A few months ago Alibaba CEO left his role to lead their cloud arm as it split off from the rest of the company. Now, an update – the company’s platform DingTalk will separate itself from the cloud division.
What Is DingTalk?
DingTalk, is Alibaba’s answer to Slack. It’s a platform for working teams wanting to communicate and collaborate. It offers conference calls for up to 300 people, text and voice messages, capacity to send pictures and video, and a live-broadcast function for 1000 people.
The company launched in its first iteration in 2015. During the pandemic, it suffered a “review bomb” when the app was used to send homework to quarantined children. And in 2020, they launched DingTalk Lite, an app that, along with their main services, provides AI-enabled translation.
What Will Happen Next?
It hasn’t yet been announced when exactly DingTalk will gain its independence but rumours are swirling that the company will soon pursue its own IPO. They will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Alibaba. It’s thought this administrative change won’t impact customers or alter services. Despite splitting away from Alibaba’s Cloud Business Intelligence unit, DingTalk will still collaborate with the cloud division.
Conclusion
It’s all change for Alibaba, as they set a new direction for their cloud division and for DingTalk. In light of recent news that the US will start restricting investment in China’s tech industry, perhaps Alibaba’s strategy will change further still. Do you think Biden’s decision will change things for China?
