Nadia Alatas (Cybertrend)
As Indonesia sits on the cusp of a digital revolution - driven by Industry 4.0 and underpinned by data - one specialist provider is emerging from a crowded marketplace.
Operating as a voice of authority on data, Cybertrend is sizing up an industry housing limitless potential.
The Jakarta-based business has - for 10 years - operated in the world of data analysis, data warehousing and business intelligence, complemented by expertise in data analytics, software and application development and knowledge transfer.
With data now recognised as the new oil, Cybertrend is assuming the position of rig, drilling down into a market ripe for disruption.
“2019 is the year in which innovation and agile processes become the main weapons of competition, especially in the areas of data analytics,” observed Nadia Alatas, director of Cybertrend. “We are focused on accelerating and taking advantage of the advancements in data science and machine learning.
“This has the ability to create powerful artificial intelligence (AI) solutions through cloud and on-premises. We are also providing solutions to help guide our customers in their digital transformation journeys.”
Speaking exclusively to Channel Asia, Alatas said Cybertrend is focused on three priorities in 2019 and beyond, starting with data science.
“We have been launching some of our own products and solutions developed by the team,” Alatas said. “Given our DNA is in data processing and analytics, our own products are in the stack related to data science solutions.
“Secondly, we are also focusing on reshaping Cybertrend as a key solution partner in transforming organisations into data digital cultures in the region. Thirdly, we are strengthening collaboration with worldwide and reputable principles to allow Cybertrend to provide end-to-end solutions in transforming data into Information, knowledge and even policy.”
Data science
Alatas has more than 20 years experience in the Indonesian software market, alongside expertise in building frameworks and applications in core telecommunications systems.
In assessing the market today, Alatas acknowledged that, “without doubt”, data science represents a “fundamental component” of any digital transformation effort.
“By looking for patterns in data and creating software that can regularly and reliably turn that data into actionable insight, data science can give industries an advantage that becoming competitive value,” Alatas added.
Cybertrend has products within this space, through optimisation offerings leveraging machine learning, which can help optimise sales and delivery processes.
Technically applicable across all sectors, Alatas said the offering is best suited for customers in retail, distribution, logistics and fast-moving consumer goods.
Other examples of internal innovation come from bespoke analytics platform solutions, including an eGov dashboard analytics platform, and offerings tailored to retail, distribution, HR and asset management.
“We also realise that there is talent gap between industry demand and supply of resources in market,” Alatas observed.
Citing the LinkedIn Workforce Report, Alatas said data analyst and scientist roles will be the most sought-after globally within the next five years.
Echoing such figures are forecasts from IBM and the World Economic Forum, which expects yearly demand for roles relating to data development, data science and data engineering to reach almost 700,000 openings by 2020.
“It has happened also in Indonesia as a developing country, especially as we start the digital transformation process and enter the Industry 4.0 era,” Alatas said. “It is undeniable today that there is a need for having data science knowledge, which has become one of the most important areas for the development of a modern industry, including in Indonesia.
“This increasingly popular field of modern science is not only applicable to business practitioners, but also by governments, healthcare, the financial industry and services.”
To help combat such in-country challenges, Cybertrend has established Cybertrend Data Academy, which focuses on providing education to data science enthusiasts.
Through collaborating with leading universities and corporations, Cybertrend provides full-stack data science training programs, with the aim of advancing the data conversation exponentially in Indonesia.
“Our mission is to build data science talents with industry-ready capabilities in order to grow data-centric businesses,” Alatas explained. “We also provide link and match platforms between universities and industries. We support universities in building data science training and education in academic and non-academic programs. It is our spirit to support building our country.”
Data utilisation
Alatas said the majority of customers across Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, are developing a sense of urgency in implementing digital transformation strategies.
The challenge however, remains grounded in possessing the ‘know-how’ to execute on such strategies.
“Southeast Asian governments, especially the Indonesian Government, also support and push the implementation of digital transformation among industries as one of the key areas of future economic growth,” Alatas said. “We know that data analytics is driving successful digital transformation implementation. When it comes to industries and technology innovation, data is everywhere.”
For Alatas, Indonesia has evolved into a market in which customer experience is the power-play, Internet of Things is out in front and artificial intelligence is embedded at the centre. Data science? That’s the backbone.
“Building a data culture is now becoming a major task for businesses,” Alatas added. “With this new reality, companies have been quickly moving to adopt and implement data analytics.”
Through improved Indonesian infrastructure, Alatas said the nation is now presenting many opportunities for businesses to digitally transform, with innovation already taking place within e-commerce, fintech and distribution.
“This is all related to the utilisation of data,” Alatas explained. “The utilisation of data analytics remains a common aspect of digital transformation. Data will be the most valuable currency and analytics competency will be a key competitive differentiator.
"Enterprise customers want to become data-driven organisations, which typically involves using strong framework to make data-driven decisions. From our understanding, improved quality is required for technology service providers in Indonesia.
"They need to be customer centric, data centric, adaptive and adopt strong frameworks with corporate culture and values."
When looking inside Cybertrend - which specialises in Tableau Software, Cloudera and Talend technologies - Alatas said the provider primarily goes to market as a “business-orientated solution company”, capable of delivering business value to customers through technology.
“We are a business company which enforces technology solutions and services to deliver business results for our clients,” she said. “We maintain a fundamental commitment to excellence and that is evident in everything we do.
“Our duty is to understand and meet the needs of both our clients and consultants by delivering quality and value-added solutions. We blend creative, strategic planning and industry knowledge expertise to tackle the toughest challenges for businesses.
“Our services are supported by highly competent and dedicated people, which are known to provide passionate, technically able consultants with deep industry knowledge. We strongly believe that a solid team and employing the right people is a fundamental requirement for a successful project.”
Based on such in-depth data knowledge, Cybertrend has evolved in parallel with the Indonesian market, maintaining internal innovation streams through the continuous adoption of new technologies.
“Businesses being built on and moving onto digital platforms have become increasingly prevalent over the past couple of years,” Alatas added. “The companies that have been more willing to adopt platform strategies and risk revenue streams by moving toward new digital offerings have also seen positive financial results.
“Companies across industries are starting to shift and focus on the digital landscape with cloud platform and as-a-services solution at the front of this change.”
