Alibaba Cloud, the data intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, today launched a Global SME Enablement Program to provide cloud technology relief worth more than USD 30 million to new and existing small and medium-enterprise (SME) customers around the world, and equip them with the solutions needed to maintain business continuity amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Under the program, new SME customers worldwide can apply for the relief between now and June 22 to start using a portfolio of proven solutions from Alibaba Cloud. The portfolio consists of a support package with 12 key products, including Elastic Compute Service (ECS), which powers cloud applications with low latency, and Object Storage Service (OSS), an encrypted service for data storage and backup in the cloud, as well as Alibaba Cloud Academy Courses.

Existing customers can also apply for product coupons between now and June 22 to help them expand or upgrade their cloud applications. In addition, Alibaba Cloud will reach out to SME associations to help meet their members’ technology needs as they fight the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has created unprecedented challenges and vulnerabilities to the global economy and especially to SMEs, who are often faced with financial constraints and limited access to technological support,” said Selina Yuan, President of International Business, Alibaba Cloud Intelligence. “Since its inception, Alibaba Cloud has always been committed to helping businesses of all sizes and making it easy to do business anywhere. The Alibaba Cloud Global SME Enablement Program aims to provide much needed and timely relief to SMEs so they can rapidly respond to the current crisis while speeding up their digital transformation and emerging from the current pandemic stronger and more resilient.” 

Alibaba Cloud announced the Global SME Enablement Program at its Digital Cloud Day. The interactive one-day online conference introduced Alibaba Cloud’s latest technologies and customer case studies; and in particular how Alibaba Cloud is applying cloud computing, data analytic, and artificial intelligence capabilities to help businesses and the wider communities better cope with COVID-19.