[Guest Post]: Event Review Suwec “AprilMob(ile)” Meetup + Workshop

The following article was given by Imam Muttaqin and Suwec friends who held a Meetup and workshop event on Web & Mobile App Opportunity last Saturday in Surabaya - Indonesia.

DailySocial Readers may have read some articles about these events in other media, and to be distinct, this article was written directly by Imam Muttaqin as one of the Suwec initiators who wrote the recap of the events.

There were four speakers and a series of events that not only presented the main speakers but also StartUp ShowUp! and QT Smartphone workshops. Following is the coverage.

Monthly meetings held by Surabaya Web Community (suWec) in this month was very lively. No fewer than a hundred people attended the event, titled #AprilMob: Web & Mobile App Opportunity. Hotel Novotel Surabaya Ballroom on that day (Saturday, April 2, 2011) was filled with web and mobile lovers from Surabaya, Madura, Sidoarjo and surrounding areas, as well as some web / mobile developers from the community Bancakan 2.0 Yogyakarta.

Imam Muttaqin, one of the initiators and moderators of suWec in his opening remarks expected this suWec Meetup and workshops events could give more and increase the enthusiasm of the local mobile applications developers to work. Why #AprilMob? Imam gave the reason, the tagline was taken as close to April 1, which is identical with AprilMop, then spoofed into AprilMob refers in April Mobile.

Speakers who share knowledge and experience in this event #AprilMob were Narenda Wicaksono (Marketing Manager Nokia Indonesia), Zainal Abidin (the winner of Hackathon Bancakan), Ahmad Masykur (prayer schedule reminders application maker), and Bernardus Sumartok (digital media practitioner from Kompas-Gramedia).

Narenda started the presentation by showing the relevant data about the mobile internet users and its potential. From the data he found, Narenda concluded, the access of mobile internet was not able to offset yet the amount of application production of Indonesian mobile developers. It is certainly such a pity. There are approximately 209 million of mobile internet users in Indonesia, which supposed to be a potential market for local mobile developers’ works.

Narenda expected the mobile developers in Indonesia can explore various local potentials and make the mobile applications. He also warned, the mobile developers should not dwell on the platform, but also have to think about how the application product could make money.

Ahmad Masykur, a mobile developer whose application was downloaded 30 thousand times in just three weeks, said that the making of the application should be based on the needs of prospective users, even though the needs are small. For example is the prayer schedule reminders applications that he made. Many people hoped for prayer schedule reminders applications in mobile devices that also can adjust the location of its users. Finally, from the need, Masykur could make its mobile application.

The reason Zainal Abidin created a mobile application was also nearly equal to Masykur, that is because they saw their daily needs. Zainal created a mobile based social networking application for the culinary location. With these applications, he hopes people would be easier to find the right culinary places through mobile devices.

The fourth speaker, Sumartok, on that meeting highlighted more about the best layout and appearance of the mobile applications. According to Sumartok, the right application is an application that does not complicate the users and to work according to its function.

According to Sumartok, it is better to design and draw the application functionality route such as in the form of sketch first before touching the software design and programming device. Then, see and show it to the people, if your application is understandable and easy to use. If you are sure about it, then you can develop it.

One more thing that should not be forgotten from that day's events was the ShowUp StartUp! session featuring the presentations from the local startups of Surabaya. There were three startups initiated by Surabaya youngsters presented, include: Ongkir.info, Duniaku.net, and Amplop.in. Ongkir.Info is the web to find information about goods shipping cost developed Kemas Dimas. Duniaku.Net is a portal of information about games guarded by Ami Raditya and his colleagues. While Amplop.In is a web for personal finance management which is built by Rizky and Buchin of DropSugar.

The meeting ended with a QT Smartphone workshop. The workshop hosted by Erick Kurniawan (Nokia Indonesia Community Enthusiasts Lead) was intended for the mobile developers so they could immediately practice to develop mobile applications with QT software. Dozens of enthusiastic participants were joining the workshop.

Photo by Zaqi of Suwec via Imam Muttaqin.

Disclosure: DailySocial is a media partner of this event.

Translated by Nita Sellya.