How Alibaba Cloud Helped Shape iFIT’s AI & China Strategy

For global brands, China is both a massive opportunity and a digital maze—home to powerful local platforms, strict data rules, and entirely different consumer habits.

That’s what US-based fitness tech firm iFIT discovered when expanding into China. “It’s a very different market,” says Jason McMurdie, iFIT’s SVP of Technology. “You need an experienced local partner. That’s why we chose Alibaba.”

Building a Local Foundation
The first step was compliance. iFIT migrated its SAP ERP and infrastructure to Alibaba Cloud’s China servers, ensuring data sovereignty while connecting with users through super-apps like Alipay and Taobao.

Salesforce posed another challenge—its global servers risked violating cross-border data laws. Working with Alibaba Cloud, iFIT deployed a China-ready CRM via Alibaba’s Connected Experiences Gateway (CXG), blending Salesforce functionality with local app ecosystems.

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