Big data can make H3C a major player in China under new owner

About 80 percent of its annual sales revenue comes from its overseas business in Europe and North America. But after the government launched its Internet Plus strategy and "Made in China 2025" plan, H3C will now move to increase its domestic market share.

H3C was rolled out in 2003 as part of a joint venture between privately owned Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and the US computer network product provider 3Com. Three years later, 3Com bought out Huawei's part of the business.

In 2010, HP China acquired 3Com and H3C became a wholly owned subsidiary.

This year, Unisplendor bought H3C from HP China and other key business operations with an estimated value of at least $4.5 billion.

"H3C has always been a key player in the overseas market, but not in China because it was owned by a foreign company," said Hu Xiangdong, research manager of the enterprise system and software research department at market consultancy IDC China.

"That put it at a disadvantage in the government-led Internet equipment purchase market here. But now H3C will finally be able to move into that market."

With nearly 5,500 employees in China, H3C reported sales revenue of 12.4 billion yuan ($1.99 billion) last year and a profit of more than 5 billion yuan. The company has two research centers in Beijing and Hangzhou, employing nearly 2,800 engineers.