According to Google International PR manager, and Australian ex-pat Debbie Frost, the Australian search capability has been available for a few days.
"We try to offer a local site to as many users around the world as possible," Frost explained. "From Singapore to Finland and the United Arab Emirates, the number of countries we cover is changing every week, and Australia is the latest to go live."
Preferring to stick to a soft launch, Frost said she could not make any further announcements regarding the company's intentions in the Australian market place until early in the new year. However, it would seem that the company plans to open up a Sydney based operation in Australia - as it has begun advertising for staff on their Web site.
"We hope to make a big announcement early in the new year, but at this stage all I can say is that the site has gone live," Frost said.
Local Web businesses have welcomed the move, pointing out that Google's Australian search facility will boost traffic to Australian sites, given the popularity of the engine.
Predicting his business may grow as much as 30 to 40 percent in the coming months as a result of Google's presence in Australia, Anthony Dever managing director of Queensland-based hosting company Hosting Buzz welcomed the news.
"Australian web site marketers will benefit greatly, they can now optimise their sites to achieve higher listings on search engine results pages while not having to compete with international companies," Dever said. "Google's users will be able to get more relevant search engine results when looking for Australian information by not having to sift through less relevant international information. However, it still allows the flexibility to search internationally when required."
