IndoExchange.com to launch textile portal

JAKARTA (JP): IndoExchange.com, Indonesia's first Internet company that specializes in business and financial information and transactions, will soon launch a textile portal and facilitate online insurance transactions.

This portal, which will list around 1,000 companies, will serve as an export promotion center for Indonesian textile and garment producers and a facility for online business both in the domestic and international markets, IndoExchange's chief operating officer David Burke told reporters on Thursday.

The portal, Burke added, will provide all information related to the textile and apparel industry in Indonesia and overseas, including import quota allocations in major countries.

"Hopefully, Indonesian companies will make optimal use of this Internet facility to promote their products overseas and develop new international contacts," Burke said.

IndoExchange's chief executive officer Cam Walker added that the textile portal is only one of several additional services and facilities to be provided by his company.

"Our online commerce will also be expanded from share trading to insurance transactions," Walker said.

Walker said IndoExchange's userbase was already broad enough for enabling its website to serve as a shopfront for various kinds of e-commerce.

"In addition to 83,000 registered users, of which 40 percent are from overseas, our website has been getting between 200,000 and 500,000 page views per day or 7.5-10 million page views per month," Walker added.

IndoExchange, which was established in Jakarta in 1996 as a joint venture company, is the first Website in Asia that specializes in the provision of business and financial information, including realtime stock quotations.

"With 400,000 pages (400k) of capital market information, including the profiles of all Indonesian listed companies and stockmarket and financial regulations, IndoExchange has been serving as gateway for foreign investors interested in Indonesia," Walker added.

On top of that, he added, IndoExchange also has expanded its alliance with KwikWeb.Com of the United States, a developer of online software services that allow individuals and businesses to create their own web sites using any Web browser or Internet appliance.

"With full support from KwikWeb, IndoExchange is now offering small and medium companies in Indonesia free services to build up their own personalized websites to be included in its business directory," Burke added.

KwikWeb chief executive officer Ric Kaestner from California said his company would provide IndoExchange with a customized online web site building for its users, web site hosting and server set-up.

"This strategic alliance will bring KwikWeb online web site creation tools and customer acquisition software to the Indonesian financial market place," Kaestner added.