Google confirms investment in Indonesian ride-hailing firm Go-Jek

SINGAPORE - Google has made its first ride-hailing investment in Asia by pumping money into Go-Jek, as the Indonesian start-up and deep-pocketed rivals rapidly expand their app-based services and digital payments in Southeast Asia.

The funding deepens Google's commitment to Indonesia's internet economy," Caesar Sengupta, a vice president at Google said in a company blog on Monday.

The announcement by Alphabet Inc's Google comes two weeks after sources told Reuters that Google and Singapore state investor Temasek were among those investing in Go-Jek as part of a $1.2 billion fundraising round.

Rivals Grab and Uber are backed by Japan's SoftBank Group, while Go-Jek has secured investments from Chinese technology giants Tencent Holdings Ltd and JD.com Inc.

Google's blog did not specify how much Google is investing but two sources had told Reuters that Google was investing about $100 million.

Ride hailing firms are investing tens of millions of dollars to expand their digital payment systems and are also seeking to allow their users to pay for third-party services.

With more than 133 million people online, Indonesia is home to the fifth largest population of internet users in the world but half of the country's population has yet to connect to the internet, Google's Sengupta said.

Both Grab and Uber are expanding in Go-Jek's home market, which is Southeast Asia's most populous country and where locals are keen to lap up an array of mobile-based services. Southeast Asia is the world's third-biggest ride-hailing market after China and the United States.

Go-Jek, a play on the local word for motorbike taxis, delivers everything from meals and groceries to cleaners, masseuses and hairdressers across Indonesia's capital city Jakarta, all at the touch of a smartphone app.

The company, which began as a ride-hailing app for motorcycle taxis, was set up by Nadiem Makarim, a graduate of the Harvard School of Business and a former associate with McKinsey, who has quickly become a poster child for start-up success in Indonesia.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

How Google plans to give every Filipino Internet access

MANILA - Google on Tuesday launched the Android One line of affordable smartphones in the Philippines, as it aims to provide easy Internet access to every Filipino.

In an event held in Makati City, the tech giant revealed the entry-level smartphones will be distributed by local partners Cherry Mobile and MyPhone in the next few weeks.

The smartphones -- Cherry One and MyPhone Uno -- will feature the latest version of Android Lollipop, billed as the "fastest, most responsive Android experience ever."

It will also come with the company's new user interface, and additional features to help conserve data and battery life.

"We want to see a future where every single Filipino is introduced to the Internet," said Kenneth Lingan, Google's country manager for the Philippines.

According to the company, there are 44 million Filipinos connected to the Internet. The number is six million shy of half of the country's total population, which breached the 100 million mark last July.

Google also expects that an additional 10 million Filipinos will be able to have first-time access to the Internet in 2015, propelling the country ahead of South Korea in terms of Internet population.

Lingan explained that having the Internet accessible to as many Filipinos as possible would not only benefit overseas Filipino workers and their families, but also have a lasting effect to the country's economy.

For instance, in the agricultural sector, farmers can tap online tools to find information to improve their yields, creating a more efficient workforce.

"Imagine this happening in every sector in our country," Lingan said.

 

'The Android One initiative'

The Philippines is the sixth country to have access to Google's line of affordable smartphones, after India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.

The Android One is an initiative launched by Google in India last September, in an attempt to make smartphones and consequently, Internet access, available to more consumers in developing countries.

It is a "reference platform" that allows device makers and local manufacturers to easily make low-cost smartphones.

Caesar Sengupta, Google Vice President of Product Management, likened the Android One initiative to "your favorite grandmother's recipe" of the local popular dish, pork adobo.

Simply put, he said Google provides the recipe, and their partners choose the ingredients.

"If you're making adobo, you want to pick the right pork. You start with a great recipe, put in the right ingredients, and you will get fantastic results," he added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com