Canadian Google users have long been frustrated by having to wait until new features are implemented north of the border, and reading about cool online toys they can't try.
But if Chris O'Neill has his way, Canadians could eventually get first crack at some of the web leader's exciting new innovations.
O'Neill, who took over as Google's country director for Canada in September, said he hears all the time from Canadians who wish they could use features like Google Voice or Google TV, which are currently only available in the U.S.
"My vision for Canada is that we reverse that trend altogether, meaning, Canada becomes a hotbed for innovation and we actually test things here first," O'Neill said in a recent interview.
In terms of population and a potential user base, Canada is a much smaller market than the U.S., so we're often overlooked when products are first rolled out. And while Canada's web users have proved they're incredibly engaged and eager to embrace new technologies, the Canadian business world has been slower to adapt, O'Neill said.
"The consumer side continues to amaze me and on the business side we're starting to see advertisers catch up ... but not at the rate that consumers are changing at, so the gap continues to grow," he said.
"My first observation was the opportunity in Canada is far bigger than I expected — and I expected it to be huge. I think there's just an enormous amount of upside in terms of businesses catching up with consumers, and unleashing a little more creativity on the web."
By Michael Oliveira, The Canadian Press
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