WebProNews

After months of rumors, Google has finally opened an office in Singapore.  The search engine giant is also reportedly in talks to open a research and development center on the island city-state - yes, let another round of rumors begin.

WebProNews first reported the possibility of a Google presence in Singapore several months ago; now SDA Asia brings words that “[t]his new office enables Google to more effectively bring its leading advertising platform, services and search experience to users, advertisers and partners in the region.”

But in the midst of all the new-office hooplah, a bit of new-manager news occurred, as well.  “Lori Sobel has been appointed Head of Sales for Singapore, serving Southeast Asia,” the article continued.  The interesting part isn’t the position itself - a new office will, of course, require people to head and staff it - but Sobel’s background at DoubleClick can be tied to another one of today’s headlines.

Back to the story at hand, though.  As reported by SDA India, Sobel issued a statement, saying, “I look forward to helping organisations in Singapore and Southeast Asia understand and leverage the great returns that are available through Google’s advertising platform with AdWords and AdSense.”

As for Google’s plans for itself, she added, “We will continue to localise our products, we are committed to being here for the long haul, we will continue to work with advertisers and will innovate and bring the best solutions to the region.”

All right, so perhaps Google demonstrated a little less enthusiasm than the term “sallied forth” implied.  Yet Google’s recent move into Singapore is nonetheless a momentous occasion for Southeast Asia.