Google takes on Asia's internet might
Baku, June 13 (AZERTAC). Daniel Alegre, Google`s President for Japan and Asia-Pacific, insists that his company is "locally relevant", as it tries to appeal to the different tastes and internet capabilities of the hugely diverse Asian region, according to BBC.
"We don`t see ourselves as a Silicon Valley company, we see ourselves as a Japanese company in Japan, a Singaporean company in Singapore," he says.
It signals a shift in the centre of gravity of cyberspace, as Asia becomes the biggest and fastest growing region for the internet.
Led by China, more and more people in the region are coming online each day.
Even in countries like Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines where the infrastructure to access the internet from home is lacking, the mobile phone explosion is facilitating a connection to the online world.
Globally, by 2014 the mobile phone will become the principal means of accessing the internet, according to Morgan Stanley.
And Google is betting big on mobile.
Its Android operating system, which is used by LG and Samsung`s latest smartphone devices, is gaining popularity fast in these regions, as it hooks people into the Google universe.
"If I`m a Gmail [Google`s e-mail service] user, I`m now likely to look at an Android device." says Shivanu Shukla, associate director of information and communication technology at Frost and Sullivan.
They are basically looking to find sustainable businesses that don`t put them in ethical conflicts”
"The intent is to keep stickiness. If I use 10 services from Google, it is unlikely I will switch [to another provider]," he said.
Google`s focus in Asia, along with providing applications and advertising on its search engine, is targeting export-based companies that want access to the rest of the world.
This is something Asian companies are keen to do, especially in China.
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