Just as we expected, Google has completed a reorganization that will place a stronger emphasis on mobile and Android.
Android head Andy Rubin is one of six key figures to receive a promotion (he’s senior VP now) and he will report directly to Larry Page. As you know, Larry Page took over as Google CEO earlier this week and immediately wanted to shape the company in his vision.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the reorganization is meant to give Larry Page direct communications with his top people in the company.
Mr. Page has asked top lieutenants to work with him in a shared space once a day in order to facilitate better communication among top managers; asked employees to have more-focused meetings with clear decision-makers; and asked for descriptions of hundreds of projects currently underway at the 24,000-person company in order to consider shutting some down, people familiar with the matter have said.
What does this mean for Android? Well, it’s too early to tell but you can be sure Google will be putting its weight behind the platform like never before. This may be why we’re hearing chatter about Google taking a stronger role in the requirements for Android that it gives partners early access to. Andy Rubin has said that the open philosophy won’t be changing but he never did address the issue of gaining early access to the platform.
Other than that, I expect Google to keep pushing new services on its mobile platform. We expect to see Google Music debut next month at the I/O conference and this will enable Android users to live stream music from their home collection. I’d hope we’ll see some sort of similar video service in the not-too-distant future.
What do you expect from Android now that it’s a super high priority within Google?
[Via The Wall Street Journal]