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  • Google promises to work with Vietnam to remove ‘bad’ content

    Google promises to work with Vietnam to remove ‘bad’ content

    The tech giant has been asked to open a representative office and coordinate with Vietnamese authorities. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked that Google open a representative office in Vietnam to better manage its increasingly popular services in Vietnam, including preventing bad content on YouTube, according to a report on the government’s website.

    Phuc said during a meeting with Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google’s parent company Alphabet, in Hanoi on Friday that many of Google’s services are widely used by Vietnamese businesses and people.

    He reportedly asked for more cooperation from Google to prevent and remove bad information on its video site YouTube.

    According to the report, Schmidt has pledged to work with Vietnam government to filter its content, and said he will consider opening the Vietnam office.

    Vietnam has the second largest number of YouTube users in the world, he was quoted as saying.

    Major market

    Nearly 49 million people in Vietnam, or more than half of the country’s population, are online.

    A report from Think With Google, the research arm of the tech giant, last month said many Vietnamese spend their summer on searching on Google and watching YouTube.

    Trailers on the site got more than 500 million views in summer 2016, up a staggering 136 percent from previous year.

    Data from the company shows that last summer, YouTube views in Vietnam doubled compared to spring, with more than 60 percent from mobile.

    Every day during that summer, 100 million mobile searches were made on Google – that’s even more than the population.

     

    ‘Toxic’ content

    In March, Google Europe had to apologize for allowing ads to appear alongside offensive videos on YouTube, after big companies either pulled ads or threatened to do so.

    A month later, Vietnam’s government called on all companies doing business in the country to stop advertising on YouTube, Facebook and other social media until they could find a way to end the publication of “toxic” anti-government information.

    The information ministry in April confirmed that it had asked Google to block and remove 2,200 videos on YouTube that had “defamatory” content against Vietnamese leaders.

    Facebook, the most popular social network in Vietnam, last month also pledged to cooperate with the Vietnamese government to block “bad” and “toxic” content.

    Google CEO Sundar Pichai visited Vietnam in December 2015, joining a talk with Vietnamese businesspeople and startup community.

  • Google offers support to tourism SMEs

    Google offers support to tourism SMEs

    Smartphone adoption in Vietnam is now at 72 percent and the same as in the US, but a far higher proportion of Vietnamese travelers use smartphones to research hotels and travel than people in the US do, according to Google’s 2016 Consumer Barometer report.

    The proportion of people using smartphones for researching hotels in Vietnam stands at 48 per cent, much higher than the US’s 18 per cent, while 42 per cent research overland travel compared to 25 per cent, and 37 per cent research flights against 18 per cent in the US.

    “The key to current and future success for travel businesses lies in getting mobile right,” Ms. Ha Lam Tu Quynh, Head of PR & Communications at Google Asia Pacific, told a recent conference on “Solutions for the Development of Vietnamese Tourism Businesses” in Ho Chi Minh City.

    Vietnam welcomed 10 million tourists last year, a 26 per cent increase from 2015, and the industry contributed 6.6 per cent of GDP, with the target for 2017 being 10 per cent of GDP.

    The conference heard tips and tools to help over 30 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Vietnam’s travel industry win on mobile.

    “Mobile has transformed the way we live our lives,” Google noted in the report. “It’s speed and convenience has changed everything from shopping to entertainment. Mobile has also changed the way we travel. Tourism in the past used to mean paper maps and hefty guide books, but now you can carry all the information you need in your smartphone, not to mention all the stages of booking flights and hotels before you step on the plane.”

    In the mobile world, time is money so slow sites or apps lead visitors to head elsewhere. A study by DoubleClick revealed the stark finding that 53 per cent of consumers will abandon a site if it takes longer than three seconds to load.

    Businesses can also receive good support from Google via consultancy sessions with accredited Google Developer experts or discounts from Google’s special deals with market-leading website designers.

    Mr. Trinh Quang Chung, Head of Google Industry, said “every Vietnamese business is an online business now, because that’s where consumers are spending an increasing amount of their time.

    For any travel business looking to attract consumers in mobile-first Asia, not being present on mobile, or offering a slow and inconvenient experience means giving competitors who are set up well an immediate advantage.

    Mobile helps Vietnamese small businesses find customers across oceans without needing to hop on a plane themselves – which is why we’re offering a range of tools and programs to help Vietnamese businesses make the most of mobile.”

  • Rakuten drone network under development

    Rakuten drone network under development

    US company AirMap is helping develop technology to manage a Rakuten drone network in Japan.

    Rakuten, Japan’s giant online retail platform, and AirMap hope drones will be allowed to be used at low altitude.

    Rakuten set a world record early this year for the longest drone delivery, flying a container of hot soup 12 km to surfers on a beach.

    CEO Hiroshi “Mickey” Mikitani expects drones to revolutionise the delivery sector. “The capacity in the skies above us is far greater than in the roads beneath our feet,” he has written in a blog post.

    Global rival Amazon is also making a push into drone deliveries.

    With more than 14,000 employees and revenue last year of more than ¥781.9 billion (US$6.8 billion), it is pushing to become a tech giant on the scale of Alibaba or Google.

    So committed is Mikitani to going global that he made English the official company language in 2010. This helped the company dispense with the honorifics and deference of Japanese, and also made it easier to hire foreigners, reports CNN Tech.

    Rakuten takes Japan’s “high-quality, really customer-oriented service mind” and mixes it “with the Silicon Valley, little bit techie, dynamic culture,” says Mikitani.

    A household name in Japan, Rakuten spent $900 million to buy messaging app Viber in 2014, and has also invested in startups such as US transportation company Lyft and Pinterest.

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  • SevOne, Google teamup for business agility

    SevOne, Google teamup for business agility

    SevOne has collaborated with Google to enable enterprises to leverage the critical network and operational data that SevOne collects with Google’s analytics platform to accelerate their business and IT initiatives.

    With the partnership, enterprises are now able to combine SevOne’s performance monitoring platform for data collection and operational insight capabilities with Google’s Cloud platform for rich analytics and machine learning.

    The engagement intends to ensure that organizations are able to drive faster and more effective business decisions as well as improve the performance of their current service offerings and accelerate the delivery of new network data services.

    “By leveraging end-to-end infrastructure visibility, valuable operational insights, and powerful analytics, organizations will be able to achieve unprecedented business agility,” said Jack Sweeney, CEO of SevOne.“Whether it’s rolling out new services or enhancing current offerings, this partnership will ensure they have the intelligence they need to win against their competitors.”

    Enterprises are promised the ability to unify their disparate data, normalize it, and analyze it effectively for intelligent decision-making across the organization to improve their operations.

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  • Telkom Ready to Face Google Balloons in Indonesia

    Telkom Ready to Face Google Balloons in Indonesia

    PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia Persero (TLKM) or Telkom signals it is ready to block the expansion of Google’s hot air balloon as part of Google’s Project Loon across Indonesia, by increasing the number and capacity of its satellite.

    “We continue to add satellites to expand internet services that reach remote rural areas. So, do not let the balloon (Google Loon) over Indonesia,” said Director of Network and IT Solution Abdus Somad Arief.

    Abdus said in addition to continuing to build fiber-optic network infrastructure, Telkom also utilizes satellite technology to equalize communication access across the country. Moreover, he added, Indonesia with 17,000 islands, is unlikely to be completely reachable with optical cable network, Telkom’s satellite then should continue to be developed.

    Still cited by Antara, it is known around mid-2015, Google actively expanded in a number of countries, including Indonesia, bringing Internet networks in remote locations which are difficult to access with optical cable infrastructure, with balloons that acts like a satellite.

    The balloons used in the project fly with solar power, the company plans to expand its worldwide internet network coverage by creating Wi-Fi networks in the air using the balloons.

    Telkom’s efforts to block the Google Loon are reflected from the company’s planned launch of Telkom 3S Satellite scheduled on February 15, 2017, at around 4:39 AM, with launch site at the Guiana Space Center of Kourou, Guyana, France.

    Telkom 3S satellite will occupy an orbital slot of 118 degrees of east longitude which is above Kalimantan and currently is occupied by Telkom-2 satellite.

    With satellite’s active period about 15 years since its launch, Telkom 3S has a capacity of 49 transponders, consisting of 24 C-band transponders (24 TPE), 8 extended C-Band transponders (12 TPE), and 10 Ku-band transponders (13 TPE).

    “If Telkom 3S satellite [is launched], Telkom has three active satellites orbiting, i.e., Telkom 1, Telkom 2, and Telkom 3S Satellites,” he said.

    Abdus added Telkom has experienced in satellite management for 40 years; it is the time to make satellite with its self-produced technology. For Telkom 3S Satellite, in terms of local content, Telkom is no longer user, but it is capable of build its own.

    Telkom since 1976 has been managing satellite, Telkom through a center of excellence, especially in satellite field is ready to take part to build the nation.

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  • Tax office to summon Google to clarify data on revenue

    Tax office to summon Google to clarify data on revenue

    Director General of Tax Ken Dwijugiasteadi gave an assurance on Wednesday that he would summon Google representatives to confirm data that it submitted regarding the companys revenue in Indonesia.

    “I have the data, so I will ask for their confirmation on whether the figures that they submitted are accurate,” said Dwijugiasteadi.

    He did not mention when the summons would be made, but the agenda for the meeting has been decided due to Googles history of tax avoidance. The authorities have requested for a copy of electronic data relating to revenues from advertisements.

    He also hoped that Google will respond to the summons so the process of paying income tax on their revenues, which had already been significantly delayed, can be completed quickly.

    Dwijugiasteadi said that every company that operate and collect revenues in Indonesia are obliged to meet their tax obligations and contribute appropriately by paying the correct taxes to the state.

    “Regulations must be met and my job is to enforce them accordingly. I do not threaten or use force,” he added.

    The head of the Jakarta regional office of the Directorate General of Tax, Muhammad Haniv, said that Google has yet to submit additional financial reports that they requested regarding revenue collected in Indonesia.

    “We cannot fully trust their statements as we are still waiting for further supporting documents. Their income from sources such as pay per click and other applications are yet to be accounted for,” he added.

    He further questioned Googles reluctance to be listed as a permanent company in Indonesia as the company is already operating many of its servers in the country.

    “They already have servers in Indonesia. That is the physical evidence. Being permanently established requires a physical presence,” said Haniv.

    According to the Directorate General of Tax, Google was registered as a legal entity in Indonesia at Tanah Abang Tax Office III in Central Jakarta as a foreign investment company in September 15, 2011 as subsidiary of Google Asia Pacific in Singapore.

    Based on Indonesian income tax law, Google must be declared as a permanent company and all its revenue or income within Indonesia must be taxed.

    However, Google has rejected further tax inspections from the authorities and it will not take the status of a permanent company, despite its revenue being in the trillions with the majority coming from advertisements.

  • Chinese government clamping down on app stores

    Chinese government clamping down on app stores

    China’s government has issued an order for all app stores on the mainland to be registered.

    In a notice on its website, the Cyberspace Administration of China says its offices should ensure that records are kept on the country’s many app stores.

    “Many apps have been found to spread illegal information, violate user rights or contain security risks,” says the post.

    Unlike in the west, China’s app store market is very fragmented with as many as 150 vying for customers, including market leaders Google Play and Apple’s App Store.

    Registration is necessary, it says, to ensure it is clear who takes responsibility if apps, or app stores, are found to engage in illegal practices.

    Three weeks ago, Apple removed the English- and Chinese-language news apps of The New York Times from its China app store. The US tech giant says the government had told it the apps violated local regulations.

    Google’s store for apps using its Android operating system is blocked in China, with third-party stores taking its place. Most of China’s biggest app stores are controlled by internet and smartphone companies such as Alibaba, Baidu, Qihoo 360, Tencent and Xiaomi, as reported.

    It says Chinese laws are often intentionally broad and open-ended to allow regulators discretion in enforcing them. Concrete steps like the new order for registrations can indicate how laws will be carried out in practice.

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  • Indonesia challenges Google to disclose financial reports

    Indonesia challenges Google to disclose financial reports

    The Directorate General of Taxation will intensify its investigation on the suspected unpaid taxes by tech behemoth Google, claiming that the company’s tax settlement offer was too small.

    The government said that it would continue investigating Google as it has gathered preliminary evidence indicating that the firm has allegedly committed a criminal act.

    “Next year, it is not going to be about a tax settlement anymore,” Muhammad Haniv, the head of the Taxation Directorate General’s Jakarta branch, who is also the main investigator in the case, said on Tuesday.

    “We have to accelerate the process. We want Google to disclose its financial reports and the tax office will calculate the tax owed,” he said.

    He said the consequence of the tax office’s findings would be that Google had to pay taxes owed plus a 150 percent penalty.

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  • Why retailers need to consider setting up an online shop

    2 in 3 Singaporeans prefer retailers with e-commerce and mobile app.

    There are only a few days before Christmas and Singaporeans are surely busy shopping around, finding the perfect gift. But what do retailers need to do to keep up with the shopping hype this festive season?

    According to the latest survey by SAP Hybris, Singapore shoppers want cross-channel options more than new-age services like digital wallets and augmented reality store experiences. Over 2 in 3 shoppers (68%) prefer retailers with a physical store coupled with both e-commerce and mobile app while more than half of consumers want retailers which offer self-pickup services as physical stores.

    “With high Internet and mobile penetration rates, it is of little wonder that Christmas online shopping is picking up among Singaporeans. The e-commerce market in Singapore is expected to be worth US$5.4 billion (S$7.46 billion) by 2025, according to a report by Temasek and Google released earlier in May this year, and is expected to make up 6.7% of all retail sales by 2025,” SAP Hybris global vice president of fast growth markets Nicholas Kontopoulos explained.

    More so, 65% of the shoppers stated that retailers can improve their Christmas shopping experience by offering free shipping. Around 48% see on-time delivery as a benefit while 41% noted that gift customization would signal yet another improvement.

    “Singaporeans are amongst the most tech-savvy spenders in Asia, and no strangers to e-commerce. Despite that and reports of Singapore’s continuously challenging retail landscape, the brick and mortar stores are definitely not dead,” Kontopoulos noted.

    He furthered, “In fact, the SAP Hybris survey found that 39 per cent of Singaporeans still enjoy browsing through stores. This reinforces what we have been telling retailers for some time: Singapore is a truly multi-channel market, where most consumers are using a combination of devices in their online and offline shopping. The findings also point us to a future where offline and online shopping are no longer two separate business models. Singaporeans are demanding a seamless omnichannel shopping experience.”

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  • Qualcomm to support Google’s Android Thing IoT platform

    Qualcomm to support Google’s Android Thing IoT platform

    Qualcomm announced that it plans to work with Google to add support for the search giant’s new IoT operating system, Android Things, in its Snapdragon processors.

    In a statement released Wednesday, Qualcomm said the collaboration with Google will focus on developing both “consumer and industrial applications” and the initiative would help a vast number of developers participate in the IoT opportunity.

    “We anticipate Android Things running on Snapdragon processors will offer developers familiar connectivity environments, including cellular, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth; support for a wide array of sensors; camera, graphics, multimedia, and rich UI capabilities; hardware-based security; Google services and cloud integration; test and optimization tools, and more – allowing for rapid development of scalable, cost-effective and security-focused IoT solutions,” Qualcomm said.

    Although Android Things is currently in a developer preview stage, Qualcomm noted the platform is expected to be released more broadly on Snapdragon processors next year.

    Qualcomm’s announcement came a day after Google launched a preview of the new IoT platform which it said would enable developers to quickly build smart devices using Android APIs and Google services.

    In a blog post on the Android Developers’ Blog, Google said Android Things incorporates feedback received on its Project Brillo IoT OS and will include tools such as Android Studio, the Android Software Development Kit, Google Play Services, and Google Cloud Platform.

    Google will also offer Developer Preview updates in the coming months to provide the infrastructure necessary to securely push OS patches, security fixes, a developer’s own updates, built-in Weave connectivity and more, the search giant added.

    Google is also updating its IoT communication platform Weave to help facilitate cloud connectivity for all types of devices so they can interact with services like Google’s Assistant.

    “This is just the beginning of the IoT ecosystem we want to build with you,” Google developer advocate Wayne Piekarski wrote in the blog post.

  • Awards to recognise eCommerce merchants

    As Southeast Asia eCommerce merchants set benchmarks in a booming industry, their efforts are about to be celebrated with the launch of annual awards.

    Based in Kuala Lumpur, online shopping aggregator iPrice Group has launched the iPrice eCommerce Merchant Awards (iEMA) 2016 in partnership with eTail Asia, a service for eCommerce professionals, and Trusted Company, a review platform for eCommerce businesses in emerging markets.

    The first awards ceremony will be held in conjunction with the annual eTail Asia conference at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, on March 8 next. The inaugural iEMA 2016 will feature country and regional winners in two categories – Most Popular eCommerce Merchant of the Year and Highest-Quality eCommerce Merchant of the Year. Merchants do not have to submit entries as all qualifying merchants are automatically enlisted.

    “Based on studies by Google and Temasek, the Southeast Asian eCommerce market is expected to see exponential growth from US$6 billion to about US$90 billion in 2025,” says iPrice Group CEO David Chmelar.

    “With new players in the eCommerce industry coming up every left, right and centre, it is imperative we highlight excellence in the sector in hopes to further inspire and encourage both existing and upcoming merchants to excel further in Southeast Asia.”

    Consumer choice

    Finalists and winners for the awards will be chosen by consumers via the iEMA 2016 microsite. People can vote only once, with January 31 the deadline.

    Meanwhile, in an effort to also recognise special initiatives by eCommerce merchants that might have escaped attention, a third category has been set up to highlight efforts by businesses that have undertaken projects to support a social or non-profit organisation. This will be judged by a panel of experts from the eCommerce sector with only one overall regional winner being chosen. The judging panel comprises Chmelar, Asia Venture Group CEO/founder Tim Marbach, Worldwide Business Research GM Danny Levy, Trusted Company co-founder/MD Frederick Krass, Google Vietnam head of marketing Anh Nguyen and 500 Startups managing partner Khailee Ng.

    Submissions for this award are being accepted from for both consumers and eCommerce merchants through the iEMA 2016 website.

    Voting is being accepted at the iEMA 2016 microsites for Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

    iPrice Group is a Southeast Asian metasearch engine that enables shoppers to find products, compare prices and save. It seamlessly connects them to hundreds of eCommerce merchants in the region.

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  • Facebook Is Next on Indonesia Tax List as Google Deal Nears

    Facebook Is Next on Indonesia Tax List as Google Deal Nears

    Indonesia is eyeing Facebook as its next target in a government tax crackdown as it nears a settlement with Google Inc. Facebook, which counts more than 88 million Indonesians among its users, owes about 2 trillion rupiah ($148 million) to 3 trillion rupiah in unpaid taxes and penalties, Muhammad Haniv, head of the special taxpayers office at the Finance Ministry’s Tax Directorate-General, said on Wednesday in Jakarta. The office has sent a letter to the company in Ireland, calling for a meeting to discuss the issue and seek information on the company’s business interests in Indonesia, he said.

    Yunita Purnamasari, an external spokeswoman for Facebook in Jakarta, said Thursday she couldn’t comment at this stage on the tax demand. Apple, which is also being targeted by the tax office along with Twitter and Yahoo!, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

    Indonesia’s government is seeking to boost revenue as it tries to keep the budget deficit below the legal limit of 3 percent. Authorities have turned to Instagram Inc. stars and merchants peddling goods and services on social media to bridge a revenue shortfall as an ambitious tax amnesty program loses steam after earning the government 97.1 trillion rupiah in the first three months of its start in July.

    Indonesia’s government plans to drop claims on any unpaid taxes and penalties it has sought from Google if a settlement is arrived through negotiations, Haniv said. The settlement with Google, the largest unit of Alphabet Inc., may come as early as next week and the government will focus on ensuring the company pays all future taxes, he said. The company owes about 5 trillion rupiah in taxes and penalties, he said.

    Taj Meadows, Google’s head of policy communications for Asia Pacific, declined to comment on Wednesday and referred to an earlier statement that said the company had paid all applicable taxes and will continue to fully cooperate with the Indonesian government.

    Indonesian tax officials have visited Google’s office in central Jakarta several times in recent months. The government had earlier sent Google a warning letter for refusing a tax audit that can result in criminal punishment, Haniv said in September.

  • Google Android Pay lands in Hong Kong

    Google Android Pay lands in Hong Kong

    Google may be blocked in mainland China, but it’s Android Pay mobile payment service has just launched in the freer environs of Hong Kong.

    The mobile payment service from the American Internet company has launched in Hong Kong and is now available at thousands of retail outlets.

    Android Pay is a “one-click payment” service launched by Google. It features NFC communications technology and can be used on devices starting with the KitKat 4.4 Android system.

    Android Pay is similar with Apple Pay, which supports rapid and convenient payment functions via smartphones. Apple Pay launched in Hong Kong and mainland China earlier this year.

    Android Pay has established partnerships with the Bank of East Asia, DBS, Dah Sing Bank, Hang Seng Bank, HSBC, and Standard Chartered Bank in Hong Kong. At the same time, Android Pay gained support of over 5,000 retailers, including 7-11, Circle K, Fortress, Mannings, Maxims Cakes, MX, and McDonald’s.

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  • Government Push Google to Pay Tax

    Government Push Google to Pay Tax

    Director General of Tax Ken Dwijugiasteadi confirmed that Google Asia Pasific Pte Ltd will settle their tax debts by the end of 2016. The government has decided to negotiate with the company instead of filing a report to the police. “Google must pay their tax debts this year, the company and the government will release a statement after the investigation,” Ken said on Monday.

    Ken had met with Google representatives last week. According to the Director General, Google has the right to file their objection towards the tax investigation results as long as an agreement has not been made. The company however, will be required to pay off their debts based on the investigation’s closing conference.

    In response to the issue, Google spokesman Jason Tedjakusuma refused to provide any comment. Jason also refused to respond to questions related to the results on last week’s meeting. “No comment,” Jason said briefly.

    The government estimated that Google Asia Pacific’s revenue, based on service and product sales in Indonesia, had reached Rp 5.5 trillion. On the other hand, Google representative office in Indonesia only generates revenues from advertising services.

    Google Indonesia had been registered at the Tanah Abang Tax Office as a foreign investment company since September 15, 2011. However, state officials cannot collect the company’s taxes because Google is not registered as an Indonesian legal entity.

    Yustinus Prastowo, Executive Director of Center for Indonesia Taxation Analysis doubted the government’s ability to force Google to pay their taxes by the end of 2016. “Even if there is a payment, it wouldn’t be as large as it was expected,” Yustinus said.

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  • Rudiantara to Not Give Up on Google Tax

    Rudiantara to Not Give Up on Google Tax

    The Communication and Informatics Minister Rudiantara said that his office and the finance ministry are working to collect tax search engine, Google. “I support the effort. We will not give up,” he told Tempo in Pontianak, West Kalimantan on Tuesday, October 18, 2016.

    Rudiantara said he has no idea why Google tends to avoid paying taxes. “I do not know why. They choose not to pay their duties,” he said

    The minister added that Indonesia has sent a letter to Google, stating that all businesses in Indonesia are subject to taxes.

    “I told Google, if they plan to reach a settlement, we can talk this out,” said Rudiantara.

    Google has not registered as a corporate in Indonesia, although it reaps profit in Indonesia. It has also refused to pay taxes in the past five years worth Rp5.5 trillion.

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