For our very first coffee chat at our Startup Asia Jakarta event, we welcome onto the stage Google’s new country head for Indonesia, Rudy Ramawy (pictured above, on the left), to be interviewed by our very own Willis Wee. We’ll liveblog his words, so please refresh the page every few minutes:
#09:54: What does Google want to achieve in Indonesia? “We want to grow the internet ecosystem,” says Rudy, as it’s the world’s third-quickest growth area for new web users. “And we hope to build up a lot of partnerships” in a lot of different areas.
#09:56: But why did it take so long to set up a dedicated office in Jakarta? “Eric Schmidt took a taxi here,” jokes Rudy, referring to the city’s pretty insane traffic jams. But, really, the Singapore office was previously covering the country, so it was just a matter of time for the new office to happen.
#09:58: As for products coming out of Jakarta, they’ll be doing the ‘businesses get online’ initiative that was started earlier this year, and other campaigns involving SMEs and the web. There’ll be “a new product coming in a matter of weeks,” says Rudy, so “stay tuned!” But he won’t be drawn on what that is. Mobile perhaps? He demurs.
#10:01: So, what trends in Indonesia is Google seeing? “Android is growing in leaps and bounds … and it’s obvious on the streets,” he says. I’m certainly seeing a hell of a lot of ads for Samsung’s new Galaxy S III around here.
Then, search and the mobile internet are also on the rise in the country.
#10:03: Plus, Google is working with universities and in other ways to get more and more normal folks online – that comes in addition to the SME initiatives he mentioned earlier. Beyond that, it’s about making the web cheaper and easier for people, but that involves “working with a lot of other parties … and it differs in every region” of the country?
#10:05: Android’s stats for Indonesia are “two-and-a-half times last year,” says Rudy, which is awesome growth. But he won’t divulge actual numbers.
He admits it comes down to price, and cheaper entry-points will help Android a lot.
#10:10: Google Indonesia has a team of 20 in the country, working on marketing, sales, and government relations. “But we’re not product specific in the Jakarta office,” he adds.
#10:13: “We need more local content,” says Rudy. Such as the vegetable seller on the street getting on Facebook. “But I’m not promoting Facebook!” And he’d like to see his teenage kid finding more useful content online that’s in the local language, or a local business “being able to take their business beyond Jakarta” thanks to the web.
#10:15: Indonesia is “one of the world’s top ten countries” for G+ right now, which is Google’s new-ish social network.
#10:17: “We’re really open to ideas” and developers in the country, says Rudy, and he gives out the office email address. He says he wants entrepreneurs to work with Google. But how about acquisitions, asks TiA’s Willis? Well, that’s always possible “but not necessarily something we’d go for” and isn’t always the best strategy.
And that’s a wrap. Stay tuned on our site for China’s social and gaming giant, Tencent, to hear what they’re up to in Indonesia.
This is a part of our coverage of Startup Asia Jakarta 2012, our startup event running on June 8 and 9. You can follow along on Twitter at @startupasia, on our Facebook page, on Google Plus, or via RSS.