Googlising Asia

"Googlising Asia." It might sound like something Derek Zoolander would say, but this is Daniel Alegre's stated plan for Google in Asia - turning the world's largest aggregator of information into a leading provider of local search and information.

As vice president of Asia Pacific sales & operations, Alegre spearheads all of Google's growth for the region, which includes finding new ways to monetise YouTube, localising its vast search business and expanding its growing suite of product applications.

The company's local strategy has been in place for 10 months now after Google management made a decision to shift its Asian headquarters and all Asian leadership to the region. In that short period of time the world's largest online search and technology company has seen its Asian business flourish.

Local launches of YouTube and Google Maps have been well received by local users and small to medium sized business, Google's primary target for search ads, are coming on board like never before.

"Asia Pacific really has everything that Google looks for in terms of consumer effectiveness, content creation, vibrancy of new technologies and advertising opportunities," Alegre says.

And he says the region is growing, and growing quickly.

"At every level Asia Pacific is growing at a very strong pace, which is the reason why we have our decision making headquarters and our executives here in place. We will continue to invest in our markets in Asia."

Hong Kong is the fourth market for Google in Asia after Tokyo, Sydney and Seoul and will play a vital role as the company builds a local business and embarks further North into Mainland China.

"Hong Kong is actually a very important market for us and it's a market that we have been committed to for a long time. Hong Kong has a very strong domestic internet market where internet penetration, depending on who you ask, is between 65% and 70%."

Another more crucial aspect of its Hong Kong operation is developing its application products for the 300,000-odd small and medium-sized business that Google is hoping will come on board.

"In a world where you have limited investment funds, being able to leverage a free platform like Google apps so you can store your information in the cloud, essentially having a free Gmail address, documents, calendar and word processing that is all in a centralised server, is something that is very useful," he says.

"And that really is the way Google looks at its business," Alegre says. "We're constantly focusing ourselves on innovation and the ways in which we can bring value to consumers through our technology and our innovations."

But it's not just the Google technology that the company is looking to export to Asia. Google's work culture, known around the world for its unique style has also mad its way to these shores.

"I'd say there's not one thing that I could point to and say ok, that's a Google thing just by looking at it. More than anything it's a spirit of operation that has stayed with us since our started the company in a garage.

"It goes beyond those small perks of working at Google. As long as you do no evil and stick to our core mission, you really have a lot of leeway in this company to be truly entrepreneurial and able to make an impact on society," Alegre adds.

But it's Google's growing suite of application that is emerging as a crucial part of its offering to both consumers and small business owners. Alegre openly admits that not all Google's applications like Google Docs and Google Calendars may be monetised.  

"If the product is good and the product is relevant to what the consumer wants then afterwards we try and figure out what the monetisation opportunity is," he says.  

"Core to our mission is making sure the product from a consumer perspective is useful and relevant and really trying to solve a problem that a consumer might have and on top of that we build the advertising platform. I think there are products that may never have advertisements on them."

While this may seem like a big call to many, others may see this as a clear strategy to take even more business from its arch rival Microsoft.

"There are people who believe that we guide our product principal in a way to annoy Microsoft, but that is not the case.

But in this "grim financial climate" Alegre is unfaltering that a solid consumer offering is as crucial part of the business as monetising its products.

"We try to hold very core to our mission, a mission of making all of the world's information useful and relevant. It's a mission that is very ending. Everything we do has a positive impact on society from helping a politician in the United States use our platform to become president all the way to my mother trying to help her dog."