Google still on the hunt

By Candice Jones, ITWeb online telecoms editor

Johannesburg, 29 Apr 2009

Internet giant Google is still looking for a local country manager following the resignation of Stafford Masie, almost two months ago.

Google's job placement advert is still on its site, which could mean the company has not yet received any viable applications. However, it says it is hard at work looking for a replacement for the colourful Masie.

According to a Google spokesman, the local projects started by Masie are ongoing. “In the interim, Mohammad Gawdat, our MD for emerging markets, is managing our South African team.”

Masie resigned in early March, saying he needs to spend more time with his family. He is expected to finish up his tenure at the Internet company at the end of this month.

Whoever takes his place will have a few fires to put out in their first few months.

Last year, the local arm got caught up in a Competition Commission complaint levelled against it by online marketing firm Entelligence, which accused Google SA of attempting to take control of its customers.

Entelligence is convinced Google has been behaving anti-competitively through its attempt to take direct control of one of its clients. It goes on to say that when this did not succeed, it threatened to close all of Entelligence's accounts with the search engine giant.

Google has denied any action of the kind and has defended its “do no evil” policy in the local market.

The search engine business has grown its local presence substantially since it opened just over a year ago. One of its biggest deals is its partnership with Faritec, which allows the technology company to sell and implement Google's enterprise solutions.

Meanwhile, the Internet giant is also starting to feel the slowdown that has prompted several international business to pull their emerging market presence.

Google's first-quarter earnings showed the slowest revenue growth year-on-year since the company went public in 2004. While it did show growth, global analysts say that with its heavy reliance on advertising revenue, growth figures could drop again.