Chinese search engine Baidu is laying preparations for international expansion with the introduction of an English-language developer site.
The new site currently contains introductory materials for Baidu’s developer tools, but Baidu plans to eventually make all of its documentation available in English. The company already boasts “tens of thousands” of domestic developer partners, but it has set its sights on becoming a truly global media company.
Baidu’s grip on the Chinese market has attracted the attention of marketers and developers. Last fall, Econsultancy released its first guide for the search engine.
Baidu itself has shown a keen interest in working with international companies. Last month, it held its first joint hackathon, working with Ford to help developers create apps for the automaker’s Sync AppLink platform.
Mobile app developers will want to take note of Baidu. The company has seen 1000% growth in mobile traffic since the start of 2010 and boasts over 80 million daily mobile users.
However, Baidu’s position isn’t unchallenged. It is facing strong competition from Qihoo 360, which is aiming to take 20% of the Chinese search market this year and 40% by 2015.
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