Vony Tjiu from Microsoft Indonesia

Fiki Setiyono from Microsoft Indonesia

The event started with an opening speech from Microsoft Indonesia’s Corporate Commercial Director, Ms. Vony Tjiu. In her opening speech Ms.Vony Tjiu touches briefly on how Microsoft has been a major technology provider in Indonesia for the past 25 years, and together with their partners such as WIZ.AI is trying to “democratize” AI so that it could be widely available and utilized by everybody. She also mentioned how AI could benefit companies in the form of business automation and efficiency, and how AI also has contributed for humanitarian causes.  

The event was then followed by a presentation from Microsoft Indonesia’s very own Mr. FIki Setiyono, the Country Lead of Azure Business Group, who started his presentation with the topic of how Microsoft is taking part in Indonesian Digital Economy empowerment initiatives through Tech & AI innovations, Skilling & Employment, Education, also Sustainability & Social Impact. In addition to that, Fiki also explains how Microsoft is working together with local organizations, including the government to accelerate digital transformation and enable Indonesia’s digital sovereignty. 

Mr. Setiyono also highlights how companies could securely Innovate anywhere, with Microsoft cloud platform, Azure. Mr. Fiki stated that Cloud is more than a place to store data, but also a framework that could be utilized to rationalize data centers which is important to support cloud base intelligence infrastructure. That is why Azure was designed to be flexible and could guarantee consistent operations, governance, and security in the cloud platform, including the hybrid and multi-cloud model. 

Lastly, Mr. Setiyono talked about how companies could benefit from cloud migration. From a technical perspective, cloud migration opens up the opportunity for companies to innovate while maintaining cost efficiency by optimizing capacity usage of the cloud. Furthermore, from a financial perspective, migrating to cloud platforms allows companies to eliminate on premise infrastructure costs, while at the same time increasing the productivity of DBA and IT resources. In addition to that, by migrating to cloud platforms, companies could reduce repetitive and time consuming tasks, increase the speed of time-to-market, Easy infrastructure adjustments, and also stronger security, higher availability, and better compliance which all in all will give better ROI. 

The event continued with a presentation by Mr. Herbert Hadyanata, WIZ.AI’s Country Sales Director. In his presentation, Mr. Hadyanata touched on how AI has been shaping Indonesian digital trends, throughout 2021. According to him, the demand for digital transformation in Indonesia is rapidly increasing. Then, he continued his presentation with several insights on where and how to start applying the use of conversational AI. He stated that Indonesian businesses need to start implementing AI systems to increase business growth, but more importantly because it could significantly reduce operational cost. 

Herbert Hadyananta from WIZ.AI (Left) & Karthik Ganesan from TMRW by UOB (Right)

Mr. Hadyananta then explains ideas on how humans and AI could collaborate to benefit businesses, especially for sales and customer engagement efforts. He believes that tasks such as profiling, cold callings, leads qualifying, and getting customers’ intent could be done by Talkbots. On the other hand, human agents should focus more on closing deals, which leads to a more efficient and faster sales journey and better return of investments. 

Mr. Hadyananta closed his presentation by introducing Mr. Karthik Ganesan, as Executive Director of TMRW by UOB. With his vast experience in the digital banking ecosystem, Mr. Ganesan shared with the audience about the opportunities and concerns in using AI systems like WIZ.AI’s Talkbots for Banking and Financial Service Industry. According to him, the main opportunities of AI Implementation are for Acquiring, Engaging, Grow, and Retain Customers. He also stated that these opportunities are not exclusively beneficial for banking and financial services, but for other industries as well. 

Mr. Ganesan then continued his presentation with explaining about Three main points to consider when Implementing AI Talkbots in business, which are the People aspect especially the customers, the end to end process of the implementation, and The technologies that are available. He also stated that one of the biggest concerns in technological integration is what the company is legally permitted to do, including the consent from the customers in regards to sharing their data with partner  companies. One last important point that Mr. Ganesan shared how implemented technology such as AI Talkbots should have the ability to maintain scalability. 

The last speaker of the events was Professor Tan Kim Seng, an Adjunct professor from National University of Singapore. Professor Tan has over 35 years of experience in fund management, banking, engineering, entrepreneurship and training. In the start of his presentation, Prof. Tan gave his take on the potential of the Indonesian digital economy. According to him, Indonesia has a great potential for digital economy and transformation. This is due to the fact that Indonesia already has proper digital infrastructures such as cloud, 5G, AI, Smart Commerce, and Logistic Technology. However, the greatest potential for Indonesia is the investment climate. Investors are looking for fast growing tech businesses, and Indonesia does have many. 

Professor Tan Kim Seng from National University of Singapore

For his second point, Professor Tan talked about  the benefits and success factors in Business Digitalization. He believed that the most critical factor to thrive in business digitalization is to have business resilience, especially in the form of flexibility to adjust businesses in response to the market needs at a certain moment or condition, such as pandemic.  

To close his session, Professor Tan gave some insights about what to expect in 2022. He started by addressing that the world will be transitioning from epidemic to endemic, which means that businesses that have been well prepared, digitalized, and well engaged will be able to have rapid growth. Professor Tan also touched briefly on how Digital connectivity is changing the global trade and supply chains along with the increase of consumer preference for e-commerce and online experience. Professor Tan then closed his presentation with  the hope that with existing supporting infrastructures, voice activation technology could be readily deployed and helped more businesses to bridge the digital gap in order to speed up the growth of the digital economy. 

Following the presentation session, the participants were splitted into several groups based on their corresponding industries. In these separate groups, the participants are given a chance to discuss, ask questions, or schedule further meetings with WIZ.AI and Microsoft to talk more about the opportunity in utilizing Conversational AI and Cloud Computing for their business.

Wiz.ai, a Singapore AI startup that aims to digitize customer engagement, has raised US$6 million in a pre-series A funding round led by GGV Capital. Wavemaker Partners, ZWC Partners, Insignia Ventures, and Orion Fund, which is managed by K3 Ventures, also participated in the round 

Photo credit: Andriy Popov / 123RF

 

With the investment, the company plans to expand its product offerings and grow its teams in Southeast Asia. Wiz employs scientists, researchers, linguists, and dialogue designers in its offices in Singapore, China, and Jakarta. 

 

Launched last year, the startup focuses on developing conversational AI for Southeast Asian languages. The company said its solution can help businesses cut costs while improving customer service with personalized inbound and outbound calls.

Its front-end talkbot encourages customers to engage more in conversations. The back-end, meanwhile, sifts through the data in real time and stores insights from the conversations into the company’s existing customer relationship management system. Wiz then analyzes the data at both the granular and aggregated levels.

According to a statement, the startup currently serves businesses in healthcare, insurance, banking, telecommunications, and ecommerce sectors, as well as the Singapore government for payments. 

Meng Xiong Kuok, founder and managing partner at K3 Ventures, noted that automation is important for business continuity especially amid the Covid-19 crisis.

The development of AI in Southeast Asia still lags behind AI global hubs such as China and the US. Singapore, however, is currently leading in AI implementation across the region. In November last year, the city-state rolled out a national AI strategy and committed more than S$500 million (US$354 million) to fund AI activities under its Research, Innovation, and Enterprise 2020 Plan.

Currency converted from Singapore dollar to US dollar: US$1 = S$1.41.

Selalu ada kesempatan di setiap kesulitan. Pandemi COVID-19 yang belum kunjung usai di berbagai negara membuat para pelaku bisnis harus beradaptasi, berjuang, serta memberi nilai tambah dari solusi yang ditawarkan.

Salah satu caranya adalah dengan membantu klien melakukan transformasi digital sesuai kondisi masing-masing. Dengan memberikan kustomisasi layanan, para founder menyadari mereka bisa mendapatkan hasil yang lebih baik. Simak bagaimana tiga perusahaan startup berikut membantu para klien masing-masing bernavigasi menuju digitalisasi.

Manycore: Menyederhanakan hidup pemilik rumah melalui layanan SaaS

Memilih perabotan rumah bisa jadi hal yang melelahkan. Tak sedikit pemilik rumah yang menghabiskan terlalu banyak waktu dan uang untuk mendesain tata ruang rumah dengan desainer interior.

Untuk mengatasi masalah ini, tiga orang alumni dari University of Illinois–Victor Huang, Chen Hang, dan Zhu Hao–mendirikan Manycore pada 2011. Dua tahun setelahnya, mereka merilis software-as-a-service (SaaS) jasa desain berbasis cloud untuk keperluan perabotan rumah tangga dan sektor real estat. Namun, di awal usaha, mereka sempat kesulitan menarik perhatian audiens yang jadi target: desainer interior.

“Kebanyakan desainer interior menyampaikan (kepada kami) jika mereka memakai tool berbasis web, para konsumen malah beranggapan desainer hanya menghabiskan sedikit waktu dalam mendesain prototipe, sehingga terkesan bahwa desainer tidak profesional,” ujar Huang.

Menghadapi respons pasar yang kurang antusias, Manycore banting setir untuk memperkenalkan produk mereka kepada para pemilik rumah. Mereka menawarkan pengguna untuk mendesain rumah dalam hitungan menit, dan mendapatkan gambar fotorealistik dalam hitungan detik, sembari menghemat biaya desain interior. Dengan menjembatani celah ini, masyarakat awam dan para pemilik rumah mampu mendesain interior rumah mereka dengan solusi yang ramah.

“Sebelumnya, pemilik rumah butuh waktu berhari-hari–bahkan beberapa minggu–untuk menghubungi, bernegosiasi, hingga membuat kesepakatan dengan desainer interior,” papar Huang. Ia menambahkan, software interior desain terdahulu cukup sulit dipelajari, serta membutuhkan waktu berbulan-bulan hingga pengguna bisa membuat desain yang simpel.

Dengan makin banyak pemilik rumah yang menggunakan platform Manycore, para desainer interior mulai mau beradaptasi untuk menggunakan platform tersebut dalam pekerjaan masing-masing. Pada 2018, Manycore melebarkan sayap ke ranah internasional dan meluncurkan Coohom, platform yang membuat perusahaan mengumpulkan 22 juta pengguna hingga hari ini.

Bahkan pemasok kebutuhan interior rumah mulai melirik platform ini. Saat perusahaan keramik Marco Polo asal Cina memulai kemitraan dengan Coohom pada 2019, momen itu jadi langkah pertama digitalisasi bisnis Marco Polo di usianya yang ke-25.

Platform Coohom juga memungkinkan desainer Marco Polo menghasilkan desain produk terbaru secara efisien. Kemitraan ini menghasilkan dua keuntungan: membuat konsumen bisa mendapat gambaran yang lebih jelas tentang produk-produk Marco Polo, sementara para desainer Marco Polo jadi punya ruang untuk meningkatkan kemampuan desain masing-masing.

Wiz.ai: Membuat solusi AI sesuai kebutuhan tiap perusahaan

Tak jarang tiap orang menghadapi masalah yang spesifik untuk bisnis atau industri masing-masing. Bagi CEO dan Co-Founder Wiz.ai Jennifer Zhang, produk yang baik adalah yang dibuat bersama-sama dengan klien untuk mencapai tujuan perusahaan serta konsumen sekaligus bisnisnya.

Didirikan pada 2019, perusahaan rintisan Singapura ini menggunakan machine learning, automatic speech recognition, dan natural language processing untuk membangun solusi engagement dalam bentuk smart voice AI. Implementasi dari produk ini memungkinkan perusahaan-perusahaan dari berbagai industri–mulai dari keuangan dan perbankan, hingga logistik dan e-commerce–mengganti call center mereka dengan chatbot berbasis suara.

Kolaborasi dengan konsumen dimulai dari serangkaian workshop kreatif. Kegiatan ini dilakukan untuk memahami dan mengidentifikasi cara penggunaan terbaik pada bisnis para konsumen, kata Zhang.

 

“Dari sini, kami memetakan titik kontak dalam keterlibatan konsumen yang paling umum, sehingga dapat diotomatisasi menggunakan voice AI,” tambahnya. “Kami kemudian bekerja sama dengan para pemangku kepentingan internal untuk menentukan cakupan talkbot, mengintegrasikan Wiz.ai ke dalam sistem yang ada, dan melakukan beberapa kali pengujian untuk memastikan produk bekerja dengan lancar.”

Pada Desember 2020, Wiz.AI bekerja sama dengan Carro untuk meluncurkan talkbot. Tool yang dapat membantu marketplace mobil berbasis di Singapura ini melakukan automasi proses penjualan aktif serta panggilan ke konsumennya. Talkbot ini mampu menangani hampir empat kali panggilan lebih banyak daripada manusia, dan menghasilkan tingkat respons konsumen yang serupa, hingga Carro mampu memanfaatkan 20.000 prospek potensial yang sebelumnya tidak tertangani.

Faktanya, talkbot sulit dibedakan dengan suara manusia. Zhang mengatakan bahwa sering kali konsumen menyampaikan terima kasih kepada talkbot ketika mengakhiri pembicaraan.

Labster: Solusi edtech dari Eropa ke Amerika Utara

Saat Covid-19 mendorong para warga dunia untuk bekerja dan belajar dari jarak jauh, startup edtech Denmark Labster berada dalam situasi yang penuh tantangan. Perusahaan mencoba untuk memenuhi kebutuhan sekolah di pasar terbesarnya, Amerika Utara, sementara mereka berbasis di Eropa.

“Itu adalah waktu yang sangat intens,” kata Michael Jensen, pendiri dan CEO Labster. Saat sekolah-sekolah ditutup, perusahaan menanggapi fenomena tersebut dengan memperluas cakupan bisnis yang awalnya terfokus pada mahasiswa. Kini Labster juga menyasar siswa sekolah menengah.

“Kami sangat yakin dengan menggratiskan sebagian besar produk kami, manfaat dari membangun awareness (terhadap produk kami) akan berdampak positif untuk kami dalam jangka panjang,” jelas Jensen. Strateginya berhasil. Dalam beberapa minggu, lebih dari 50.000 guru telah mendaftar ke Labster.

Karena sekolah harus dimulai kembali dari rumah sesegera mungkin, Labster hanya punya waktu 2 minggu untuk melatih dan mengajari 2 juta siswa dan ratusan guru.

Untuk mengatasi rintangan ini, Labster memperkenalkan program fleksibel yang melibatkan webinar dan pelatihan harian. Program ini memungkinkan guru dan administrator sekolah untuk masuk dan keluar sesi sesuai dengan jadwal masing-masing. Ini menghasilkan peningkatan penggunaan sekitar 20 kali dibandingkan periode yang sama tahun lalu, kata Jensen. Ke depan, Jensen mengincar kawasan berkembang seperti pedesaan Afrika, di mana infrastruktur untuk konektivitas internet masih terbelakang.

“Simulasi dan teknologi kami dirancang untuk akses bandwidth yang sangat rendah, hanya butuh sekitar 50 MB untuk mengunduh [konten],” kata Jensen. Ia menambahkan bahwa hal ini membuat Labster sebagai kandidat sempurna untuk area dengan konektivitas internet yang tak merata. Siswa bisa menggunakan koneksi 3G atau Edge untuk mengakses simulasi Labster.

Mengingat pelatihan berbasis video yang sering kali menggunakan bandwidth yang besar, solusi data-friendly dari Labster membuat pendidikan lebih mudah diakses oleh banyak orang.

Manycore, Wiz.ai, dan Labster adalah perusahaan portofolio di bawah GGV Capital. Untuk mengetahui lebih lanjut tentang pendanaan dan dukungan yang ditawarkan perusahaan modal ventura kepada perusahaan portofolionya, kunjungi situs resminya di sini.