The Challenges for Google Indonesia's Country Marketing Manager

In Google's product launch event named Go Local Business Online (GIBO - Get Indonesian Business Online) yesterday, we learned that Google has appointed Mr Krishna Zulkarnain as Country Marketing Manager for Indonesia. We learned that Krishna joined Google last September, so it's been a while.

As mentioned in his LinkedIn profile, Krishna has had a long career in Bakrie Telecom, his last position was Regional Vice President of East Indonesia Business Operations (RBO) which supervised the operations covering Central Java, East Java, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi area. Before that, Krishna worked for Unilever and MTV Networks. Krishna has the educational background in marketing and finance studies which he graduated from university in Netherlands and in the United States.

Currently Krishna is based in Singapore until Google's Indonesia office is officially established. As quoted by Tempo, Krishna expected Google's representative office in Indonesia can be officially announced by the first quarter of this year - should be no later than March 2012.

This office will become the centre of Google's marketing and sales in Indonesia and Krishna would become the lead. In Indonesia, certainly there is no engineering division. Previously all things related to Google's activities in Indonesia coordinated by Google Indonesia Country Consultant, Mr Henky Prihatna.

Even though it's just recently established, many challenges seem to confront Krishna. Some parties began voicing their desire to treat Google the same as Research in Motion - where they are required to make data centres in Indonesia. Currently GIBO data transaction is placed in Google's data centre located outside of Indonesia. The SMEs data information is stored on local servers owned by Melsa as a partner.

In Indonesia, Google will focus on selling their advertising products: Google Adwords and Google Adsense.