In line with Microsoft’s mission to empower every person and every organization on this planet to achieve more, Microsoft continues to strengthen commitments that can accelerate Indonesian startups. One of them is through the initiation of the Microsoft for Startups program, which in March 2022 was expanded into the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub. Here are the stories of two members of the program from Indonesia.
Alkademi was first established in 2018 to equip the nation’s future talent, particularly those in sub-urban or foremost, outermost, and remote (3T) areas, with the appropriate digital skills to succeed in the digital world. Alkademi’s free programs have benefited over 2,000 students to date. Alkademi is part of the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo)’s 1,000 Digital Startups program and has partnered with the same ministry to foster digital talents in 3T areas across the nation through free and intensive three-month courses. These courses have helped establish a solid ecosystem of over 300 learners of all ages, who have gone on to create multiple impactful projects, from building a website to boost 50 tourist villages, to supporting social media content for small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
Alkademi recently launched the Alkademi Coaching Program, a programming course to create skilled digital talents to meet the demand of the industry today. The comprehensive, engaging, and interactive training modules are hosted by its Learning Management System (LMS) platform, which relies on Microsoft Azure cloud computing technology. The courses cover not only ‘hard skills’ like programming languages, but also ‘soft skills’ like leadership and communication as an added measure of success, thereby guaranteeing participating students’ employment in their company of choice post-graduation. To complement these courses, Alkademi also recently launched the National Technology Company Entrance Examination (Ujian Masuk Perusahaan Teknologi Nasional / UMPTN) program. UMPTN allows the country’s digital talent to be matched with over 50 industry partners seeking skilled candidates. Participants will be facilitated with a programming examination and free additional training to guarantee acceptance. Just like Alkademi’s LMS, UMPTN is also built on Microsoft Azure.
Alkademi’s journey does not stop here; together with Microsoft, they are ready to start a new partnership through SMK Coding, a programming and IoT training program specifically designed for Vocational High School students in Indonesia.
Opsigo (PT Reka Sinergi Pratama) is a start-up company engaged in the field of travel technology. Inspired from the lack of digitalization in the travel and tourism industry, Opsigo assists stakeholders in this industry to create a digital ecosystem.
One of the solutions offered is Opsicorp, a travel management system. This solution provides several conveniences for corporations to manage their business trips in a more efficient way and is directly integrated with their internal ERP systems and their preferred travel agents. Currently, Opsicorp is connected to more than 40 leading travel agents in Indonesia with more than 200 airlines and more than 300,000 hotel properties worldwide. This allows corporations to choose their own travel agents and travel facilities in accordance with their respective corporate travel policies.
The process of approval and recording of expenses is also carried out automatically, thereby shortening the time needed to manage business trips. In addition, Opsicorp is equipped with a travel management dashboard that allows corporations to analyze and identify transaction data to improve the work processes which will impact efficiency in the future. This is all packaged in a slick and user-friendly interface. Until now, Opsicorp has been trusted by various leading companies including Avrist, Kanmo Retail, Pegadaian, Pertamina, Sritex, and more.
Since its establishment, Opsigo utilizes cloud computing technology from Microsoft Azure as its basis of technology. Thanks to its innovation and growth, Opsigo was successfully selected as a Microsoft Independent Software Vendor in 2019. The company has also been NDC (New Distribution Capability) certified by Singapore Airlines and Emirates which allows direct integration between Opsigo and the systems from both airlines. In 2021, the company joins the first batch of the Startup Pitch (HUB.ID) initiated by the Ministry of Communication and Informatics (Kominfo), through which the company was matched with MDI Ventures as an investor. Opsigo currently supports the Indonesia Inbound Tour Operator Association (IINTOA) to provide tour packages through indonesia.travel, in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy. The tourism packages offered by IINTOA are supported by Opsigo as a booking engine and have been integrated through the API with indonesia.travel to facilitate participants of the upcoming G20 Summit in Bali.
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