Baidu Unveiling New Smartphone Partnership and Baidu Cloud Next Week
Baidu is China’s version of Google--a search company that built its own mobile operating system and is evolving into a services company with branded hardware--is taking another step. Baidu VP of engineering and head of mobile Wang Jin told Reuters that the company will be embarking on a smartphone partnership and new version of the Baidu Yi OS, which will be dubbed “Baidu Cloud”.
Wang was vague on the details, but he did indicate that Baidu was in talks with several global handset makers and had a few partnerships in the works (such as its collaboration with Dell on the Streak Pro D43). He also said that Baidu was shifting towards becoming more of a platform company--much like Google has become with both Android and Chrome OS and the many homegrown products therein.
The latest update to the Baidu Yi platform apparently involves cloud services--hence the name Baidu Cloud. Presumably, the cloud service will incorporate the elements of Baidu Yi as well as Baidu WangPan, a cloud storage service the company launched in private beta in late March.
Wang was vague on the details, but he did indicate that Baidu was in talks with several global handset makers and had a few partnerships in the works (such as its collaboration with Dell on the Streak Pro D43). He also said that Baidu was shifting towards becoming more of a platform company--much like Google has become with both Android and Chrome OS and the many homegrown products therein.
Baidu WangPan app (Image credit: techinasia.com)
The latest update to the Baidu Yi platform apparently involves cloud services--hence the name Baidu Cloud. Presumably, the cloud service will incorporate the elements of Baidu Yi as well as Baidu WangPan, a cloud storage service the company launched in private beta in late March.
