Google enter Africa
Google have placed a representative in South Africa, in preparation for the launch of ‘Google South Africa’ next year.
According to the representative, Stafford Masie, Google recognise that Africa will soon be using the web to a much larger extent, and they clearly want to be a part of it. Apparently, they also believe that the mobile phone use can be productive for them, with the release of Android, Google’s open source OS for phones.
Although currently it appears that Google is concentrating on South Africa in particular, the effects that this could have will surely spread further afield, and will perhaps encourage other foreign companies to consider spending more time and money on African development of technology if they believe it will be profitable, as well as encouraging the development of African-based companies.
It seems that this move is one of the more promising, if a company like Google believe that it is worth their time investing in Africa, then it seems that maybe there really is going to be further positive development of technology and communications. Maybe it will also encourage appropriately developed technology, if representatives are actually being posted to the continent where they will gain inside knowledge on what the area needs.
Along with the satellite broadband that has been launched by Nigeria’s new satellite (see my post on the satellite conference in West Africa), perhaps there will be a viable solution to affordable Internet in the not too distant future.
It will be interesting to watch what Google are up to over the next few months until Google South Africa’s release.
Relevant links:
Google’s Android OS
Matthew Buckland’s blog post
