Retail News CRM

Tag: Indonesia

  • Indonesia’s Matahari buoyed by closing down of losses

    Indonesia’s Matahari buoyed by closing down of losses

    New leadership taking over the helm of troubled Indonesian hypermarket retailer Matahari Putra Prima (MPPA) have been presented with an improved set of trading figures.

    While sales were down in the first quarter of the new fiscal year, so were expenses, leading to a slight narrowing of the company’s losses.

    Net sales of Rp2.9 trillion (US$208 million) were lower than at the same time last year, despite a 3.9 per cent increase in the number of customer transactions.

    The company said that reflected a lower-price strategy and signals “positive traction and improved engagement with our customers”.

    “The company will continue to put forward customer-centricity as its focus in driving its business,” it said in a statement.

    Efficiency measures put in-place last year saw general and administrative expenses fall 28.4 per cent, resulting in a net loss of Rp159.8 billion ($11.47 million) for the quarter, a marginal improvement on the Rp176.7 billion ($12.68) loss of the first quarter last year.

    Early last month, MPPA reported a loss of US$86.8 million, and just days later named new people in the roles of CEO and president, along with announcing plans to raise IDR800 billion (US$58 million) in fresh capital.

    This week, the company says it remains “optimistic” for this trading year.

    “The upcoming Lebaran season as well as the major events happening in the second half of the year, including the nationwide regional election, Asian Games and the World Cup will be one of the catalysts that drives demand growth for the retail business in Indonesia,” MPPA said in a statement.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Valentino goes red in Indonesia

    Valentino goes red in Indonesia

    Fashion brand Valentino Indonesia has opened a RedValentino boutique at Plaza Indonesia in central Jakarta.

    Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli has developed the store concept together with British architect David Chipperfield.

    Evoking the atmosphere of a traditional Italian palazzo (square), the store has been designed to complement the product displays through the discreet use of opulent materials

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • PT Telkom profit falls 14% in Q1

    PT Telkom profit falls 14% in Q1

    Indonesia’s PT Telkom has reported a 14% decline in first quarter profit to 5.73 trillion rupiah ($410.8 million), partly as a result of stricter competition.

    Revenue for the quarter grew 4.3% to 32.3 trillion rupiah, but tighter competition and the ongoing decline in revenue from legacy voice and SMS revenue impeded further growth.

    Data, internet and IT services revenue by comparison grew a strong 23.3% to 15.9 trillion rupiah due to increasing demand as a result of the growing use of smartphones.

    Mobile broadband subscribers grew 21.3% to 108.73 million subscribers, with mobile subsidiary Telkomsel reporting a net profit of 6.4 trillion rupiah and revenue of 21.9 trillion rupiah.

    On the fixed line front, consumer broadband revenue grew to 3.1 billion rupees with enterprise revenue increasing to 8.63 trillion rupees. Subscribers to Telkom’s IndiHome fiber broadband service nearly doubled to 5.74 million.

    Telkom’s capex for the quarter reached 6.13 trillion rupees, up from 6.06 trillion the year earlier, the report adds.

    The funds were primarily used to finance the construction of new base stations, expand access network and backbone infrastructure and develop the operator’s Sea Cable Communication System that supports its fixed and mobile broadband businesses.

     

    Lees ook:

  • Maybank Indonesia’s Q1 top line rises 3.6 pct

    Maybank Indonesia’s Q1 top line rises 3.6 pct

    PT Bank Maybank Indonesia Tbk (Maybank Indonesia) today reported that its operating income after provisions increased to 682 billion rupiah for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018 compared with 633.9 billion rupiah recorded in the previous corresponding period.

    In a statement, Maybank Indonesia said its profit after tax and minority Interest (PATAMI) stood at 463.1 billion rupiah for Q1, slightly lower than the 490.1 billion rupiah recorded in the same quarter a year ago.

    Gross operating income rose 3.6 per cent to 2.5 trillion rupiah for the three months.

    Maybank Indonesia said its operating income after provisions increased by 7.6 per cent and the bank’s top line grew 3.6 per cent supported by continued improvement in operational efficiency in line with its Strategic Cost Management Programme, as well as fee based income expansion, improvement in provisioning levels, growth in Sharia business and improvement in subsidiaries.

    Sharia Banking continued to record strong performance in the first three months of 2018 with total assets increasing by 25.7 per cent to 27.1 trillion rupiah, making up 15.4 per cent of the itss total assets.

    Total financing rose 41.6 per cent from 14.3 trillion rupiah as of March 2017 to 20.2 trillion rupiah as of March 2018, while its total deposits grew 44.1 per cent to 17.5 trillion rupiah from 12.1 trillion rupiah.

    It said Non Performing Financing improved significantly to 3.2 per cent as of March 2018 compared with 4.6 per cent in the previous year.

    The bank recorded a moderate loans growth of 2.2 per cent to 122.5 trillion rupiah as at March 31, 2018 from 119.9 trillion rupiah the previous year.

    Global Banking loans recorded growth of 6.2 per cent to 27.6 trillion rupiah as of March 2018 from 26 trillion rupiah as of March 2017.

    Maybank Indonesia said its customer deposits grew by 2.7 percent year-on-year with current accounts growing strongly at 27.3 per cent year-on-year, lifting the CASA (current account savings account) ratio to 39.7 per cent.

    On March 15, 2018, the bank also issued Shelf Registered Bonds II Bank Maybank Indonesia Tranche II Year 2018 amounting to 645.5 billion rupiah to support its business expansion.

    Maybank Indonesia has maintained its robust liquidity profile with its loan-to-deposit ratio remaining at a healthy level of 85.6 per cent and liquidity coverage ratio at 176.4 per cent as of March 2018, far in excess of the mandatory minimum of 90 per cent.

    Maybank Indonesia president director Taswin Zakaria said the bank will continue to grow its assets selectively to ensure sound asset quality going forward.

    “Our Global Banking continues to be the leading contributor to our assets growth.

    “The Sharia First strategy adopted by the Bank since 2014 continues to deliver impressive results.

    “However, we expect our CFS (Community Financial Services) portfolio to gradually strengthen in the coming quarters as we see opportunities in the retail and small medium enterprise segments.

    “This will be further underpinned by our recent initiative in transforming our retail business model,” he said.

    Maybank Group president and chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Farid Alias said the first quarter results demonstrate Maybank Indonesia’s resilience in growing its revenue despite the increasingly competitive market in the country.

    “The bank has firmly embedded sustainable business development strategies which cover retail transformation, digital banking enhancement, culture transformation as well as asset quality selection which will ensure continued value creation for all our stakeholders.

    “The outlook for the medium term remains challenging; but we are optimistic that we can manage the risks and ensure steady growth of our business in the coming quarters,” said Farid.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Lion Air signs GDS agreement with Sabre to fuel its growth

    Lion Air signs GDS agreement with Sabre to fuel its growth

    Sabre Corporation, the leading technology provider to the global travel industry, today announced a new content distribution agreement with Lion Air, the largest privately-owned airline in Indonesia, and its subsidiary, Wings Air, as the preferred global distribution system (GDS) to offer Lion Air content in the carrier’s home market.

    Sabre has served as a strategic partner to Lion Air and supported both the airline’s reservations and planning and scheduling capabilities through its innovative SabreSonic passenger services system and AirVision portfolio of solutions since the carrier first began operations 18 years ago. Now the airline strives to achieve even more ambitious growth, including a plan to quintuple the size of its fleet with the world’s largest number of aircraft on order. As Indonesia remains a rapidly growing travel market, Lion Air is expanding operations and its relationship with Sabre, selecting them as their primary GDS to distribute content across its innovative global travel marketplace.

    “With our content now available to 425,000 travel agents across the globe, the extension of our agreement with Sabre will be instrumental to our continued success and will provide us with the visibility needed to support our growth objectives throughout Asia Pacific and beyond,” said Rudy Lumingkewas, CEO, Lion Air.

    “As the leading GDS in Indonesia, we are in a unique position to best support Lion Air’s growth through the distribution of new bookable content on the Sabre platform,” said Rakesh Narayanan, vice president, air line of business, Sabre Travel Network Asia Pacific. “This new agreement is a testament to the solid, longstanding partnership that has developed between Lion Air and Sabre over the years. Our industry-leading solutions will serve as a solid technological foundation for Lion Air as it continues to expand operations while our global marketplace will help fuel the aggressive growth the airline is looking to achieve,” he added.

    Lion Air and Wings Air operate an extensive domestic and international network of routes with 166 aircraft based in the main hub of Jakarta.

    Lees ook:

  • Telkomsel can do a much better Customer Support Job!

    Telkomsel can do a much better Customer Support Job!

    Indonesia’s telecom companies must vastly improve their customer service, the regulator has warned, after revealing that some providers had deliberately made their service worse in 2017. The likes of Telkomsel, Indosat and XL “dominate the list of worst-rated companies for customer service — behind even banks”.

    13 per cent of mobile customers experience “poor service”, according to Which?, the consumer rights company. “The fact that the telecoms industry is so far behind should be a concern for us all” Previously. Indonesia’s mobile users have long complained they do not get the service they pay for, with speed failing to match advertised promises or patchy mobile connections. Ou survey shows that some telecom companies had deliberately downgraded their service levels during 2017.

    Telkomsel was the worst offender, taking seven minutes and 27 seconds to pick up the phone to customers, driving more than a fifth of people to give up before connecting. When connected, XL scored higher in terms of handling its complaints than Indosat and Telkomsel. It’s time for telecom operatios in Indonesia to wake up, craft new procedure and finally cope with their promises. Subscribers are tired of unwanted bulk advertising, long waiting queues and to speak with an operator who literally can do nothing for them.

    Telkomsel recently has a lot of issues with increased amounts of support calls due to the new law to register sim cards in Indonesia and how to execute this ; no one was available for a proper explanation. Telkomsel reported a loss in customers of 0,6-1% during the last month.

  • Pizza Hut Indonesia plans IPO

    Pizza Hut Indonesia plans IPO

    Pizza Hut Indonesia operator Sarimelati Kencana is planning an IPO to raise US$58.7 million.

    Sarimelati Kencana runs 237 Pizza Hut Restaurants and 156 delivery outlets across 76 centres in Indonesia.

    The company said, it will offer up to 604.375 million new shares each priced between Rp 1100-1350 (US 8-10 cents).

    Sarimelati Kencana director Jeo Sasanto says two-thirds of the funds raised will be used to expand the Pizza Hut Indonesia network and to renovate existing stores.

    The company has already commenced a book-building period which is scheduled to close on May 3, with the shares to start trading on May 23.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Justice about to launch online in Indonesia

    Justice about to launch online in Indonesia

    American girls fashionwear brand Justice, distributed by Kanmo Group, has launched an e-commerce store in Indonesia, Shopjustice.co.id.

    Kanmo has partnered with e-commerce agency SmartOSC to design and launch a user-centric experience. The new omnichannel feature enables customers to research and shop online with shipping to their homes or their nearest store for pick-up.

    The “Get a Look” feature enables customers to try experiment with different styles and share the results with their friends. There are also options to book a fitting or special consultation in-store. A blog has also been developed for users.

    With offices in Australia, Japan, Singapore, the UK, The US and Vietnam, SmartOSC is a strategic partner to such companies as Club 21, Courts, Nestle, Lotte, PayPal and Priceline Pharmacy.

    Formed in 2005, Kanmo Group has nearly 200 stores in Indonesia, mainly in the children and  baby segment, and has extended its retail portfolio to include fashion and accessories.

  • Global Savings Group is launching discount code portal CupoNation in Indonesia

    Global Savings Group is launching discount code portal CupoNation in Indonesia

    The Global Savings Group (GSG), a Rocket Internet backed leading global provider of Commerce Content Solutions, launches its premium discount code portal CupoNation in Indonesia. The new portal will enable Indonesian users to save more on online shopping from leading retail stores and brands. It is now accessible for avid shoppers in Indonesia through its local website www.cuponation.co.id.

    The GSG is globally operating over 100 digital portals and tools that offer the right mix of product discovery, recommendations, deals and discounts to help consumers take smarter shopping decisions while enabling advertisers to reach high-intent users at scale. Following the successful establishment of CupoNation in Singapore (2013), Australia (2014), and Malaysia (2016), the brand has been quickly gaining popularity in Southeast Asia Pacific markets.

    Igor Shapiro, Managing Director Asia Pacific and Eastern Europe, says “We are convinced that Indonesia is the best next market to launch this platform. The launch of CupoNation in Indonesia will not only benefit online shoppers but also help e-commerce players and advertisers in generating significant value by attracting ‘discount savvy users’ to their portals, thereby increasing revenues.”

    Indonesia has a population of over 264 million and growing. The global professional services company Accenture expects the national internet penetration to grow to 50% by 2022.

    This forecasted significant increase in digitization and therefore digital commerce will be driven by Indonesia’s general positive development. The World Bank expects the GDP to continue to grow at an annual average of over 5 percent. Digital purchase is expected to grow by US$46.40 to US$78.10 per capita in the next four years. Furthermore, 74.1% of Indonesia’s online shoppers love discounts and will use them as a reason to purchase, the Accenture report reveals.

    “Indonesia has a fast growing economy with a fast-growing e-commerce market. Through launching CupoNation in Indonesia we are adding a globally proven commerce content solution to the local ecosystem, linking consumers and retailers, and fueling this growth. With our strong team, global insights, and local synergies we see across the South East Asian markets, we are confident about becoming the leading discount code portal in Indonesia in the next months”, adds Igor.

    Google and Temasek report that people in Southeast Asia spend more time on the mobile internet than anyone else on the planet. Indonesians spend 3.9 hours on the mobile internet, while U.S. users just spend 2 hours per day. According to GSMA Intelligence, there are 439 million registered mobile connections in Indonesia – a SIM penetration of 166%.

    That’s why CupoNation has come to Indonesia with a fully mobile responsive service, providing a comprehensive range of online coupons and deals across 13 categories. These categories supported by Indonesians’ most-loved online shops and brands such as Lazada, Zalora, Tokopedia, Bhinneka, Matahari Mall, Blibli, Bukalapak, and many more.

    Andreas Fruth, Managing Director and Co-Founder of the Global Savings Group, adds “We want to transform the way consumers buy and the way brands sell around the world. The launch of CupoNation in Indonesia is proof of our regional commitment, strengthening our position in the South East Asia Pacific markets and enhancing our global service offering, helping us to further improve our position as a global leading provider of commerce content solutions.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Urban Indonesians consumed more non-animal sources of protein

    Urban Indonesians consumed more non-animal sources of protein

    It seems the widespread move away from meat is not only happening in Europe or the US, but also here in Asia Pacific. New research from global market intelligence agency Mintel reveals that as many as two in five (39%) urban Indonesians and one in three (34%) urban Thais consumed more non-animal sources of protein (eg plant, dairy, grains) in 2017, compared to the previous year.

    While still in early stages, this trend has also infiltrated meat-loving Australia. Indeed, 16% of urban Australians said they avoided or intended to avoid red meat in 2017, while one in five (19%) consumed more non-animal sources of protein. Of those who avoided or planned to avoid red meat, half (51%) said that they believe it was healthier if they did so.

    Michelle Teodoro, Global Food Science and Nutrition Analyst, at Mintel said:

    “Traditional agriculture is unable to meet the protein needs of the world. The current levels of demand for meat supplies globally, and the relative growth of meat production on this scale will have a significant, negative impact on the environment. At the same time, more and more consumers are moving away from meat and looking towards alternative sources of protein instead, offering some relief and creating new opportunities in the global consumer marketplace.”

    “Pressure on the natural environment is forcing consumers and companies to rethink what they take and make. Meanwhile, new technologies are redefining how we create and use food and drink. While developments that engineer rather than harvest food and drink staples, such as laboratory-grown meat, have grabbed headlines, the resulting products are still years away from mass commercial availability. This showcases the potential for more innovative, sustainable and alternative protein sources. The world is changing and food scientists have a big role to play in the future of food. Companies and brands should be looking across industries for inspiration and opportunities for collaboration with scientists and food engineers,” Teodoro added.

    Mintel research shows that one in four (24%) urban Indonesians planned to follow a plant-based/vegetarian diet in 2017, while 61% of urban Thais and over half (54%) of urban Australians planned to eat more vegetables/fruits. Furthermore, nutritious or health-related reasons (56%) are the top factor influencing urban Thai consumers when choosing food or drink products to buy.

    “With high animal protein intake associated with health concerns, any reduction in consumption will have positive health outcomes. Today’s consumers are also starting to include more vegetables and fruits in their diets, or adopting plant-based or vegetarian diets, given the numerous health benefits that come along with them. Along with a shift to plant and lab-based proteins, the world’s reliance on factory-farmed animals will also be reduced—contributing to animal welfare globally,” Teodoro continued.

    This is all reflected in Mintel Trend ‘Hungry Planet’ which discusses how consumer purchasing decisions are being influenced by issues surrounding sustainability and ethics, as well as Mintel Trend ‘Bannedwagon’ which details how consumers are focusing on ingredients and production methods, embracing once-niche ways of living and eating.

    Delon Wang, Trends Manager, Asia Pacific, at Mintel concluded:

    “Moving forward, we will see aspects of environmentalism penetrate various lifestyle goals. With the mantra ‘you are what you eat’ top of mind today, consumers are assessing their lifestyle, everyday purchases and surroundings. Additionally, the idea of inclusivity and accepting niche lifestyles of global consumers has popularised, to a certain extent. We are seeing more understanding about unique diets and living habits, creating new guidelines to live as the benefits are exhorted.”

  • Blackstone and Sky Internasional Be Named as Masterminds of a Big Marketing Scam in Indonesia

    Blackstone Indonesia and Sky Internasional a self-claimed digital strategic marketing agency in Indonesia with premium services in interactive communications, digital strategy, brand identity, social media and online advertising are to be considered as digital fraud masterminds and to be the leaders of an organization with only one goal, to cheat clients solely to enrich themselves with personal benefits and to fund their luxury lifestyles. 

    Retail News received a lot of complaints from several Blackstone Indonesia customers, basically complaining about the same kind of practices. Retail News took the lead in this investigation and took a deeper dive into this matter. After seeing all proof we are committed to send out a warning to all startups and companies in Indonesia. Our advise is not to engage in any partnership with the two mentioned companies. It’s very likely you will lose money, time and efforts in the spiderweb these companies have build out.

    The “modus-operandi” is usually the same ; they issue invoices without tax and ask clients to wire money to a variety of bank accounts. All invoices appear to start with #1 for each clients and one of the bank accounts always coming back is from Aldino Ozky, Bank Central Asia with bank (BCA), Account No. 920000223. They use this bank account to wire company money to and to avoid paying taxes, neither issuing any tax receipts.

    After a company wires the first retainer, Blackstone shows you their digital dashboard which has all sorts of numbers on page views and impressions and gorgeous graphs. It looks like you’ll have access to loads of information about your marketing. Which in theory is a good idea… The only problem with every one of these fancy dashboards we’ve seen is they provide all sorts of information which is of no use to the business of client and they sell 0. While they charge you for a variety of things, simply to run out your budgets.

    Aldi Sky Wungkana, self-esteemed CEO of both companies has an explanation for everything, but not for all above topics we’re writing up ; also not even why the money of the company is wired without tax straight into an employees bank account. Big talker, 0 results.

    Felix Valentino is also a member of their league, he never picks up the phone when you try to call him ; uses fake whatsapp profiles and he’s to be considered as the the email writer to inform customers that their money is litterally gone. Done and dusted, simply call him the “excuse guy”.

    A random overview of what else they are practicing:

    # PPC fraud with high bounce rates and non-targeted traffic.

    # sending bot traffic to your website and charging high CPCs for this ;

    # buying FB engagement on non-legal websites and sending it over to your social media channels basically ruining everything you have build up ;

    # 0 to none connection with big newspapers, but charging the same rates to publish content on shitty websites claiming they offer premium PR services

    In regards to the proof of all statements made above, readers, the police and/or any other governemental institution can contact Retail News to received all proof. We have bundled all complaints from startups and customers. None of the phone numbers we called were available for any comments. Whatsapp groups dissolved and no response on email.

    A police case is about to be filed as well as a court case to stop these gentlemen from doing what they are doing. Companies are warned! The tax authorities received complaints as well and confirmed they have started an investigation.

    Lees ook:

  • Priceza Indonesia data shows Ramadan boom

    Priceza Indonesia data shows Ramadan boom

    Ramadan month is the most popular time for online shopping in Indonesia, data from shopping search engine and price comparison platform Priceza Indonesia shows.

    Click rates increased by 26 per cent compared to the previous month, its figures show, while transaction values rose by as much as 16 per cent.

    Priceza Indonesia says this is in line with conventional shopping, where the turnover of traditional traders can double and even triple in some cases as Lebaran (Eid Al Fitr) approaches.

    During the Ramadan period to its peak on Lebaran day there was a “significant transaction boom”, says Priceza Indonesia co-founder/country head Bayu Irawan.

    “This means the traditional month of Ramadan is still going to be effective for e-commerce promotional programs.”

    Indonesian consumers tend to spend their time shopping online during the holiday, says Priceza Indonesia. Its data shows the top three categories during the month are fashion, electronics and smartphones.

    Priceza was established in Thailand in 2010, with the Indonesian offshoot starting in 2013 with nearly 4.5 million users a month. The platform is also active in Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines and Vietnam.

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Payments and lending dominate Indonesia’s Fintech scene

    Payments and lending dominate Indonesia’s Fintech scene

    Payment and lending focused Fintech startup companies dominate the overall Indonesia Fintech landscape in terms of maturity level, according to IDC Financial Insights.

    This was followed by marketplace, wealth management, company solution and accounting based software providers.

    “The collaboration between Fintech and traditional institutions (banks) becomes mandatory for now and in the future. There are several Indonesia banks that have done collaboration actions either in [the] operation aspect or through investment funds. We believe that speed to dominate the market is the key to win for Fintech especially in payments category,” said Handojo Triyanto, Senior Research Manager, IDC Financial Insights.

    “In the future Indonesia Fintech market will have consolidations by collaboration, mergers and acquisitions between the players. It has already happened as Go Jek (Go Pay) acquired Midtrans, Kartuku, and Mapan. The driver is the need to penetrate consumer market as soon as possible… not only to grab higher market share, but also to attract more investors.”

  • Massive loss for Indonesia’s Matahari Putra Prima Mall Group

    Massive loss for Indonesia’s Matahari Putra Prima Mall Group

    Indonesian hypermarket chain Matahari Putra Prima was apparently so ashamed of its financial performance last year it issued a press release about its results without a single financial detail included.

    A little sleuthing online reveals the struggling giant – whose interests also include fashion stores – reported a loss of 1.24 trillion rupiah last year (US$86.8 million), compared to a net profit of 38.48 billion rupiah last year ($2.7 million).

    In its media statement, MPP described last year as a “challenging yet successful” period of consolidation for the company, amidst what continues to be a challenging macroeconomic and competitive landscape.

    “This consolidation and cost restructuring is a part of the company’s efforts to transform its business and will position itself strongly for the year to come. The macroeconomic condition in 2017 continued to be challenging, especially for the retail sector.”

    MPPA blamed its misfortunes on factors including the removal of electricity subsidies from 19 million Indonesian households and relatively low inflation-adjusted minimum wage increase which adversely affected Indonesian consumers’ spending power.

    “Furthermore, the company experienced increasing competition from local supermarkets across Indonesia.”

    In response, the company launched “a bold pricing strategy” and re-examined its cost structure to support a lower merchandise-margin environment by looking at a number of operational efficiencies.

    “These include headcounts, assortment reviews with a goal to focusing on fast moving and productive SKUs, a review of operational costs including a shift of marketing spend from expensive nationwide media advertising to more cost-effective community based marketing and the development of a low-cost store format.”

    Without stating figures, the company said those initiatives placed considerable pressure on its performance in 2017 with some once-off costs being accounted for in that period.

    “The company expresses optimism for 2018. The new strategy along with all actions taken in 2017 should begin to pay off, allowing the company to strengthen its market leadership in food retailing business in Indonesia. The company has built a reputation for entrepreneurship and leadership, and is obsessed with customer satisfaction, innovation and excellence in operations.”

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

    Lees ook:

  • Indonesia’s Telkomtelstra expands cloud service business

    Indonesia’s Telkomtelstra expands cloud service business

    Indonesia’s managed services provider PT Teltranet Aplikasi Solusi (Telkomtelstra) plans to open several more data centers in a bid to expand its cloud services across the country.

    Currently, the company has one data center for its cloud business in Serpong, Banten, which started operations in December, 2017.

    “We will have one new data center in Sentul, West Java. It’s expected to be ready by the end of next month,” Agus F. Abdillah, Telkomtelstra chief of product and synergy, said on Tuesday, adding that another data center would be opened in Surabaya in July.

    Telkomtelstra is a joint venture company established by state-owned Telekomunikasi Indonesia (Telkom) and Australia telecommunication giant (Telstra) to provide network application and services to Indonesian enterprises, multi-nationals and Australian companies operating in Indonesia.

    The company started to tap into Indonesia’s growing cloud services market in August last year, when it launched Azure Hybrid Cloud with Azure Stack Platform in collaboration with PT Microsoft Indonesia.

    Cloud technology allows individuals and businesses to access or process data via the internet from anywhere anytime.

    On Tuesday, Telkomtelstra introduced several cloud-based products, including a cloud-based video analytic product that can help businesses analyze customers characteristics to get a better idea of who visits their sites.

    The company also introduced a cloud-based desktop, Citrix, allowing users to remotely access a desktop environment with software from any device.

    Agus said Telkomtelstra was eyeing customers in several segments, including private enterprises, banks, government agencies and education institutions. “Three companies have signed contracts with us after we gave trials to 14 companies since December last year,” said Agus.