U.S.-based information management company EMC Corporation has announced plans to upgrade its China R&D Center into a new R&D group.

The new R&D group will reportedly have a new structure of six functional departments, including a storage technology research base, a cloud computer research base, an information management research base, a China lab, a global solutions center, and a global customer technology supporting center.

Dr. Charles Fan, former vice president for EMC Corporation and general manager for EMC China R&D Center, has been appointed chairman of the new group and he will be in charge of EMC Corporation's virtual storage development project. Gus Amegadzie, former general manager for EMC China R&D Center, and Li Ying, former deputy general manager and director of software engineering of EMC China R&D Center, have been appointed joint general managers of the group.

According reports in local media, Dr. Fan stated that as EMC's first cloud computer research base outside its U.S. headquarters, the Chinese R&D group will become a great area in the future development of cloud computer. He said China is a model for the emerging markets, as the country not only has rich research talent resources, but also owns the most mobile terminal users and Internet users in the world. EMC's Chinese R&D group aims to make contributions to the company's leadership in developing new technologies and help its extension into new markets.

The EMC China R&D Center was officially opened in November 2, 2006, and it has grown fast with two locations in Shanghai and Beijing. Its key objectives are to provide advanced software and hardware development and quality assurance for EMC business operations.