Indonesians “Are As Good As People Here” in Silicon Valley

SBY, left

Finally! That’s what I thought after the news got to me, Yahoo! Koprol – which just launched Koprol for Business this year– was mentioned in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) in his speech at OPIC (Overseas Private Investment Corporation) Conference, Jakarta. In front of the delegates from United States & ASEAN, SBY put the spotlight into recent emergence of Indonesia tech industry.

SBY was proud and pleased that local product, Koprol, was acquired by Yahoo! back in May 2010. To be exact, here’s the key excerpt, from The Jakarta Post :

One Indonesian start-up company Koprol was recently bought by Yahoo!  When our Ambassador asked Yahoo of the quality of their new Indonesian techies, the Yahoo executive answered that the Indonesians “are as good as our people here in Silicon Valley.

Koprol was used as a successful case study for foreign investment in Indonesia. Investors can look at it as an encouragement to make more investment to Indonesia as the country continues to thrive forward. SBY also echoed that Indonesia’s huge population and tech-savviness (despite spelling Facebook as Fecebook) as reasons to why Indonesia should be an investment target for investors.

With more exposure (and attention) from the government, it could either be a positive or negative impact on the tech industry in Indonesia. Positive: If the government can actually turn words into actions by providing resources to expand the industry into a bigger one. Negative: I really hope they don’t interfere and limit the industry from its growth. What do you think?

Image and source : Kompas