IT project must leap cultural hurdles

IT project must leap cultural hurdles

By I. Christianto

SINGAPORE (JP): Social and business culture could be a hurdle
to information technology (IT) as it gains a foothold in
Indonesia, a telecommunications expert said here yesterday.

Project manager of the research and information technology
division of state-owned PT Telkom, Yogi Pratomo W, said that some
aspects of the new IT "culture", such as telecommuting -- would
not sit well beside Indonesia's traditional social and business
practices.

To keep up with its neighbors in IT, Indonesia is working on a
Rp 33 trillion (US$13.7 billion) National Information
Infrastructure project called Nusantara 21.

The project is to connect the archipelago to the information
superhighway by the 21st century. It will be set up in three
layers called the Archipelagic Super Highway, Multimedia Cities
and Multimedia Community Access Centers.

"Telecommuting will be a Multimedia Community Access Centers'
application. Now, telecommuting is 'alien' to Indonesia," Pratomo
said at the Asia Telecom '97 forum.

"Telecommuting trends are growing all over the world as it
offers an alternative way of increasing the productivity of
workers and a way of reducing costs, space and time."

"Telecommuting has proved beneficial to the employee and
employer, and to society as well," he said, adding that
telecommuting was common in Europe and the United States.

Handicap

He said telecommuting could be a problem for Indonesia due to
the country's working culture which emphasized personal contact
and face-to-face meetings.

"This can be seen in the way employees communicate with their
bosses at private corporations or government agencies," he said.

"This is a big threat to implementing telecommuting.
Indonesians are firmly stuck with the culture of respectfulness,
authority and politeness that is part of their daily socializing.
This has characterized the people for centuries."

Pratomo said that because of this, working the electronic way
would not be suitable in some work environments.

"Telecommuting will change organization and communication
structures, including the way problems are solved and decisions
are made."

He said telecommuting would inevitably follow the other
dynamic IT era changes.

"The Internet and telecommunications centers we have now can
be developed into telecommuting centers where people can continue
working, relying on network availability and reliability," he
said.

He said telecommuting was not originally an exclusive job
requiring specific IT capabilities. "Telecommuting in Indonesia
will include the fields of data entry, telemarketing, surveying,
consulting, bookkeeping, writing and translating. The job will
require a 'minimum' IT background."

Strength

He said telecommuting's greatest strength was its flexibility
and adaptability to new societal and technical trends.
"Telecommuting is considered one of the alternative work
arrangements for alleviating major problems in urban centers."

He said telecommuting would be important to support Nusantara
21.

Indonesia set its sights on Nusantara 21 after discovering
that Malaysia had an ambitious project dubbed Multimedia Super
Corridor, and that Singapore, which last week launched the trial
operation of Singapore One, is on track to becoming an
"intelligent" island.

Nusantara 21 will develop multimedia technology in the 27
provincial cities and wideband superlanes. Telkom will coordinate
the project in cooperation with other institutions, ministries
and private parties.

All existing telecommunications infrastructure will be linked
to the network including satellites, conventional and terrestrial
cables, submarine cables and terrestrial radio links.

Major cities and district capitals should be hooked up by
2001. By then, educational, cultural, health, trade, research and
science, tourism, public service and government applications will
be sufficiently developed to benefit from the network, he said.

The network will also enhance private activities, including
finance and banking, education, trade and other development
activities.

As Pratomo says social transformation and suitably qualified
human resources are needed to support and maintain the project
and the telecommunications industry in general.