Google strengthens VR division with new leadership

Google for Work President Amit Singh has announced that he will be leaving the company’s business-focused division to tackle new challenges on the virtual reality side of the organisation.

Singh will be joining the Google VR team to lead its business and operations efforts, which he announced via Twitter on 13^th May. The company hired him six years ago from Oracle to lead the Google for Work team, and he was at its head for the launch of a number of key enterprise-focused products, including Android for Work and Chromebooks for Work.

Thrilled to be joining Google VR team to lead biz and ops. Incredibly proud of @googleforwork and where they are headed

— Amit Singh (@aksingh77) May 13, 2016

Those products have been important parts of Google’s strategy to bring in businesses as paying customers. It will be interesting to see what his move means for the company’s VR ambitions.

Currently, most of Google’s VR offerings are aimed primarily at consumers, but Singh’s move to the world of virtual reality may signal something of a shift.

The news comes roughly six months after Google hired VMware co-founder Diane Greene to lead a team overseeing its business-focused efforts, including Google for Work.

Google confirmed it is actively seeking to replace Singh, and Greene will work with the Google for Work team until a replacement is hired. It’s unclear whether Singh’s replacement will come from within Google.

Interestingly, rumours have begun swirling that Google plans to announce a new Android VR platform next week at its I/O developer conference. It’s still not clear what Android VR would be capable of, or how it would stand out from the existing Google Cardboard ecosystem.