Google aims to get the next 5bn online
THE future of the internet is in your pocket. That was the message from Google UK's head of retail James Cashmore to a sell-out audience at Digital Guernsey.
He said that digital opportunities were borderless and e-commerce accelerated internationalisation.
'What we are seeing is businesses that are internationalising are growing very, very quickly,' said Mr Cashmore, pictured.
He was the keynote speaker at Digital Guernsey, a day-long event organised by the Guernsey Chamber of Commerce, which featured panel discussions and real-world digital success stories from a host of experts.
The event took place on the 25th anniversary of the invention of the worldwide web and was hosted by BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones.
'By the end of 2014, 3.8 billion people globally will have internet access. Most people have come online in the last three or four years using a mobile phone,' said Mr Cashmore.
'The future of the internet will be in your pocket and will take you where you should be going before you know it.'
He said that by 2020 there would be 8 billion people on the planet and Google wanted to get them online.
Mr Cashmore said that there were 1.5 billion smartphone users globally, including 1billion Android activations, and that 28% of retail searches were conducted on smartphones, but tablets, smart TVs, in-car access and wearable technology were also gathering pace.
'Accessibility of devices will drive growth,' he said.
