Microsoft launches first programs in Indonesian
The Jakarta Post , Jakarta
After twenty years as a chemistry lecturer at a Jakarta public high school (SMU), Sri Rahayu Ningsih's dream has come true with all the teachers in her school now having access to computers while teaching.
"Teachers are aware of the significance of computer usage for communication with their students, for example, when students turn in their research papers and present their projects," Sri of SMU 67 in East Jakarta told The Jakarta Post.
However, Sri said that her limited English affected her ability to optimally use computers.
For the last week her school has been trailing a special version of Microsoft's popular Windows XP operating system and Office XP suite of programs that use Bahasa Indonesia in all menus, messages and help systems. The programs were launched by Microsoft in Jakarta on Tuesday.
To produce the programs, Microsoft worked together with the Indonesian central language agency to translate 320,000 words, 75,000 sentences and 22,000 phrases. In August 2004, Microsoft launched beta versions of Office XP Starter Edition in five countries -- India, Malaysia, Thailand, Russia and Indonesia.
The programs using Bahasa Indonesia provide features such as localized and tailored support, and preconfigured settings to minimize difficulties in the setup menu.
Microsoft Office Standard Edition includes the programs Word, Excel, Powerpoint and Outlook, all using Bahasa Indonesia.
"Based on last year's data, personal computer penetration in the Indonesia is less than 2 percent of the population," said president director of PT Microsoft Indonesia Tony Chen.
He explained that there were only 3.9 million personal computers in the country last year, thus making Indonesia a highly potential market for computer sales, said Tony.
"Our sales target is unlimited and we will be targeting the market outside Jakarta," Tony said during the launch of Windows XP Starter and Microsoft Office in Bahasa Indonesia on Tuesday, adding that the trial at Sri's school was part of Microsoft's promotion efforts for the products.
Meanwhile, the village chief of Pawenang, Sukabumi, West Java, Dharma Lidjaja, also tried out the new software for himself.
"I hope that computers will become more accessible at more affordable prices," said Dharma on Tuesday.
He said that nearly all of his village's 4,962 residents, who were mainly farmers and merchants, would benefit from using computers to gain access to information. (004)