It has emerged that Apple is storing some of its users' iCloud data on Google's computer servers.
近日有消息表示,苹果将在谷歌的电脑服务器上储存一些用户的iCloud数据。
Apple had previously acknowledged using Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure's rival cloud computing platforms in addition to its own data centres.
苹果之前承认过除在其自身的数据中心以外,还使用亚马逊网络服务器和微软Azure的云计算平台。
The deal is a coup for Google, which lags behind Amazon and Microsoft in the market for powering third-parties' online services.
这是谷歌的一大策略改变,因为其在第三方线上服务器的市场较量中落后于亚马逊和微软。
"The iCloud information is not at risk of being breached or otherwise observed by the ultimate owners of the platforms it resides on because of the very heavy encryption and partitioning technologies used," commented Chris Green, a tech expert at the consultancy Lewis.
来自刘易斯咨询的技术专家克里斯·格林对此评论道:“iCloud的信息没有受到被侵犯的危险,也不会被所在平台的终端拥有者看到,这要归功于非常严密的加密技术和分区技术。”
The news site CRN was first to report the deal. It said Apple sealed the agreement with Google's Cloud Platform division late last year. Both tech giants declined to comment, however the BBC was able to independently confirm the arrangement.
CRN最先报道了这项交易。称苹果公司和谷歌云平台部门在去年年底达成了该协议。虽然两家科技巨头公司都拒绝给予评论,但是BBC确认了该协议确有发生。
It may seem surprising to those who view the two companies as bitter rivals. But Apple still puts Google as the default search engine on its mobile devices and has previously shown willingness to have business dealings with other competitors as well, not least Samsung which makes some of its components.
这一消息对把这两家公司看作是死对头的人来说着实有些惊讶。其实苹果公司在移动设备上仍然把谷歌设置为默认搜索引擎,并曾表示过有意愿和其他竞争对手进行商业合作,尤其是与为其制造配件的三星公司。
The news may, however, cause concern for investors in Amazon since it follows the announcements that Spotify and Dropbox recently moved operations off AWS.
但是这条新闻可能会令亚马逊的投资者产生担忧,因为在Spotify和Dropbox相继将运营业务从亚马逊云计算平台AWS上移除之后不久,这条消息就马上传了出来。
Amazon, however, has played down the latest development. "Vendors who understand doing business with enterprises respect non-disclosure agreements with their customers and don't imply competitive defection where it doesn't exist," it told CRN.
不过亚马逊方面对这一最新进展则轻描淡写。该公司对CRN表示:“懂得与企业做生意的供应商会尊重他们客户的保密协议,并且这并不表明包含着本来就不存在的竞争性背叛。”