China.