I really don't want to sound arrogant or rude, but this comment really worries me a bit since it represents the kind of arrogance that's prevalent in the American tech industry. Stories like this represent a global shift of power, financial resource, and more importantly, talent. This trend is only accelerating as far as I can tell, whether people like it or not. The global competition in tech space is heating up to an unprecedented degree.
Yet not even about Android or the mobile market in general, a comment about the feeling of OSS community gets voted to top...
This is also a great strength of Android, IMO. Closed mobile OSes like iOS or WP8 don't give third party vendors the same opportunity to develop deep, system-level expertise that Android does. Everybody outside the parent company is essentially a software sharecropper with no real rights or understanding of internals.
So, as this balance of power shifts to Asia, it's going to be Android that reaps the benefits, not other platforms. Of course, it remains to be seen to what extent Google also benefits from this but at least they will have accomplished their goal of preventing a single company from locking down mobile and boxing their services out of that platform.
I recently sat in on a meeting between one of my small-biz clients and a lower-level, and very young, employee of a Chinese company. Prior to the meeting the employee had gone on a shopping spree as evidenced by the many shopping bags accompanying him.
During the course of the meeting, it was my client that was kissing butt for a shot at getting some business in the Chinese market, and would pay this Chinese company for the privilege.
At the end of the meeting, my client quipped "don't spend too much [money here]" to which the Chinese visitor responded, "I'm Chinese, of course I spend too much."
The whole meeting was definitely a wake-up call for me, especially after hearing what came from a Chinese national in their early 20's.
EDIT: I will also note that things weren't all roses for the Chinese company trying to operate in a capitalistic fashion. There is a lot of (probably justified) paranoia that the Chinese government would come knocking and severely interrupt their business.
What do you think Hugo Barra can bring to Xiaomi? I mean as you said in the other comment, culture in Chinese tech industry is completely different from in U.S. not to mention Google. So I am curious on your opinion about this. Honestly speaking, given Xiaomi's marketing style, I wouldn't be surprised if there is a brand image consideration of this high profile hiring. What do you think?
Brand image would definitely be important, but not for the Chinese market there. I doubt that many people in China know who Hugo is. I even know quite a few people who don't know what Google is.
If I have to guess, it's for building infrastructure (connections) of Xiaomi breaking into the North American market. Xiaomi's CEO is extremely ambitious and there is no way he'd sit out of THE most profitable mobile market in the world.
So he starts by making a high profile hiring first, good PR move and a practical move.
From Hugo Barra's G+: "In a few weeks, I'll be joining the Xiaomi team in China to help them expand their incredible product portfolio and business globally — as Vice President, Xiaomi Global."
You're probably getting a little emo about things here. I'm not sure why that comment should "really worry" you. And you're extrapolation of the story into
Stories like this represent a global shift of power, financial resource, and more importantly, talent.
is just plain wrong. If you it makes you feel any better, you're not the only one around here that makes those kinds of emo analysis.
Yet not even about Android or the mobile market in general, a comment about the feeling of OSS community gets voted to top...