SINGAPORE: Did you see the Google Doodle celebrating Google’s 25th birthday today (Sept 26)? Oldtimers may remember the barebones Google search page when it was officially launched in September 1998. Who knew then the company would grow into a behemoth, one of the foremost technology titans of the world?

Alphabet, Google’s parent company, is currently the world’s fourth largest company by market capitalisation with US$1.73 trillion, behind Apple, Microsoft and Aramco, in that order, and just ahead of Amazon.

Google Doodle

As Google has grown, so has Google Singapore, as Google’s AI chatbot Bard told The Independent Singapore today. Yes, we reached out to Bard, and the chatbot answered our questions.

“I started answering questions from people on March 21, 2023. That was the day that Google opened access to me to a limited number of users in the United States and Britain. On May 10, 2023, Google removed the waitlist and made me available in over 180 countries and territories,” said Bard.

Bard answers a question
Bard answers a question

Here are the questions asked by The Independent Singapore and Bard’s answers edited for greater clarity. (American spellings have been retained, and dollars and the $ dollar sign here refer to US dollars.)

Question: Tell me about Google Singapore. How big is it? What does it do?

Answer: Google Singapore is one of Google’s largest and most important offices outside of the United States. It is home to over 3,000 employees, and it plays a key role in Google’s operations in Southeast Asia.

Google Singapore is responsible for a wide range of activities, including:

Sales and marketing: Google Singapore’s sales and marketing team sells Google’s advertising and cloud computing products and services to businesses in Southeast Asia.
Product development: Google Singapore has a team of engineers and product managers who develop new products and features for Google’s global products, such as Search, Maps, and Android.

Research and development: Google Singapore has a team of researchers who are working on cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Policy and government relations: Google Singapore’s policy and government relations team works to ensure that Google’s products and services are aligned with local laws and regulations.

Google Singapore is also a major player in the Singapore tech scene. The company is actively involved in supporting the local tech ecosystem, and it offers a variety of programs and initiatives to help startups and entrepreneurs grow their businesses.

Overall, Google Singapore is a major player in the Singapore tech scene and in the Southeast Asian region.

Question: When did Google set up an office in Singapore?

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Answer: Google set up its first office in Singapore in 2007. It was a small space in the business district, with only 24 employees. In 2016, Google moved to a new, purpose-built space in Pasir Panjang. The new office is home to over 3,000 employees, and it is Google’s Asia Pacific headquarters.

Google Singapore is one of Google’s largest and most important offices outside of the United States.

Question: Outside America, where does Google have major offices and operations?

Answer: Google has major offices and operations in over 60 countries around the world. Here are some of its largest offices and operations outside of the United States:

Europe: Dublin (Ireland), London (UK), Munich (Germany), Zurich (Switzerland)
Asia Pacific: Singapore, Hyderabad (India), Sydney (Australia), Tokyo (Japan)
Latin America: São Paulo (Brazil), Mexico City (Mexico)
Africa & Middle East: Dubai (United Arab Emirates), Tel Aviv (Israel)

Google also has a number of data centers around the world, which support its global operations.

In addition to its major offices and operations, Google also has a number of smaller offices and teams in other countries around the world. For example, Google has offices in Nairobi (Kenya), Lagos (Nigeria), and Accra (Ghana). These offices play an important role in Google’s efforts to support the growth of the internet and the tech ecosystem in Africa.

Question: Where does Google have data centres?

Answer: Google has data centers in over 20 countries around the world, including:

United States: Oregon, Iowa, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Texas, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming

Europe: Ireland, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom

Asia Pacific: Australia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand

South America: Chile and Brazil

Google’s data centers are used to store and process data for Google’s various products and services, such as Search, Gmail, Maps, and YouTube. The data centers are also used to power Google’s cloud computing platform, Google Cloud Platform.

Google’s data centers are some of the most advanced and efficient in the world. The company uses a variety of technologies to reduce the environmental impact of its data centers, such as renewable energy and water-efficient cooling systems.

Question: When did Google expand in Singapore and why?

Answer: Google expanded in Singapore in 2016, when it moved to a new, purpose-built space in Pasir Panjang. The new office is home to over 3,000 employees, and it is Google’s Asia Pacific headquarters.

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Google expanded in Singapore for a number of reasons:

To support its growth in Southeast Asia: Singapore is a major financial and technology hub in Southeast Asia, and it is a gateway to other markets in the region. By expanding in Singapore, Google is able to better support its growth in Southeast Asia. To access Singapore’s talent pool: Singapore has a highly skilled and educated workforce, which is attractive to Google. By expanding in Singapore, Google is able to tap into this talent pool and attract top talent from around the world.

To be closer to its customers: Google has a large number of customers in Southeast Asia, and by expanding in Singapore, Google is able to be closer to these customers and better understand their needs.

To contribute to the Singapore tech ecosystem: Google is committed to contributing to the Singapore tech ecosystem. By expanding in Singapore, Google is able to support the growth of startups and entrepreneurs, and it is able to help Singapore to remain a leader in the global tech industry.

In addition to the reasons listed above, Google may have also expanded in Singapore to take advantage of the country’s favorable tax regime and its strategic location in Asia. Singapore is a global transportation hub and is well-connected to other major cities in the region. This makes it an ideal location for Google to base its Asia Pacific headquarters and to operate its regional business.

Question: What are Google Singapore’s major activities? How does Googe Singapore differ from Google Hyderabad (India) and Google Tokyo (Japan)?

Answer: Google Singapore is similar to Google Hyderabad and Google Tokyo in that all three offices are responsible for a wide range of activities, including sales and marketing, product development, research and development, and policy and government relations. However, there are also some key differences between the three offices.

Google Singapore is more focused on the Southeast Asian market, while Google Hyderabad is more focused on the Indian market and Google Tokyo is more focused on the Japanese market. This is reflected in the different products and services that each office develops. For example, Google Singapore has developed a number of products and services that are specifically tailored to the needs of Southeast Asian businesses, such as Google Pay Southeast Asia and Google My Business.

Google Singapore is also a major player in the Singapore tech scene, while Google Hyderabad is a major player in the Indian tech scene and Google Tokyo is a major player in the Japanese tech scene. The three offices play an important role in supporting the growth of the tech ecosystem in their respective countries.

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Question: What is Google Singapore’s total revenue?

Answer: Google Singapore’s revenue is not publicly disclosed. However, according to a 2020 report by Global Ground Media, Google Asia Pacific Ltd. (Google APAC), which is based in Singapore, generated $55 billion in revenue from 2015 to 2018.

It is likely that Google Singapore’s revenue has increased since then, as the company’s business in Southeast Asia has continued to grow.

Google’s main source of revenue is advertising. The company also generates revenue from other products and services, such as cloud computing, hardware, and app store commissions.

Question: What is Google’s total revenue?

Answer: Google’s total revenue in 2022 was $279.8 billion. This makes Google one of the most profitable companies in the world.

Google’s main source of revenue is advertising. The company also generates revenue from other products and services, such as cloud computing, hardware, and app store commissions.

Google’s revenue has been growing steadily in recent years, and the company is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. This is due to a number of factors, including the growth of the internet, the increasing popularity of mobile devices, and the increasing demand for cloud computing services.

Question: How many users does Google have in Singapore?

Answer: It is difficult to say exactly how many users Google has in Singapore, as the company does not release this information publicly. However, based on the fact that Singapore has a population of over 5.5 million people and that Google is the most popular search engine in the world, it is estimated that Google has hundreds of thousands, if not millions of users in Singapore.

A 2021 report by Statcounter found that Google has a 95.74% market share in Singapore’s search engine market. This means that Google is used by the vast majority of internet users in Singapore.

Google’s other products and services, such as Gmail, Maps, and YouTube, are also popular in Singapore. According to a 2021 report by Hootsuite, 67% of Singaporeans use social media, and 81% of them use the internet. This suggests that a large majority of Singaporeans use at least one Google product or service.

Overall, Google is a very popular company in Singapore. It is estimated that the company has hundreds of thousands, if not millions of users in the country. Google’s products and services are used by a wide range of people in Singapore, including students, professionals, and businesses.