MANILA, Philippines — For the first time, search giant Google is bringing its massive technology conference to the Philippines with the announcement of g|Philippines, an offshoot of Google Day held before in other countries, slated to be staged from August 3 to 4 in Manila.
The annual event, to be held at the Asian Institute of Management Conference in Makati, is geared towards introducing Google technologies to Filipino users. Day one of the conference will cater to businesses and government, while the second day will focus on university offerings of the technology company.
Topics would tentatively include Google Enterprise for Government, YouTube for Content Partners, MapMaker for Businesses, and Google Internships for Students.
Google said it is bringing the conference to the country as “part of [its] ongoing efforts to support innovation in the Philippines.” Aside from key technology seminars, the conference will also feature unique Pinoy creations based on Google’s vast array of software and online products.
Coinciding with the conference is Google Developers Group’s (GDG) DevFest Philippines on the second day, a networking opportunity for local software developers to connect with Google executives and engineers.
“There will be introductory and medium-level sessions on best practices for using Google technologies like App Engine, Web Services, HTML5 and Android,” the company said in a statement.
As a means to boost developer participation in the country, Google has also announced the launch of the Google Apps Developer Challenge, a competition that will seek out the best new applications using Google’s Apps and Drive APIs.
The contest will run from today until August 24, Google said, and winners stand to take home a $20,000 prize during the awarding ceremonies set on November 12.
“Google Apps adoption is growing in emerging markets, and people are asking for extended functionality,” the company said. “It is hoped that this competition will not only generate locally-relevant apps, but also recognize and reward the hard work of the most talented Pinoy developers.”
Interested participants for g|Philippines can register through this link: https://sites.google.com/site/gphilippines2012, while developers can participate at DevFest Philippines by signing up here: http://gdgdevfestph.blogspot.com.
The technology conference is just the latest in the search company’s attempts to broaden its reach and increase its presence in developing countries like the Philippines.
Last year, Google chose the country as the launchpad for its localized YouTube offering in Southeast Asia, topping it off with a YouTube World View interview with President Benigno Aquino, the first Asian head of state to be featured in the series.
Just recently, rumors were rife online that Google will soon establish an official presence in the Philippines following the posting of various job openings for the country, although Google has yet to confirm anything final.
Aside from its regional headquarters in Singapore, Google operates in Southeast Asia in Malaysia, Thailand, and Indonesia.
source: interaksyon.com
