Editorial: BlackBerry Can Have More Than Just Sales in Indonesia

A model holds a BlackBerry Z10 during its launch in Jakarta March 4, 2013. The new smartphone will be available at all BlackBerry Lifestyle outlets across the country starting March 15 and will retail for $723, according to a news release on Monday. (Reuters Photo/Supri)

Indonesians’ affinity for BlackBerry phones has long been evident.

The country of 240 million people is one of the largest and fastest-growing markets for the Canadian-based company.

It is thus no wonder that the launch of the new touchscreen version — the BlackBerry Z10 — has been eagerly awaited. The company finally introduced its new offering to Indonesians this week at a gala event.

With all its new features and a brand new operating system, Indonesians will surely take to the new smartphone. But in such a crowded market, Blackberry will have to work hard to gain the confidence of Indonesian consumers.

The fact that Indonesia is now a huge market for consumer durable goods is no secret. Multinational companies from around the world are beating a path to its doors, excited by the vast potential on offer.

While this is encouraging, companies such as Blackberry must also show their commitment to the country.

One positive aspect of Blackberry’s operations in Indonesia is that it has been focusing on developer communities over the past two years.

One of the locally made applications for the BlackBerry Z10 is Soccer Ticker, made by Indonesian developer Vincent Putra.

This is important because it shows local developers have realistic opportunities to work with global companies to further their skills and knowledge.

Going forward, hopefully Blackberry will also consider manufacturing its products in this country, creating thousands of new jobs and providing new opportunities for local small- and medium-sized companies.

By doing so, Blackberry will tie its future more deeply with that of Indonesia.

And that will truly be a win-win relationship.