Developing cloud computing is important for sharing of information and innovation resources, helps reduce the costs of starting businesses, and creates new industries and consumption hot spots. It is also expected to contribute to building an innovative country.

In order to promote the innovative development of cloud computing, the State Council offered the following opinions on Jan 30:

Development goal

By 2017, cloud computing should be adopted in key areas, and an almost sound industrial chain should be created to lead the development of relevant industries.

By 2020, the adoption of cloud computing should have gained ground, and its service ability should reach an international standard; core technologies should be adopted; and key cloud-computing enterprises demonstrating global competitiveness should be established.

Additionally, a special security inspection system and a regulation system should be established, and the ability to research and analyze big data should be improved. Cloud computing should become an important part of China’s informatization — taking informatization to a new level for social and economic development.

Main tasks

Improving cloud computing services by assisting information and technology enterprises to become suppliers with cloud computing products and services.

Improve the self-innovation ability of cloud computing by integrating research related to cloud computing with application research, technology research and development, market cultivation and relevant industry policies.

Explore new development models for e-government platforms based on cloud computing by integrating and rebuilding e-government information systems with cloud computing technology.

Further develop and utilize big data by establishing reform pilot areas for open public records.

Make overall plans for cloud computing infrastructure, and help establish cloud computing data centers in areas with resources, a suitable climate — and not prone to natural disasters. Optimize connectivity structures among networks and upgrade the web infrastructure — taking into account planned cloud computing development.

Research and optimize laws and regulations related to cloud computing and speed up the process of information security legislation. Establish an administrative system for cloud computing security.

Supporting measures

Improve the market environment by amending category of telecommunication industry, and optimizing the access system of the cloud computing services market. Research policy to support large-scale cloud computing services, and support a third party to carry out evaluations.

Implement the existing regulations and aim to establish more suitable laws and regulations.

Offer more governmental assistance concerning finance, tax and policy. The government should encourage and guide social investment to support research, as well as the development and industrialization of cloud computing key technologies.

Establish entrepreneurship investment funds and improve investment and financing policies related to cloud computing.

Other measures involve establishing a sound standardization system, nurturing talents, and promoting international cooperation.