Latest news with #Alibaba.com
South China Morning Post
29-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Alibaba unveils Qwen3 AI models that it says outperform DeepSeek R1
Advertisement The Qwen3 family consists of eight models, ranging from 600 million parameters to 235 billion, with enhancements across all models, according to the Qwen team at Alibaba's cloud computing unit. Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post. In AI, parameters are a measurement of the variables present during model training. They serve as an indicator of sophistication: larger parameter sizes typically suggest greater capacity. Benchmark tests cited by Alibaba revealed that models such as Qwen3-235B and Qwen3-4B matched or exceeded the performance of advanced models from both domestic and overseas competitors – including OpenAI's o1, Google's Gemini and DeepSeek's R1 – in areas like instruction following, coding assistance, text generation, mathematical skills and complex problem solving. 11:13 How is betting on AI to transform e-commerce How is betting on AI to transform e-commerce The launch of Qwen3, which was anticipated this month as previously reported by the Post , is expected to solidify Alibaba's position as a leading provider of open-source models. With over 100,000 derivative models built upon it, Qwen is currently the world's largest open-source AI ecosystem, surpassing Facebook parent Meta Platforms' Llama community. Advertisement
South China Morning Post
23-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Alibaba.com climbs in US shopping app charts as consumers hunt for bargains amid tariffs
Alibaba Group Holding's wholesale marketplace has briefly topped the shopping app charts in the US, as American consumers hunt for bargains amid fears of rising prices. Advertisement the e-commerce giant's business-facing shopping platform, became the top shopping app on the iOS app store in the US at one point on Wednesday, according to Chinese media outlet The mobile app occupied the third spot on the US iOS app store's shopping category for most of this week, having climbed from 18th place a month ago, according to data on analytics platform Sensor Tower. On Wednesday, Chinese shopping platforms DHgate, Shein and Temu were all among the top 10 rankings for shopping apps on both iOS and the Google Play store, Sensor Tower data showed. In this photo illustration the logo is displayed on a smartphone along with a shopping cart. Photo: Shutterstock Images Taobao, also owned by Alibaba, dropped to 32nd place on iOS on Wednesday from fifth spot last week . Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alibaba.com Records Double-Digit Order Growth in the USA During March Expo
March Expo, flagship sourcing event, saw US SME buyers leverage AI and digital sourcing to build new supplier partnerships and unlock growth opportunities NEW YORK, March 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, has recorded a 27% year-on-year increase* in the number of orders placed by US SME buyers during this year's March Expo. March Expo is flagship sourcing event. It connects millions of buyers with millions of suppliers from around the world, helping them discover the latest product opportunities and build new supplier partnerships while providing attractive promotional offers. A month-long virtual event, March Expo leverages technology, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital sourcing to make it easier for US SMEs to access growth opportunities via global trade. US order growth was driven by growth across several key product categories across the country, particularly sports products, which saw an increase of nearly one third (30%) year-on-year. Notably, according to data, orders for pickleball-related products increased by 197%, as demand for sporting goods in the US continues its growth trajectory and there is rising interest in new and emerging sports. In addition, the strong order growth was driven by US SMEs switching to digital sourcing — buying goods directly from suppliers, rather than intermediaries. New data from revealed that nearly half of SMEs (44%) plan to change suppliers this year — notably via digital sourcing channels such as online B2B marketplaces. Meanwhile, just under two thirds (59%) of US SMEs surveyed said digital sourcing is more important now compared to this time last year, demonstrating an increased preference for direct sourcing. Kuo Zhang, President, said: "During this year's March Expo, there has been a noticeable shift in favor of digital sourcing, with order volumes amongst US SMEs rising sharply year-on-year. This trend aligns with our recent research, which revealed that US SMEs increasingly recognize the benefits of online sourcing, from affordability to trend responsiveness and supplier reliability. In addition, the rise in sports-related product purchases indicates that SME buyers are increasingly tapping into consumer trends and sourcing ready-made products. As businesses embrace digital sourcing, they gain greater flexibility and access to a wider range of products to support their growth." # # # Notes to Editors *The data was collected from March 1 to 7, 2025 and compared with the same period in 2024. ‡The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a sample of 1,000 decision makers (aged 18+) in US SMEs who are responsible for sourcing in companies with under 150 employees (excluding sole traders). The data was collected between January 31, 2025 and February 6, 2025. Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct which is based on the ESOMAR principles. 'Digital sourcing' refers to sourcing products through online B2B marketplaces. 'More important' refers to 'Much more important' and 'More important' responses combined. About Launched in 1999, is a leading platform for global business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce that serves buyers and suppliers from over 200 countries and regions around the world. It is engaged in services covering various aspects of commerce, including providing businesses with tools that help them reach a global audience for their products and helping buyers discover products, find suppliers and place orders online fast and efficiently. is part of Alibaba International Digital Commerce Group. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE
Zawya
25-03-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Alibaba.com and Kwik announce partnership to support Nigerian exporters
Kwik becomes first-ever Authorized Channel Partner in Sub-Saharan Africa. Specially tailored membership offers are now available to Nigerian manufacturers to access over 48 million global buyers around the world. a world leading B2B e-commerce platform and Kwik ( a leading digital platform for logistics services in Nigeria, announce today a partnership to support Nigerian exporters. Kwik is now an official Authorized Channel Partner of in Nigeria, the first such partnership signed by in Sub-Saharan Africa. Kwik will market the platform to Nigerian manufacturers, producers and exporters. and Kwik are introducing today a series of special rates for Nigerian manufacturers and exporters to acquire membership on the platform as well as associated features and benefits. ' This partnership with sends a very strong signal to Nigerian businesses: accessing the world's markets is a few clicks away! Competing globally creates jobs and will play a key role in lifting up the Nigerian economy ' declared Romain Poirot-Lellig, Founder&CEO of Kwik. ' There is a strong complementarity between our portfolio of customers and 's platform.' ' We are excited to partner with Kwik by offering great opportunities to Nigerian exporters to access millions of buyers around the world ' declared Foncel Lan, Head of Global Potential Countries, Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Kwik. About Founded in 1999, is a leading platform for global wholesale trade that serves millions of buyers and suppliers around the world, offering a wide array of products in over 40 distinct categories, ranging from consumer electronics, machinery, and apparel. About Kwik: Kwik is a leading digital platform for on-demand logistics services in Nigeria. It enables thousands of merchants, businesses and corporations to outsource their logistics operations such as warehousing, fulfillment and delivery in Nigeria and in the Sub-Saharan Africa region.
South China Morning Post
18-03-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China Unicom boosts computing power investment in 2025 amid AI rush
China's spending spree on artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure is rapidly accelerating, with China Unicom , one of the country's 'big three' state-owned telecommunications network operators, budgeting a 28 per cent increase in capital expenditures for computing power in 2025. Advertisement The aggressive spending approach comes as China's Big Tech companies have also unveiled ambitious AI investment plans. Alibaba Group Holding , owner of the Post, recently said it had earmarked at least US$52 billion for building AI and cloud computing infrastructure over the next three years, marking the largest computing power project by a private Chinese company. As state-owned infrastructure operators, private enterprises and local governments unite in increasing AI infrastructure investments, China's total AI spending could rival or even surpass the headline-grabbing Stargate Project – a joint venture between US start-up OpenAI and Japanese conglomerate SoftBank that includes a pledged investment of US$500 billion over the next four years. China Unicom on Tuesday reported a 17 per cent decline in overall capital expenditures in 2024. However, spending on computing power, including data centres, rose 19 per cent, underscoring the company's commitment to AI. 11:13 How is betting on AI to transform e-commerce How is betting on AI to transform e-commerce Amid a surge in AI adoption following the launch of open-sourced models from Chinese start-up DeepSeek, China Unicom is budgeting a 28 per cent increase in capital expenses for computing power this year. To ensure steady funding for critical projects, the company has also allocated a 'special budget' for key AI infrastructure initiatives.
