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Sedot Lemak

Burhan Abe
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Sedot Lemak

Ada dua teknik yang paling banyak dilakukan untuk membuang lemak nakal di tubuh. Pertama, teknik liposuction, yang disebut juga lipoplasty/suction lipectomy. Caranya dengan menyuntikkan jarum untuk menyedot timbunan lemak di area tertentu. Misalnya di lengan, paha atau perut. Menurut Dr. Edwin, tindakan liposuction kini sangat aman, karena ditunjang oleh teknik pembiusan (anastesi) lokal tumescent. Teknik liposuction biasa digunakan untuk menyedot kelebihan lemak yang tak terlalu ekstrem, sekitar 2-3 liter. Untuk menyedot lemak dalam jumlah besar – biasanya di sekitar perut – dilakukan mega liposuction, yang bisa menyedot hingga 10 liter lemak.

Teknik kedua adalah tummy tuck, istilah popular abdominoplasty, yang tergolong operasi kosmetik besar (major) untuk membuang kelebihan lemak di kawasan perut bagian bawah dan tengah. Caranya dengan melakukan sayatan kecil di atas daerah kelamin untuk operasi membuang lemak, mirip teknik operasi Caesar. Agar kulit di bagian yang lemaknya diangkat tak menggelambir, dilakukan penarikan dan pembuangan jaringan kulit sehingga kencang kembali, Otot-otot di bagian perut pun dikencangkan sehingga perut tampak lebih ramping dan tak buncit lagi.

Sedot lemak sebenarnya bukan metode baru. Teknik ini dikembangkan sejak dekade 1980-an. Bahkan, sejak 1986 di Indonesia sudah ada dokter yang melakukan sedot lemak. Pada dekade 1990-an, sedot lemak bahkan menjadi tren di kalangan atas. “Kini, seiring dengan tekniknya yang makin aman dan nyaman, permintaan akan sedot lemak terus meningkat,” ujar Dr. Edwin Djuanda, SpK, dari Klinik Jakarta Skin Center (JSC).

Bisa dimaklumi bila peminat kedua teknik ini kebanyakan berasal dari kalangan atas. Pasalnya, biayanya masih terbilang tinggi. Untuk sekali penyedotan di satu area saja biayanya berkisar antara Rp 10 juta-Rp 15 juta, tergantung kliniknya. Padahal, penyedotan biasanya dilakukan pada beberapa titik sekaligus.

Misalnya di kedua lengan, di bawah dagu, paha, dan – ini yang biasanya paling banyak lemaknya – di sekitar perut. Total jenderal biayanya bisa mencapai Rp 60 juta-Rp 90 juta. Bila diperlukan tindakan ulang, maka biaya pun bertambah lagi. “Tapi bila diperlukan tindakan untuk penyempurnaan, biasanya dokter membebankan biaya lebih ringan dari operasi pertama,” papar Edwin.

Memang ada klinik-klinik kecil yang menawarkan layanan dengan harga miring, bisa sampai separuhnya. Tapi jangan buru-buru menubruk peluang ini. Pasalnya, tindakan ini harus dilakukan tim dokter ahli yang kompeten dan peralatan yang lengkap.

Secara umum, baik liposuction maupun tummy tuck dilakukan dokter spesialis, khususnya spesialis kulit, bedah plastik, THT (telinga, hidung, dan tenggorokan), atau ahli kebidanan (ginekolog). Para dokter spesialis ini juga harus memiliki sertifikat pelatihan khusus. Dr. Edwin, misalnya, mengikuti kursus di Graduate Hospital, Philadelphia, pada 1990.

Selain sertifikasi keahlian, pertimbangan lain adalah reputasi dokter. “Dokter yang dikenal ahli biasanya memiliki reputasi yang dibina sejak bertahun-tahun. Reputasi ini menyiratkan kemampuan dan tanggung jawab dokter yang bersangkutan,” papar Edwin.

Di tangan tim dokter yang kompeten dan berpengalaman, tindakan vermak badan ini aman-aman saja. Apalagi kini dikembangkan teknik bius lokal tumescent. “Risikonya sangat kecil,” kata Edwin.

Beberapa hari sebelum operasi, ada serangkaian pemeriksaan intensif yang harus dilakukan, mulai dari tes darah, hemoglobin, leukosit, dan bleedingtime. Dokter juga harus mengetahui apakah pasien yang berpenyakit jantung, hipertensi, asma, keloid dan alergi obat tertentu. Paling sedikit 7 hari praoperasi, pasien juga tak boleh mengonsumsi obat plafiks atau yang mengandung aspirin (di antaranya asetosal, refagan, buferin, dan aspilet).

Photo by Taisiia Shestopal on Unsplash

Pascaoperasi pasien tak perlu bed rest. Segera setelah pulang, pasien disarankan minum banyak cairan atau air mineral untuk mengganti cairan tubuh yang hilang. Setelah beristirahat sehari, pasien sudah boleh beraktivitas normal – meski masih harus mengenakan korset. “Umumnya jahitan dibuka 4-7 hari pascaoperasi,” kata Edwin. Namun dokter harus terus memantau perkembangan pascaoperasi. Aktivitas olahraga berat boleh dilakukan seminggu setelah jahitan dibuka.

Sunglasses: A Fad as Popular as Fashion

Burhan Abe
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Sunglasses: A Fad as Popular as Fashion

What is something that you must have when you plan to do activities outdoors? Aside from sun block, sunglasses must be worn when you are out of your house.

Today sunglasses serve not only to give you proper shade against sunshine but they are also one item fashion as trendy as the dress. Do you wish to look as stylish as Paris Hilton or Victoria Beckham, both of whom appear stunning while walking along the red carpet? Or, if you are a gentleman, do you wish to look like the cool George Clooney or the dashing Tom Cruise in Top Gun, or like Dennis Rodman, the eccentric Black American athlete? You can be like any of them because various types of sunglasses are available in the market now.

Various types of models and frame variations as well as colors pamper fashionistas to look more stylish. There are a great variety of frames: wide frames, small frames that fit the eyes or even squared and oval ones. The colors are also varied: Neutral colors like black, brown and blue or bright colors like green or red. You only have to adjust the frames and their colors with your own personality, and most importantly, with your pocket.

Pocket? Certainly, as the prices are also varied, ranging from the cheap non-branded sunglasses, commonly called cengdem (an Indonesian acronym meaning that spending just Rp 1000 you can have your sunglasses) to sunglasses that are sold at millions of rupiah as they are branded or made by top fashion designers, such as Burberry D & G, Gucci, Chanel, Alain Mikli, Louis Vuitton, Furla, Zegna, Celine, Givenchy, Loewe, Chopard, Escada, Etro or Oakley.

Fashion changes and sunglasses are also like the changing fashion. Take, for example, sunglasses with broad frames that used to be very popular. Today these sunglasses are trendy again. Their oversize feature gives an impression of glamor. Meanwhile, if you wish to look classic and sophisticated, sunglasses in the style of Jackie O’s may be the best choice.

Sunglasses that look like “cat’s eyes” are also in great demand today, especially because this model can match nearly all shapes of faces. The retro impression of the shape of these sunglasses matches with a stylish impression, especially with the addition of trendy color play.

In the case of color choice, the dominant colors remain black and brown as these are the most neutral colors. As for colorful colors now trendy, they are pink, green, white and red. “It is wrong to say that it is the color of the skin that determines the color of your sunglasses. It is common practice today to choose the color of your dress for the color of your sunglasses,” he said.

One thing to remember, however, is that when you choose your sunglasses, don’t pay attention to the fashion factor only as you also take into account the scope of protection against light reflection, the color of lenses and the frames of the sunglasses. Your sunglasses must be functional and give you the greatest benefit.

It is also this commitment that Oakley wishes to demonstrate. “It’s a half science, a half art,” said Paul Hutson, Technical Advisor of Oakley Indonesia.

Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash

The philosophy of Oakley, which is based in California, in the design of sunglasses is to find a solution through science and package it with art. The consequence is that every product they turn out comes from the best materials. The glass material that Oakley uses is made of plutonite, which is polycarbonate generally used for glasses products. In the case of Oakley, however, they use only the purest plutonite so that your glasses will be shock-resistant, lightweight and also resistant against all kinds of ultraviolet and blue light.

The color of Oakley lenses is very strong and permanent so that it does easily fade. The coloring of the lenses is conducted when the plutonite is still in its liquid form. “Oakley lenses with their high-definition optics feature provides pristine sight,” Paul said.

Degenerative Ailments: From Heart Trouble to Early Aging

Burhan Abe
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Degenerative Ailments: From Heart Trouble to Early Aging

One morning, the lift in an office building had broken down. In Sulistio’s mind this was quite a disaster as it meant he had to take the stairs to his office on the third floor. Upon reaching the second floor, Sulistio, a lawyer in his mid-thirties, was struggling for breath and felt pain in his chest. Fortunately, after much effort, this obese young man eventually reached his desk.

Sulistio was suffering from coronary heart trouble, though this was not an acute attack. If he did not take immediate action to lose weight, such as joining an aerobic class and undertaking a weight-reduction program, his illness would certainly have become more serious.

Sulistio is not alone. Angina pectoris or chest pain as a result of coronary heart trouble affects millions of people around the world. In the United States alone, some 12 million people have been diagnosed as having coronary heart problems.

In Indonesia, despite the absence of national data on the prevalence of this illness, its impact is already visible. Cardiovascular diseases are now considered a primary cause of death in the country, registering 18.9 percent in the 1995 household health census. In the 2001 national health census, the figure climbed to 26.4 percent.

Heavy workloads cause stress, said cardiologist A. Fauzi Yahya. Stress, an unhealthy diet such as the regular consumption of fatty but low-fiber foods and infrequent exercise have the potential to cause a number of diseases, including coronary heart trouble.

Heart trouble is only one negative consequence of the above-mentioned lifestyle patterns. Stress and an unhealthy lifestyle can also affect a person’s natural stamina and health and may cause various degenerative ailments such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, cancer, stroke, hypertension and osteoporosis. Degenerative ailments are illnesses that interact with one another to impact negatively on the overall health of a person.

Degenerative ailments, also known as ‘early aging’, have been an increasing problem around the world throughout the last few decades. The risk factors associated with these ailments include an unhealthy diet, insufficient physical activity and smoking. These three risk factors increase if a person consumes food with a high fat or sugar content and has a job that does not require much physical activity.

A report from the World Health Organization claims that some one billion people in the world are obese and it is estimated that this number will increase to over 1.5 billion people by 2015 unless immediate action is taken to overcome this problem. Hospitals offering services related to these “urban” diseases are always full of patients. There are a number of specialized hospitals in the city, such as RS Jantung Harapan Kita (Harapan Kita Cardiac Hospital).

Hospitals that adhere to international standards constantly strive to keep up with advancements in medical technology so as they can respond to illnesses such as coronary artery disease, stroke and diabetes. Such hospitals also continue to improve their service to patients by embracing modern technology, which focuses on prompt responses, efficiency and comfort for patients.

Photo by Norbert Buduczki on Unsplash

Pondok Indah Hospital in South Jakarta has been using the non-invasive imaging method to detect cardiovascular diseases (CVD), using Multi detector Computed Tomography (MDCT) from one of the world’s leading manufacturers. The MDCT method does not only assist cardiologists and radiographers to detect and diagnose CVDs, but also provides greater comfort to patents because the normal scan time of 20 seconds is reduced to less than five seconds.

From Busway System to Monorail Dream

Burhan Abe
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From Busway System to Monorail Dream

With a population of about 8.5 million, Jakarta has become intensely crowded and increasingly mired in problems related to traffic congestion. Flyovers and underpasses have been built but they cannot keep up with increases in the size of the population and the number of vehicles on the roads.

Some people estimate that Jakarta’s population surges to some 11 million people during the day because people living in buffer towns come into the city to work. It is not difficult to imagine just how chaotic traffic in Jakarta is!

In addition to a busway system, the Jakarta administration also plans to introduce other means of mass transportation, such as a monorail and water transportation, to cope with the traffic congestion. People living in Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi will hopefully one day be able to travel into the city on an efficient and comfortable mass transportation system.

However, it is true that any mass transportation system for Jakarta is still all talk as of this point. Although the city administration expects an integrated transportation system to be realized by 2015, resident hope to be able to enjoy a modern and comfortable transportation system much sooner.

At present only the busway system has been introduced, but in its present state the system only serves one corridor, namely the Blok M-Kota route. It is hoped that the busway will be able to improve the appearance of the city and boost economic activity. The performance reliability of the busway system, better known internationally as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), plus the effectiveness of the investment costs involved, have made this system the right choice for many developing countries, Indonesia included, in improving their public transportation systems.

Unfortunately, Jakarta has yet to meet all the prerequisites necessary for the success of this system. A highly partial project-style approach has led to misperceptions on the part of the public in viewing the concept of the busway system as the right way to reform Jakarta’s public transportation system.

Meanwhile, the monorail as a rapid transportation alternative for heavily congested Jakarta is, at best, just a topic of discussion, with still no real signs that construction has begun on such a system. The government adopted the idea of a monorail system from Malaysia. Actually, the system under discussion here is more suitably called a monotrack because it uses a single track, unlike the railway line used by state railway company PT Kereta Api.

According to Sukmawaty Syukur, director of Indonesia Transit Central (ITC), the company that holds the concession for the construction of the monorail, there will be three primary routes for the monorail system in Jakarta. These will be the 70 kilometer-long East-West corridor (Cikarang-Bekasi-Jakarta-Tangerang), the 25 kilometer-long North-South corridor (Bintaro -Blok M-Kota) and the 20 kilometer-long Jakarta CBD corridor (Golden Triangle-Manggarai). If the monorail does come to operate along these three corridors, traffic congestion in Jakarta would be much reduced, if not removed entirely.

Photo by Hari Menon on Unsplash

However, ITC, as the partner of Malaysia’s Mtrans, has put forward only plans for the first-stage of monorail construction, namely the track along the 22.5 kilometers from Bekasi to Mega Kuningan. If this plan gains approval, the second stage will involve the Jakarta-Tangerang route and the Bekasi-Cikarang route.

The monorail is a modern and traffic-congestion-free urban transportation system. It is cheaper than a light-rail transit (LRT) system, which requires heavy-duty construction. In addition, the monorail would only require 2.5 years to build while an LRT would certainly take more time. “The monorail is the best option for a city like Jakarta,” Sukmawaty said.

Air Taxi: Solution to Traffic Congestion

Burhan Abe
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Air Taxi: Solution to Traffic Congestion

The following data will show how acutely the public transportation system in Jakarta has been damaged today: in the past decade the number of motorized vehicles in Jakarta has grown by 6 percent annually. It would come as no surprise to someone who is familiar with the city that about 4.95 million motorized vehicles travel across Jakarta every day. Motorcycles make up 53 percent of this number. Next comes private cars with 30 percent, buses with 7 percent and trucks, 10 percent.

This condition has been worsened by the additional several million motorized vehicles that come from outside the city. The great number of motorized vehicles has led to serious traffic congestion on many roads across the city. One of the government’s attempts to solve the problem of traffic congestion is to lengthen the roads in Jakarta. In reality, however, this would not have much impact. Lengthening the roads would only increase the mobility of private cars, and that is not part of an effort to build an integrated road network system.

Some 85 percent of road space is used by private cars, which actually serve only 9.7 percent of (car) trips. Given the fact that the existing public transportation in the city far from provides comfort and security, it is understandable that so many people opt to use their private cars. There are not enough air-conditioned buses in Jakarta, nor enough comfortable and safe taxis.

That’s why, to meet the demands of the “premium” market, several car hire companies have started renting luxury cars. Several taxi companies have also provided limousines. The largest taxi company in Jakarta, Blue Bird, for example, has long offered premium services. Its Silver Bird taxi service provides luxury sedans. Meanwhile, another taxi company, PT Centris Multipersada Pratama Tbk, is planning to add 500 Toyota Limo sedans to its taxi fleet, a program that will be implemented in stages up to the end of 2005.

“This is in response to the market demand,” said Omar Dhani Hassa, its president director. But don’t jump to the conclusion that riding in a limo in Jakarta guarantees comfort.

Traffic congestion is a problem that affects everyone. One solution is air transportation. Several top executives in Jakarta have resorted to this mode of transportation. James Riady, the CEO of the Lippo Group, for example, has for the last decade used a helicopter, particularly when he visits the centers of his business activities in Lippo Karawaci, Lippo Cikarang, Bukit Sentul real estate and, also perhaps, Depok Town Square.

For James, and others with the means at their disposal, air travel means avoiding the potentially disastrous scenario of being late for a meeting due to a traffic jam. A chopper is an obstruction-free and quick transportation means. People who can afford to hire a chopper are willing to fork out more money just to save time, and to make sure they will continue to be highly mobile.

Indeed, the use of a helicopter as an air transportation means is a business opportunity. The chopper is the right choice for those who need to travel often and be on time. A chopper, for example, can transport four to 13 passengers at one time. As for landing and take-off sites, there are no fewer than 24 heliports on the roofs of tall buildings, such as hotels, on which helicopters can land. A heliport is a vital facility for air transportation, particularly in major cities.

Outside Jakarta, such as Bekasi, Karawang, Cikarang and Tangerang, particularly in factory areas, there are also landing facilities for helicopters. Of course, air taxi fares are high at between US$750 and 1,000 per hour, given the fact that a helicopter may cost some US$3 million. Despite this, however, air taxis have regular passengers such as executives wishing to visit their factories or hospitals that need to air-lift patients to other hospitals.

During the 1999 general election, there was an increase in the demand for air taxi. Politicians, like former People’s Consultative Assembly chairman Amien Rais, used an air taxi to get from one campaign venue to the next. Despite its great potential, only a small number of aviation business players in Indonesia operate air taxis.

Between Competition and Creativity in Ads Industry

Burhan Abe
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Between Competition and Creativity in Ads Industry

Bad Ideas are Dead. This was the theme of the ADOI Advertising Awards (AAA) 2006, which took place at the National Archives Building, Jakarta, on March 3.

That night visitors could not help but feel the contradictions in the air, from the dominance of black and the line of Halloween skeletons from the entrance to the hall up to the stage. This implied that only the creative would win, not only in the present competition but also in the real (advertising business) world. Indeed, marketing and advertising activities are flourishing. On the other hand, print and electronic media are also flourishing.

But choosing the right media with which to advertise is, of course, not always easy, especially if you want the media best suited to promote your product and take into account the effectiveness of your advertising effort with respect to your target market. There are 11 local television stations and 60 regional television stations and cable channels plus some 600 newspapers, magazines and tabloids.

Clearly, this reality poses a number of challenges to advertisers, advertising agencies and the media. A complex market, media fragmentation and the increasing number of advertisements are forcing advertising practitioners to be more observant and work in a more strategic manner. Under such conditions, the availability of data and information, an understanding of industry trends and developments as well as being able to anticipate changes have become very important factors.  

Advertisements are useful not only to build and create brands but also to increase market share, which is why some advertisers spend so much money on promoting their products.

Nielsen Media Research recorded that in 2005, advertising spending stood at Rp 23 trillion (US$ 2.4 billion), a 5 percent increase from the Rp 22.911 trillion spent on advertising in 2004. This increase was evident in all types of media, although the most (about 70 percent) went to television. Admittedly, the figure does not include discounts and incentives given by the media.

According to the Indonesian Association of Advertising Companies (PPPI), net advertising spending in 2005 was only about Rp 12 trillion. How will the business fare in 2006? According to the chairman of the PPPI, Narga Shakri Habib, advertising spending in 2006 will drop by 5 to 10 percent. The drop will be caused by an increase in production costs as a result of the hikes in fuel prices and by an increase in advertising rates. “The easiest thing to do is, of course, cut a company’s advertising budget as cutting other budgets would pose a bigger risk to the company, such as layoffs,” he said when meeting Minister of Information and Communications Sofyan A. Djalil some time ago.  

Concurring with Narga, Ricky Pesik, managing director of Satucitra Advertising, said, “Obviously there will be a drop in advertising budgets. At best, budgets will remain the same as before. However, it’s not that alarming. At least it won’t be as serious as when the advertising industry was hit by the 1997 economic crisis,” he noted.

Meanwhile, several quarters in the advertising industry have identified looming impacts of last year’s various financial upheavals on the industry. However, Ricky said, producers that have a long-term interest in keeping their products in the forefront and companies that are in tight competition with each other will not drastically cut their advertising budgets. In such a situation the challenge for advertising agencies is to demonstrate their smartness in providing a solution for their clients so that they can achieve maximum benefits from their advertising campaigns.  

This year, however, there will be a shift in advertising trends, Narga predicts. Advertisers will shift from standard advertising methods to less conventional methods, like organizing special events or exhibitions. “The promotion of premium products like property, vehicles and electronic goods will follow this trend.”    

This is also supported by the assumption that less conventional promotional activities, which cost relatively the same as standard methods, bring a company closer to consumers or its target market. Shalini Gopalan Menon, president director of Interact Carlson Marketing, is convinced that besides standard advertising methods, unconventional methods are good PR exercises that are part of brand strategy and are quite popular among advertisers.  

Smartphone, a Modern Lifestyle Convergence

Burhan Abe
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Smartphone, a Modern Lifestyle Convergence

Today, cell phones are not merely verbal communications devices. The cell phone industry has also shifted from focusing solely on ordinary communications instruments to becoming massive convergence that combines various kinds of technology in a device.

In their most simple forms, the latest models of cell phones generally have a camera with a larger number of mega pixels. Other cell phones, meanwhile, also serve like iPods that can store thousands of MP3 songs and play back DVD-quality video.

Although various technological features are not what customers demand, their presence in a cell phone has become more and more popular. Consumers tend to appreciate the presence of this technological convergence and this has forced producers to team up on a broader platform with other industries providing various technological features.

This reality can be found in a number of prominent cell phone brands, like Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Samsung, etc. The presence of sophisticated cell phones is a necessity in terms of the latest development of information communication technology, and consumers will continue to be lured by various devices that indicate a lifestyle.

Nokia, the leading cell phone maker, has recently established strategic collaboration with three broadband wireless Internet service providers, namely PT Telkom, PT Indosat Mega Media (IM2) and PY Cyberindo Aditama (CBN), and one aggregator content, PT Mobile Lifestyle Indonesia (MLI) in offering free hotspot services.

This collaboration allows all users of Nokia N-series handsets, which have a wireless fidelity (Wi-Fi) feature, to access high-speed Internet freely in 1,000 hotspots owned by the three operators in over 20 cities in Indonesia. However, to be able to access the Internet free of charge, N-series users must first register at www.cooldesak.com portal built by MLI.

According to Nokia Indonesia general manager Hasan Aula, in offering free Internet access, Nokia is not seeking short-term profit but is focusing on long-term benefits in order to ensure that its handset users can get easy access to Internet services.

“We hope that N-series users, now numbering tens of thousands of people, will continue to increase in number as will the number of Wi-Fi users,” he said.

Undeniably, a cell phone eventually cannot be a stand-alone device. The latest hi-end cell phone, for example, which is also frequently referred to as a smart-phone, is often linked, in terms of its sophistication, with its convergence capacity, such as the connectivity of Bluetooth, InfraRed, Wi-Fi, etc., all now considered essential.

Basically, there are two things that a cell phone must have if it is to be included in the smart-phone category, namely versatility and capacity. The first is the versatility to run various functions. Capacity, meanwhile, is linked with storage capacity (memory).

Convergence in Modern Telecommunications

Burhan Abe
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Convergence in Modern Telecommunications

Kenro Seishima receives a short message on his cellular phone. It contains not only words and letters but also a small bar code. Out of curiosity, Seishima, a young executive, scans the bar code and, through the application in his cell phone, the screen features an advertisement of a car plus complete details about it.

The details give not only specifications and price information but also pictures of the car from various angles plus a contact person. In no time does Seishima contact this person and talk to him like in a video conference through his cellular phone.

Seishima’s experience is like a scene in a James Bond film or in Mission Impossible but it is actually quite common in Japan. As the standard of cell telecommunications has reached the third generation (3G) in Japan, this standard has introduced many novel things.

The 3G technology, released by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) through its IMT-2000 package, has indeed transformed the business map of cell phones. You can use a cell phone not only for conversations but also for virtual meetings, location-based services (LBS) streaming and downloading of video and music, including TV programs, peer to peer messaging such as instant messaging, MMS or e-mailing.

Of course, Indonesians will also soon have this Japanese experience in modern telecommunications, especially because 3G development in Indonesia, affiliated to the GSM group, is just a matter of time. Three operators (PT Telkomsel, PT Excelcomindo and PT Indosat) have already acquired licenses.

Meanwhile, vendors have also been competing to launch the most sophisticated 3G cell phones. Motorola has launched its superior Motorola RAZR V3x. This clamshell cell phone, which combines design and technology, was named the “Best 3GSM Handset 2006” in the 3GSM World Congress 2006 early this year in Barcelona, Spain.

Besides the RAZR V3X, the U.S. company has also launched several other 3G cell phones, including Motorolla E1000, Motorolla A1000, Motorolla C975.

Meanwhile, Sony Ericsson has introduced its M600i, which is dedicated to complete e-mailing communications with touch-screen capability and handwriting identification. This Swedish-Japanese joint venture has also introduced its P990i series with a push e-mail facility, which allows communications with the Internet through the 3G network.

Of course, 3G cell phones must be smartphones because they have to handle various multimedia applications. A mobile television is now the talk of the town. The 3G technology makes it possible for the application of this high-speed feature.

Nokia has been highly aggressive in introducing its mobile TV. It has introduced its N92 series. Meanwhile, Samsung has launched its SGH-P900 series. With a DVB-H TV broadcaster receiver, these cell phones can receive television broadcasts.

Indeed, Nokia and Samsung do not automatically introduce all their systems to Indonesia. Nokia, a Finnish company that is the main supporter of DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcast for Handheld) technology, is still trying to identify the character of cell phones in Indonesia. For this reason, it will launch limited edition cell phones this year.

Cellular Business in the 3G Era

Burhan Abe
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Cellular Business in the 3G Era

A young executive looking for an apartment is interested in a mini ad. Unlike other mini ads we usually find in newspapers, this one contains a small bar code. He takes his cell phone and scans the bar code. The information in the bar code, after being processed by an application in his phone, appears on the monitor. It gives the young man detailed information about the apartment advertised.  

Detailed information? Well, yes, as the information not only contains the size and the price of the apartment, as well as the address and the name of the owner, but also photos — taken from several different angles — about the apartment in question. If need be, you can have a video conversation with the owner with your cell phone and negotiate the price. If you wish to see him, you can easily look at the map on your monitor to find your way to the apartment.  

All this sounds like a story in a film, but it is not. It is a reality and a common one at that. At least, it is a reality in Japan, where the telecommunications standard has reached the third generation (3G). Without 3G technology, the story above is simply fiction. With the application of the 3G standard in cellular communications, cell phone users can easily hold a video conference, find out the position of the other person in this phone conversation or look at three-dimensional pictures.  

The 3G standard, which the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) released through its IMT 2000 package, has begun to change the business landscape in cellular technology. While previously, the cellular (technology) business was dominated by GSM/GPRS, since 2000 CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology has begun to significantly penetrate the market.  

Today, there are no fewer than 227 million subscribers to CDMA of various versions, and 150 million subscribers to 3G CDMA (CDMA2000 1x, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, and WCDMA). CDMA2000 and WCDMA, which GSM has developed, are two of the five most popular interfaces that have fulfilled the G3 criteria consistently. Of course, CDMA subscribers are still far smaller in number than GSM subscribers. “This is because CDMA began to undertake large-scale promotion only in 2000,” said Harry K. Nugraha, senior director and country manager of Qualcomm Indonesia.  

Qualcomm is a pioneer of CDMA technology and launched this technology commercially in Hong Kong in 1995. Today, nearly all of 125 CDMA operators make use of Qualcomm technology. CDMA began to draw attention when SK Telecom of South Korea marked the initial launching of 3G CDMA (CDMA-2000 1x) in October 2000. A year later, NTT DoCoMo made use of WCDMA in Japan. Later, South Korea improved the system with CDMA2000 1xEV-DO, a format that is capable of speeds of 2.4 Mbps. Today, CDMA in these two countries holds a very prominent position. In South Korea it has even become a very dominant platform.  

With its 3G platform, which consistently features connections at a speed of 2 Mbps for a stationary position, a speed of 384 kbps for mobile positions and 144 kbps for a fast moving position, CDMA-2000 obviously has a number of benefits, such as larger data capacity and a higher communication speed. As a result, CDMA2000 can do more faster than other cellular technologies.

Using CDMA technology, an operator can provide virtual meeting services such as video conferencing, location-based service (LBS), streaming and downloading of videos and music, including TV programs, the application of peer-to-peer messaging such as instant messaging, MMS or e-mail.  

Of no less importance is that CDMA2000 technology enables more users to use cellular channels at the same time. This has made CDMA more competitive in terms of price. It may be said that all over the world today CDMA 3G operators are enjoying an increase in average revenue per user (ARPU). Of course this is a promising business opportunity.  

In view of the readiness of the CDMA operators in Indonesia, it seems that the future of CDMA will be as bright as its predecessor, GSM. We can see that most major operators — Telkom (Flexi), Indosat (StarOne), Bakrie Telecom (Esia) and Mobile-8 (Fren) — have adopted 3G CDMA2000 1x. Even today they are preparing more sophisticated technology by adopting the CDMA2000 1xEV-DO (data optimized) technology.  

Attracting Rich Customers and How to Serve Them

Burhan Abe
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Attracting Rich Customers and How to Serve Them

The old adage that the customer is king is still relevant today. The increasingly keener competition in our domestic banking world has made banks not only compete to get as many customers as possible but also to maintain the loyalty of current customers by providing them with the best possible services.

This is especially the case with VIP customers, who are small in number but make the greatest contribution to banks’ money circulation. These special services, which are part of the marketing strategies of the banking industry, may take various forms, such as special interest rates, offers of goods at attractive discounts or financial management services on a wider scope. These services may be referred to as personal, priority or private banking.

The size of these premium customers has huge potential. In Indonesia about 1.5 million people earn an average of Rp 500 million a year. Ravi Sreedharan, head of personal financial services of the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) estimates the number at three million people. As referred to earlier, the interesting thing about these premium customers is their contribution to the banking sector. Eighty percent of third-party funds controlled by BCA, for example, come from this top segment of banking customers.

That’s why it is no surprise that BCA has been very enthusiastically working on its BCA Prioritas (Priority BCA) program, which requires a minimum deposit of Rp 250 million. No less than diva Kris Dayanti has been exclusively hired to make this program a success.

“We have lower, middle and upper segments of customers. Special treatment is needed to manage their funds. They need more specific and more personalized services. Super-rich customers, who possess huge amounts of funds, surely tend to demand more from banks,” said Meity Anita, a senior manager of BCA.

Customers of BCA Prioritas certainly enjoy better services than ordinary customers. The bank, for example, provides special rooms for them in its 111 branch offices across the archipelago. BCA has also established 33 executive airport lounges in Indonesian 19 airports. In addition, the bank periodically introduces special offers for selected products at special prices for premium customers. At present, for example, customers of BCA Prioritas are being offered Toyota Fortuner without having to place an indent.

Earlier, Volvo S60 were offered at a Rp 40 million discount. All these special offers are published in a free exclusive magazine. BCA has introduced all these benefits in its effort to maintain its premium customers, now registered at some 80,000 people holding a total of some 6.65 million bank accounts throughout the country.

Photo by Georgi Dyulgerov on Unsplash

Undeniably, it is the tendency prevailing among bank customers today to have a bank that can specifically study their desires, understand them and give them individual attention. These wealthy clients demand something extra not only in terms of services but also with respect to return on investment, security, comfort and so forth.

It is this challenge to which local banks are trying to respond properly. Private Banking and Wealth Management, a program devoted to premium customers, provides banking facilities in line with the development in these customers’ lifestyle and living necessities. The approach is personalized and customized and should conform to the needs and desires of these customers. Every premium customer is served and assisted by a special relations manager, who helps a customer benefit from various kinds of services, including special programs, in terms of banking transactions as well as non-banking matters.

Of course, this step can be taken not only by local banks. Even foreign banks offer similar services to their premium customers. HSBC, for example, has its HSBC Premier. Under this program, a customer can benefit not only in terms of investment but is also entitled to special gifts, for example a Jaguar X type, if he fulfills certain conditions.

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