The air was full of excitement during the first Google Philippines (gPhilippines) conference held at the Asian Institute of Management recently. More than 500 pre-selected participants from all over the Philippines joined the event. Google Business Groups (GBG) from Visayas and Mindanao flew in to attend the most anticipated gathering of Google fans. More than thirty Googlers (Google Staff) were in the country to showcase not only their products but also provide seminars and briefings on how Google products can be incorporated in private businesses and government services.

The event kicked off with a keynote from Manuel Luis Quezon III, the under secretary for Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning (PCDSPO). He stated that more Filipinos are creating a virtual community for themselves. "A lot of us are communicating less with real people and more online. We are creating a virtual life, and our circles are not about group-mates at home but are about being connected to the planet. This is our scenario and it is becoming a permanent way of life," Quezon said.

Stressing on the importance of internet in the Philippines, he noted that Filipinos still get 45% of their information from television and about 2-5% are from an online source. It boils down to the importance of the new medium of information dissemination. The undersecretary then featured some projects that the government is engaged in, facilitating and enhancing the usage of the new media to provide public services. He said that these trends will not decrease, though we must work towards embracing and allowing its benefits to creep in and become a part of our daily lives.

Loren Shuster, Country Director for Singapore and responsible for Google's operation in the emerging markets across Southeast Asia, said, "We are reaching a point where virtually everyone is online doing an average of 2 searches a day for information that is important to them." In addition, more of us are accessing our online needs through mobile devices. In fact, he said that there were about 550,000 babies born every day across the globe, but in comparison 1 million Android devices connected daily. Mobile is really changing the way we source our information.

He added that in 2002, mobile line penetration surpassed fix line. Smartphone and tablet surpassed desktop and laptop sales in 2010. He highlighted that you have to understand the importance of mobility to your business, especially in this part of the world. To highlight this, in entertainment alone, Filipinos are number two YouTube consumers across the globe. That is why he said YouTube launched in the country last year. This is significant data that is creating a new information technology landscape in the country, and he said Google tools and applications are there ready to be tapped by the Filipino community.

"Innovation is the main principle at Google," says Sebastian Trczinski-Clement, Head of Outreach, Africa and the Middle East. He encouraged everyone to innovate, and during his talk he shared six important insights on how to be able to go about it. The session created a lot of applause as he showcased Google's projects that are currently in the works. This was followed by Clark Kent - Koga, Account Manager for SMS Sales, who provided the group with insights on how to utilize AdWords and be able to maximize the benefits of it. There were also presentations from YouTube and how video is becoming a relevant source of information in Asia, particularly in the Philippines. Then the group discussed some of the products including Google+, Drive and Hang out. The afternoon ended with a session with Timo Josten, a Google program analytics expert. He showcased how to incorporate analytics into business, especially those who have websites, as it provides information that is crucial for business decision-making.

Participants of the gathering were full of information on how to utilize Google and make it a part of their business. Discussions from clusters all over the room showed excitement about incorporating and making it work for them. The event was scheduled for two days: the first one for businesses and government, and the second is for students and universities.

© Telecom Review 2012