Ex-VP responsible for Android Xiaomi wants to make the next ... - Tecmundo

(Image Source: Playback / All Things D)

former vice president of Google, Hugo Barra, is preparing to join the Chinese manufacturer Xiaomi phones in October. The executive was a big name in the Android market, but he claims that the promising prospects of the company in China meant that he could not resist the offer of employment, leading him to abandon his post at the search giant.

In his new role, Barra should become responsible for international business development and strategic partnerships for Android. The Xiaomi already manufactures smartphones with Google’s operating system, so companies already have strong ties. In an interview with All Things D, the executive said he now seeks to make the company known worldwide.

“The desire of the founders is that Xiaomi will become a global company that happens to be located in China. If I do my job right, in a few years the world will be talking about the company in the same way that talks about Google and Apple today, “he said.

(Image Source: Playback / All Things D)

According to Barra, the job offer seemed like a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a globally significant company almost from scratch. “And just something I would ever come across me again, with a team I know, a company that has a DNA similar to my own and, in addition, be able to live in Asia for at least a period of time,” he added.

Currently, Xiaomi is doing well in the Chinese market, having sold 7 million units last year and was expected to reach 20 million in 2013. The next challenge is to make the company progress as a global competitor, which depends largely on the successful expansion in China to other developing markets such as India, Russia, Indonesia, Thailand and Latin America.

According to the executive, the secret is to make consumers using low cost, high quality and convince them to use the operating system of the Chinese company. The business is also beneficial for Google, as the company benefits from someone like Barra in the lead of efforts to expand the reach of the Android world.