Sun Microsystems upbeat on Indonesia<\/p>\n
By Tantri Yuliandini<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (JP): Computer giant Sun Microsystems sees promising
\nopportunities in Indonesia as local, traditional companies start
\nto embrace the Internet, Sun's vice president and managing
\ndirector for Asia South Lionel Lim said.<\/p>\n
\"The Indonesian market is an important and growing market for
\nSun,\" Lim said adding that the establishment of PT Sun
\nMicrosystems Indonesia in September last year was an affirmation
\nof its commitment to the country.<\/p>\n
Sun Microsystems Indonesia is a joint venture between
\nCalifornia-based Sun Microsystems Inc. and PT e-Metrodata.com, a
\nsubsidiary of publicly-listed PT Metrodata Electronics.<\/p>\n
Lim said Sun's commitment in the energy and telecommunications
\nsectors had allowed the business in Indonesia to grow steadily
\nover the years despite the deep impact of the Asian economic
\ncrisis in late 1997 on the country's economy.<\/p>\n
He added that eight out of 10 telecommunications and energy
\ncompanies in Indonesia are using Sun technology, including
\ncellular operators PT Excelcomindo Pratama and PT Telkomsel, and
\noil and gas companies PT Caltex Pacific Indonesia and Unocal
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
Sun Microsystems Indonesia's sales director Wibisono Gumulya
\nsaid that sales had been very good for the company over the last
\nyear, increasing by up to 108 percent between July and December
\n2000 compared to the same period the previous year.<\/p>\n
\"It's because for sometime (because of the crisis) companies
\nhave been suspending their investment on IT. And now they are
\nbeginning to invest on account of AFTA,\" he said.<\/p>\n
AFTA, the ASEAN Free Trade Area, will be implemented among the
\nmembers of the Association of South East Asian Nations in 2003.<\/p>\n
Wibisono said Sun's mission in the country was to capture
\nthose companies that are just beginning to embrace Internet
\ntechnology.<\/p>\n
\"The companies are thinking that if they don't invest (in IT)
\nnow, they will be left out of the race when AFTA is implemented,\"
\nhe said, adding that more and more local companies have an IT
\nbudget this year.<\/p>\n
\"Sun has the products for the Net economy and Indonesia has
\nthe potential,\" Lim said.<\/p>\n
Lucky I. Ismail, Sun Microsystems Indonesia's channel manager,
\nsaid that the joint venture enabled Sun to capture the solution
\nprovider market and dot-com market, which it had not been able to
\ndo in the past.<\/p>\n
\"Before, our customers were mainly in the energy and
\ntelecommunications industry, now we are able to enter as a
\nsolution provider for dot-com companies and service providers,\"
\nhe said, adding that about 80 percent of internet service
\nproviders (ISPs) in Indonesia used Sun's platform.<\/p>\n
Wibisono said that the joint venture was 49 percent owned by
\nSun which had invested more than $5 million.<\/p>\n
\"We hope Sun's physical entrance into Indonesia will make
\ncompanies feel more confident and secure about using its products
\nthan they were when Sun only distributed its products through
\nMetrodata,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Metrodata had been distributing Sun's products since 1990,
\nWibisono added.<\/p>\n
Sun Microsystems' executive vice president for global sales
\noperations, Masood Jabbar, said that after the dot-com bubble
\nburst last year, people were becoming more wary about putting up
\ntheir money for start-ups.<\/p>\n
\"Profits are back in ... The world got sick of profitless
\nventures,\" he said at a symposium here.<\/p>\n
Jabbar said that the Internet economy was still growing, but
\nthat the reckless investments in dot-coms were over, people were
\nnow investing more wisely than they had been doing over the last
\ntwo years.<\/p>\n
\"Now the bricksters are clicking,\" he said, referring to the
\ntraditional companies, also known as brick and mortar companies.<\/p>\n
These companies are the ones who have the profits, and the
\ncapital to revert to the Internet, Jabbar added.<\/p>\n
He noted that the Asia-Pacific region has the highest economic
\ngrowth rate in the world, citing IT spending at more than $70
\nbillion in the region, excluding Japan, compared to worldwide
\nspending of $1 trillion last year.<\/p>\n
Citing data from IDC, Jabbar said that there were more than
\n160 million cell phones in the Asia Pacific region in 2000
\ncompared to 600 million worldwide.<\/p>\n
He added that the Asia-Pacific region was substantial and
\nstrategic for Sun's business.<\/p>\n
\"And Sun provides end-to-end solutions to ensure the quick
\nadoption of e-business and being poised to take full advantage of
\nthe Internet,\" Lim added.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sun-microsystems-upbeat-on-indonesia-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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