Google, already on an ambitious hiring spree, wants to bring on engineers, product managers, software developers and user interface professionals as it gears up to take on Apple in the mobile world. Its development work will be done around the world, with the company financing small groups of engineers working on apps that range from games to location-based services. Reports The Wall Street Journal:

Benjamin Ling, a Google product - management director, has been leading recruiting efforts, the people familiar with the matter said. Google declined to make him available for comment. By recruiting people who already have plans for products, Google hopes to get results quickly. The strategy fits a broader goal for co-founder and incoming Chief Executive Larry Page: speeding action by a Web pioneer that has become a 24,000-employee giant.

If you've already got an app idea or have something under development, so much the better, says intomoble. The site also notes that some Google employees are being re-assigned to work in mobile apps. Meantime, Google's planning an event next week to show off a tablet-optimized version of Android, Honeycomb. -- Mark Feffer