Alibaba’s DingTalk sees Hong Kong as pathway to expansion of workplace collaboration app

City is expected to provide a solid foundation for the workplace app’s international business development strategy

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DingTalk has developed a viable commercial model in the business-to-business services market. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:00pm, 29 Nov 2024

Alibaba Group Holding’s workplace collaboration app, DingTalk, has officially launched in Hong Kong, the first stop that is considered a “touchstone” in the overseas expansion of the professional office tool.

DingTalk, which has always been accessible to users in Hong Kong, will establish a new service team based in the city to “better respond to customer needs and focus on building a localised ecosystem and service system”, the Alibaba unit said in a statement on Thursday. Hangzhou-based Alibaba owns the South China Morning Post.

“We will leverage the international influence of the Hong Kong market to accelerate DingTalk’s global development,” said Yang Meng, president of DingTalk’s global business.

He said Hong Kong is expected to serve as a “touchstone” that provides a solid foundation for the app’s global expansion strategy.

That action plan reflects how DingTalk has developed a viable commercial model in the business-to-business services market in mainland China, which it hopes to further monetise in other markets around the world.

The headquarters of Alibaba Group Holding’s DingTalk in Hangzhou, capital of eastern Zhejiang province. Photo: VCG via Getty Images

DingTalk recorded an annual recurring revenue (ARR) of more than US$200 million in the six months ended September 30, or the first half of parent Alibaba’s 2025 financial year, the Alibaba unit said earlier this month. ARR is a metric that indicates how much money is generated annually from subscriptions, which in DingTalk’s case are software subscriptions.