Alibaba teams up with Haier to launch smart TV

Alibaba Group said it hopes to take a further step toward digital entertainment as it joined hands with home appliance maker Haier to launch a smart television set.

Liu Chunning, head of Alibaba's digital entertainment unit, said in a statement that online shopping is obviously a key feature on Haier's new TV model and special offers will also be available.

Alibaba last month launched a cloud computing platform that offers online gaming, music and video streaming as well as online education services through Alibaba's set-top boxes based on its cloud computing capabilities.

Alibaba joined hands with a number of gaming and digital entertainment partners including EA, Gameloft and Wasu Media to offer viewers wider access to digital content and services.

The two companies didn't reveal when such a product will be available.

Internet companies are no longer satisfied with offering online streaming services. They're also eager to enter the hardware sector to offer smartphones and TV set-top boxes.