Google recruiting for internal devs as App Store war escalates

Google is looking to intensify its internal work on mobile app development, in a play to better challenge Apple in software for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. According to the WSJ's sources, Google plans to recruit software engineers, product managers, user-interface experts and others to help bolster the Android Market with quality apps; however, insiders also claim that not all of the titles will be Android-exclusive.

Product manager Benjamin Ling is believed to be leading the recruitment drive, and Google apparently intends to fund small groups producing anything from games to LBS apps and more. It remains to be seen whether Android developers will lose out as part of the new strategy; both they and Google itself have been disappointed by paid app sales in the Android Market, and having the search giant wade in may not make that proposition any easier.

[via Android Community]