Shenzhen companies expand internet services along Belt and Road

Akamai Technologies, the world's leading provider of content delivery networks, has seen growing opportunity in countries and regions along the Belt and Road as more and more Chinese companies begin to explore new business there.

"We are very happy that China proposed the Belt and Road Initiative," said Tom Leighton, the US-based company's CEO and cofounder at a technology forum in Shenzhen, Guangdong province on Nov 15.

Leighton said his company already has established servers and other infrastructure facilities in countries and regions along the Belt and Road, such as Mongolia, Maldives, Kazakhstan and Russia.

The technology innovator pledged Akamai will further increase investment in the area in order to meet the increasing demand of Chinese companies expanding their businesses there.

He also revealed the growth rate of their business from Chinese clients is higher than that of the world average.

Tom Leighton, CEO and cofounder of Akamai Technologies, the world's leading provider of content delivery networks, gives a speech at a technology forum in Shenzhen on Nov 15.[Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

One of the unique characteristics of Chinese companies who are seeking to expand into the global market is they have users and customers everywhere, not only in developed countries but also in developing economies, Leighton noted.

For example, a large portion of internet flow at DHgate.com, China's first overseas B2B online platform and one of Akamai's key clients, comes from the UK and Mexico.

DHgate conducts sales in seven languages and reached more than 500 million Spanish-speaking customers worldwide in 2016, according to business consultancy firm Accenture.

However Leighton also mentioned Chinese companies are facing many challenges, including cost, capacity, security and performance of their internet service overseas, as their flow abroad surges rapidly.