Jian Wang - Being Online: On Computing, Data, the Internet, and the Cloud

Copyright 2016, 2021 by Jian Wang

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First English-language Edition

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2021939597

Editorial consultant: Weihua Liu

Cover design by Erin Seaward-Hiatt

ISBN: 978-1-951627-79-9

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-951627-96-6

Printed in the United States of America

Praise for Dr. Jian Wang and Being Online

The first time I met Dr. Jian Wang (we call him the Doctor), I was shocked by his vision of the future of internet technology. I wish we had met earlier.

Jack Ma, cofounder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group, from his foreword

In Being Online Jian Wang offers an expert view into the future of information and interconnectivity. The convergence of digital technologies promises to transform the economy and the society in ways that will affect every company and every individual. This book provides a roadmap for managers, technologists, entrepreneurs, and ordinary citizens.

Mauro F. Guilln, dean, Cambridge Judge Business School

Jian Wang was an early star of Microsofts pioneering research lab in Beijing, Microsoft Research Asia. From there, he went on to greater heights, becoming a driving force in Alibabas success story. Few people in the world have his perspective of our web-enabled futurespanning eastern and western cultures. Being Online offers unique and valuable insights into the cloud and our increasingly interconnected world. It is not to be missed.

Robert Buderi, journalist, entrepreneur, author of Engines of Tomorrow , The Invention That Changed the World , and other books and former editor in chief of MIT Technology Review

Being Online reads like an encyclopedia of technology knowledge at your disposal. Dr. Wangs book can serve as a launching pad for the creative technical minds that will build the essential tools for our future.

Ed Bennett, former president and CEO of VH1 and former CEO of Prodigy

Dr. Jian Wang was, and is, a moonshot thinker. From Alibaba Cloud to City Brain, his own brain seemingly knows no limitation, and he puts it to the task in this book by distilling complex ideas into approachable frameworks, philosophies, and tangible examples. True to form, Dr. Wang doesnt hold back on making bold observations or predictions. This book is for those who are curious about how the online world came to be and interested in where it is going.

K. Guru Gowrappan, CEO of Verizon Media/Yahoo!

Jian Wang presents an extremely knowledgeable and compelling account of our emerging online lives. His exposition of the City Brain initiative is particularly inspiring for the future of smart cities. I thoroughly recommend reading this book.

Peter G. Rowe, Raymond Garbe Professor of Architecture and Urban Design and Harvard University Distinguished Service Professor

Whatever your background, this fascinating book will likely enrich your understanding of the potential for data once it is interactively available online. Wang believes being online will be the essence of this era and that our understanding of it has just begun. At the highest level, having real-time interactive access to data, knowledge, partners, and users is ultimately a major amplifier of innovation. He persuasively makes the case that the new continent he describes will be constantly expanding in valuable new ways.

Curt Carlson, former chairman and CEO of SRI

Through his cross-disciplinary training and working experiences, Dr. Wang gained a unique and profound understanding of data, cloud computing, and the internet. Being online is what makes big data interesting and valuable. This book will help you think deeper and further about the future of digitization and its impact on our societies. Its a must-read for anybody who cares about data and its potential business opportunities.

Zuo-Jun (Max) Shen, Chancellors Professor, Industrial Engineering and Operations Research & Civil and Environmental Engineering, UC Berkeley; vice president and pro-vice-chancellor (research), University of Hong Kong

When I first met Dr. Jian Wang ten years ago, he couldnt stop talking about the exciting future of cloud computing. Today, he has become a pioneer and doer of Alibabas fundamental technology infrastructure. In the book, he not only shares his unique experience, but also makes bold predictions for the future. I believe that no matter what industry you are in, this wonderful book will open your mind.

Joseph Tsa, executive vice president, Alibaba Group

Being Online can greatly inspire the younger generation. In it, the Doctor generously shares the stories of YunOS and the De-IOE of Aliyun (Alibaba Cloud), which demonstrate both the reach of his ambition and his persistence. Reading his book is knowing the person.

Ming-kai Tsai, chairman of the board and former CEO, MediaTek Inc.

You dont really understand the internet if you dont understand what being online is. At the World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, I was so excited after listening to Dr. Jian Wang speak that I sent a text message to Jack Ma saying, Jian Wang is Alibabas treasure! Jack replied, He is Chinas treasure.

Shuo Qin, former editor in chief of China Business News Daily

To my parents for a lifetime of loving and caring

To my wife and daughter for your love and lovely encouragement

Contents

Foreword

by Jack Ma

The first time I met Dr. Jian Wang (we call him the Doctor), I was shocked by his vision of the future of internet technology. I wish we had met earlier.

The first time I heard the Doctor speak, during a strategy meeting at the company, about the future era of data, I was impressed by his understanding of data technology and his determination, which has led to todays strategic planning at Alibaba.

The first time I heard about the Doctors proposal for the research and development of YunOS [the mobile operating system], I was surprised and even pissed off at how bold he was.

The first time I heard people complain about how awful the YunOS cell phone was, I witnessed the tenacity of the doctor and his team.

When, for the first time, the dispute occurred between Hadoop [a software platform for developing and running large-scale data processing] and Cloud Ladder technology [code name for data processing software that was part of Aliyuns Apsara cloud operating system], I was pleasantly surprised to see the scientific spirit and persistence of an amazing and absolutely responsible technical leader.