Mi 3, Xiaomi's newest smartphone Photo: Courtesy of Xiaomi

On April 22, mobile Internet giant Xiaomi announced the launch of its new international website: "mi.com," short for "mobile Internet." The new domain name is simpler and more accessible to an international audience than the previous URL.

Xiaomi has continued its robust growth in international markets over the past few months. In addition to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, Xiaomi is now looking to launch in markets beyond Asia. According to the firm, the new domain name will enable Xiaomi to better interact with a globally diverse audience.

CEO and founder Lei Jun said that Xiaomi will retain its "unique" business strategy of "Software - Hardware - Internet Services" as it goes global and endeavors to partner with entrepreneurs to provide innovative and localized mobile Internet experiences to users around the world.

Xiaomi kicked off its global expansion plans by testing markets in Taiwan and Hong Kong this past year. Around last year's Mi Fan Festival, the company's anniversary celebration, Xiaomi launched in Taiwan on April 9 and Hong Kong on April 29. In February of 2014, Xiaomi officially launched its products in Singapore.

Lin Bin, the company's president and co-founder who initiated Xiaomi's global business development, stated that they will continue to quickly ramp up the production of their products and make them accessible to more countries around the world.

Hugo Barra, the former vice president of Android at Google, joined Xiaomi in October 2013 to lead its international business development.

In February of this year, Xiaomi was named one of the most influential brands online in Taiwan, second only to Apple. After Xiaomi's launch in Singapore in the same month, the brand quickly won a market share of more than 20 percent.

According to the February 2014 global handset market sales report published by Hong Kong-based Counterpoint Technology Market Research, two Xiaomi phones, the Mi 3 and Redmi, made it onto the world's top 10 list.

Global Times