CASICloud, a major industrial internet platform in China, has attracted nearly 1.7 million users from 179 countries and regions around the world, according to China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, one of the nation's major space contractors and developer of the system.

Launched in June 2015, the website was designed to enable users to benefit from the industrial internet, according to a news release published by CASIC at the 2018 Industrial Internet Summit in Chengdu, the provincial capital of Sichuan, earlier this week.

Up to now, about 150,000 pieces of information have been published on Casicloud.com by registered enterprises to seek partners or invite bidders, involving more than 420 billion yuan ($65 billion), the company said. Contracts with a total value of more than 210 billion yuan have been signed on the website, it added.

CASICloud connects around 900,000 computers and machines, collecting data from nearly 1.4 million pieces of equipment inside registered enterprises.

Gao Hongwei, chairman of CASIC, said the company hopes CASICloud could enable its users, especially small businesses or startups, to be better connected and to take advantage of the industrial internet.

He explained that CASICloud aims to help its clients use the cloud manufacturing technology to coordinate and optimize their resources, eventually becoming able to adopt smart manufacturing.

To achieve this goal, CASIC launched its Cloud Manufacturing Support System at the Chengdu summit, intending to encourage and assist users to use cloud manufacturing.

The term "industrial internet" was introduced by the US industrial giant General Electric in 2012. It refers to a new type of manufacturing automation that combines advanced machines with internet-connected sensors and big-data analytics. It is designed to boost intelligent manufacturing, which is characterized by a high level of productivity, efficiency and reliability of industrial production, experts explained.

CASIC is the world's second operator of an industrial internet platform following General Electric, which opened its Predix platform in 2014. Germany's Siemens opened its MindSphere in 2016, becoming the third member of the elite club.

CASIC has abundant knowledge and experience regarding industrial manufacturing and information technology as well as development and production of space equipment, and such knowledge and experience are essential to intelligent manufacturing, said Shu Jinlong, chairman of CASICloud Technology Co, a CASIC subsidiary responsible for operating the Chinese platform.

Through the CASICloud website, users can publish ideas and invite tenders for production, monitor and control their factories' machines in real time, collect and analyze data gathered in the manufacturing process as well as optimize their operation software.

CASICloud also assists users in finding partners and commercial opportunities through cloud computing-based matching.