Android: iPhone capabilities for the masses
Google South Africa is not simply replicating first world Google models, but is developing a model to fit the country, says Google SA country manager, Stafford Masie.
He says that this includes a strong focus on mobile services and getting involved in broadband and bandwidth related issues. Masie was talking to journalists on the ZATechShow podcast (http://zatechshow.co.za/).
Masie says that the Google management is “not interested in cookie cutting the traditional G8 Google model in South Africa. They are interested for us to build an emerging markets African model.”
He says that the “emerging markets, African model is way different from anywhere else” – different demographics, different connectivity and different Internet expectations.
Google SA will have to adapt their strategy to suit the South African and African situation, and with poor broadband penetration rates and high mobile phone usage it is not difficult to guess where Google will be placing its focus.
Masie said that mobile in South Africa was interesting and that Google was participating in the overall broadband connectivity and submarine cable issues. International connectivity is one of the restraining factors when it comes to broadband bandwidth pricing and hence broadband penetration levels, and it was not surprising that Google was involved in these projects.
Mobile a big focus for Google SA
Masie reiterated that the mobile Internet will be a strong focus for Google in South Africa – mainly because of the high mobile penetration rates in South Africa when compared with PC and broadband penetration rates.
South Africa’s current broadband penetration rate is sitting at around 2%, multiple times lower than the country’s mobile penetration rate. Masie said that 78% of all people with mobile phones in South Africa don’t have personal computers, and that 85% of this “no-PC” group will never own a PC.
The ZATechShow journalists pointed out that despite the fact that South Africa had a high mobile phone penetration rate, that 90% of these phones were not Internet enabled. This currently limits the availability of online content on mobile devices.
Masie was however positive about the prospects of Internet content on mobile phones, saying that with Google’s mobile operating system, Android, the company planned to give “iPhone type capabilities to the masses at a cost that everyone can afford”.
Masie said that the combination of developments such as Google’s Android and lower cost, more advanced mobile devices will most likely mean that a larger portion of the population will have access to mobile Internet content in future.
Masie pointed out that currently one in six Google searches in South Africa happens on a mobile device – the highest ratio in the world. This bodes well for Google’s mobile ambitions in the country.
Google SA launched universal search for mobile in January 2008 – only the fourth country in the world to get this service. This search service returns mobile tailored results, including images and video content suitable for mobile devices.
The company has also launched mobile ads and according to Masie, the results and click-through rates are encouraging.
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