Posted: April 22nd, 2013 | Author: Elizabeth Tan | Filed under: 500 startups, api, asia, communications, Developers, Investments & Acquisitions, Japan, Japanese, Jeff Lawson, KDDI, KDDI Web Communication, News, product, software, Startups, Twilio | Comments Off
A service that enables phones, VoIP, and messaging to be embedded into web, desktop, and mobile software, Twilio has been widely used by developers to build intelligent and complex communication systems with a globally available cloud API.
The successful startup that was invested by 500 Startups also recently announced its official launch in Japan. This comes along with a partnership with KDDI Web Communications to launch this service that localized the website and documentation. Japanese developers can now pay in yen when signing up for the service.
In addition, Twilio has also established a Tokyo data center presence via Amazon Web Services.
In an interview with Twilio’s CEO Jeff Lawson and Startup Dating Japan, Jeff mentioned that since “Japan is a complicated market to enter, especially for a startup, we chose to work with a partner who knows the market very well. We expect there will be an enormous demand for Twilio here, based on the amount of software development, and the size of the economy.”
Although KDDI Web Communications had previously independently created a similar service to Twilio, called Boundio, the Japanese giant decided to stop competing with Twilio and partner with it instead. Despite this, Jeff thinks that this initiative was something that really impressed him.
There are now more than 200,000 developers building on the Twilio platform as compared to 10,000 in 2010. The tremendous growth of the service in just 3 years must mean that they are doing something right. Therefore, the entrance of Twilio into Japan would not only create a more solid infrastructure for the developers in Japan, but also possibly encourage many new and creative services atop this platform.
The post Twilio partners with KDDI and officially launches in Japan appeared first on e27.
Posted: April 12th, 2013 | Author: Elaine Huang | Filed under: apac, Appointments, asia, asia pacific, Big Data, Cesar Cernuda, cloud, Corporations, microsoft, mobile, PEOPLE, Singapore, software, southeast asia | Comments Off
With a new area vice-president for APAC, Microsoft is looking to a more aggressive presence in the region.
Microsoft yesterday announced Cesar Cernuda as their new area vice-president for the Asia Pacific region. With this, Cesar will lead 17 offices in 12 countries, with over 2,000 employees and 28,000 valued partners.
Responsible for the company’s commercial and consumer product, services and support offerings, Cesar will look to continue the consumption of cloud, mobile, big data and social technologies in the region. Having been in Microsoft for the past 16 years, Cesar was previously vice-president of sales, marketing and services for Microsoft’s Latin American operation in Florida.
He also started his career in the banking industry, working on the launch of Banco 21 (now known as Banco Gallego). Subsequently, he joined Software AG where he developed a new business channel for the company’s products and services sales, and ran the financial sector division.
As his appointment is effective immediately, Cesar will relocate from Florida with his wife and two children to assume responsibilities in Singapore in the near future. With this appointment, we can perhaps expect that Microsoft geared for a more aggressive push with consumers and partners in the Asia Pacific region, especially with its enterprise, cloud and mobile offerings.
Image Credit: Microsoft
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Posted: March 13th, 2013 | Author: dailylicious! | Filed under: app, development, mobile, software, tech | Comments Off
“79 percent report that they would only retry an app once or twice if it failed to work the first time. Only 16 percent said they would give it more than two attempts.”
Users Have Low Tolerance For Buggy Apps – Only 16% Will Try A Failing App More Than Twice | TechCrunch (via soxiam)
As I’ve said here many times, “move fast and break things” doesn’t work well in the world of native mobile development.
Posted: March 1st, 2013 | Author: Aulia Masna | Filed under: app store, Opinion, piracy, software, Web Apps | Comments Off
Having a platform-specific store for applications certainly is one way to reduce piracy as every downloaded app will be tied to a specific consumer account and will only work on computers or devices authorized to use that account. On top of that, if these stores employ gatekeepers, it will go a long way to ensure that the apps are not being used as trojan horses to launch hidden apps. This has been proven by Apple’s App Store for iOS and for OS X as well as Microsoft’s Windows Phone Store and Windows Store.
Unfortunately for developers, compliance to the store regulations can limit the freedom for developers to create applications that perform certain legitimate functions but not allowed by the regulations and guidelines governing the stores for various reasons.
Additionally, the issue of piracy in this case shifts from unauthorized distribution and sale of apps to wholesale copies of them being made available on the store under a different name. In other words, there exist copies, or duplicates, or clones, of apps being distributed on the stores, listed with similar icons, screenshot, and a different or even similar name, uploaded by rogue developers who want to take advantage of the confusion between the apps.
Additionally, application stores may end up limiting the distribution and adoption of paid apps if they employ a specific payment method which are not already widely adopted by the population. While this can be overcome by the addition of more alternative payment methods, it may take some time before such arrangements can be implemented and accepted.
Of course, the other argument in this matter is the fact that licensing costs for software from the likes of Microsoft and Adobe are considered quite high for the majority of Indonesian consumers and the licensing restrictions place quite a burden on families with multiple computers.
The recent licensing change to the Microsoft Office suite for example, is particularly challenging for home users, limiting home license to one installation instead of three, but the company probably did that to push its web-based Office 365 product instead, which is arguably more affordable.
Organizations on the other hand could take Office 365 licensing costs into consideration and decide whether it’s worth the expense or whether they should find and use alternative software packages that deliver the same or similar functions as their first preference.
Moving software access to the web is another way to combat piracy as it restricts distribution but it doesn’t mean it will be safe from malware as recent cases involving Microsoft, Facebook, Apple, and Chinese hackers can attest.
The advantage of having these online distribution methods for apps like iWork, Office or Google Docs, and even Photoshop, is that it frees the companies from having to ship software in boxes and it allows a change in the licensing model towards more practical models. On top of that, cost of software will be reduced, accounting for the lack of physical production and distribution.
Of course, software licensing methods depend highly on either the software publisher or the store regulations. Ideally software should be tied to a single customer account with a generous allowance for device installations, the actual number of which may be up for discussion. A proper implementation of this will certainly encourage app purchase and developers can use all sorts of manners to discourage piracy.
The example from Tapbots earlier this week is certainly one way to deal with piracy outside of the store. Like many developers, Tapbots is mostly powerless against software pirates but in releasing Tweetbot for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, it also has to deal with the distribution limit imposed by Twitter for making an unofficial Twitter client app. While we don’t know whether Tweetbot is close to reaching that limit, Tapbots decided to be creative nonetheless, to teach a lesson to the pirates.
Pirated copies of Tweetbot preloads a text on the tweet compose screen suggesting that the copy being used is pirated. In a tweet to Gizmodo UK, Tapbots revealed that sending the text is not automated at all. The company left it to the individuals to send the text instead of having it sent automatically. Apparently the pirates are stupid enough to send them.
These pirated copies of Tweetbot clearly came from outside of the App Store. Someone downloads a copy from the store, strips it of its protection and security and releases it to the wild. Being a high quality app means it’s among the most wanted apps and there are always people unwilling to spend money to use such apps. But if developers can discourage piracy through limiting functions and more creative ways such as the above example, it becomes something that can be managed.
Trust by proxy
Software piracy is something that is inevitable and it’s a fact of life in being a software developer. It boils down to whether developers can find their legitimate markets, address the issues, and discover ways to keep creating software without being burdened by the pirates. It’s about weighing the costs and benefits in dealing with different markets and behaviors.
Online application and content stores went from obscure to expected in just a short number of years. Even Mozilla, the web-oriented company, will have an application store for Firefox OS. These stores provide trust by proxy along with other benefits. Consumers who may not have otherwise heard of particular apps will be able to get to them more easily and without having to worry about malware infections on their devices.
By changing the nature of how software is distributed and sold, platform owners and software developers not only provide an easier way to have their apps discovered, but they also provide a much safer way to do so. Consumers who acquire software through this method need no longer worry about inadvertently downloading destructive programs or software that will steal their data. It’s the job of store curators to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Posted: March 1st, 2013 | Author: Aulia Masna | Filed under: licensing, microsoft, News, piracy, software | Comments Off
On Wednesday Microsoft Indonesia released the finding of a Southeast Asia-wide forensic study into personal computers that have been installed with pirated software. Conducted in December 2012, the company found that nearly 70% of the computers and DVDs inspected have been infected with some sort of malware. This affects well known PC brands as well as self built computers.
The findings show that The Philippines have the lowest malware infection rate with two of every five computers and DVDs (40%) infected. In Indonesia, the infection rate is 60% among hard drives and 100% among DVDs containing pirated software. The study found that Malaysia follows Thailand as the safest Southeast Asian country when it comes to malware infection while Indonesia is third, with Thailand fourth and Vietnam fifth. The study excludes Singapore, Brunei Darussalam, Laos, Cambodia, and East Timor.
It really doesn’t take a genius to realize that installing pirated and unauthorized software will lead to all sorts of unwanted side effects but this sort of study, which domes out frequently and almost on a regular basis, aims to put some numbers and facts into the theory.
Microsoft Indonesia’s national technology officer for public sector Tony Seno Hartono said, “Many people believe that buying a PC with a well known brand guarantees the security and comfort in computing experience. They don’t think twice about the bundled software included in the computer whether it’s licensed or pirated”.
While the results of this study may reflect the widely held belief that pirated software tend to carry malware, the scale of this study is rather disconcerting. This is supposed to be a regional study covering Southeast Asia but somehow Microsoft only performs checks on 282 personal computers and DVDs. The company did not even specify the breakdown of the computers vs the discs.
Out of the tens of millions of computers across the region, less than 300 computers were included in the study. This extremely limited scale unfortunately does put a doubt into the relevance of the results on the larger market. While the intention is commendable, it makes you wonder why the company did not conduct the study in a much wider scale.
The company says that while pirated software may be extremely affordable, the cost associated with having them installed is very high as these tend to have all sorts of spyware, key loggers and other types of malware hidden within the installations which may lead to data theft, data corruption, and significant financial loss, not to mention criminal prosecution if the Business Software Authority finds out.
Microsoft claims that these risks may also have come from computers which had been installed with non-Windows operating system somewhere within the distribution channel prior to being installed with pirated copies of Windows somewhere further along the channel.
Microsoft is promoting its anti-piracy site howtotell.com to help consumers identify legitimacy of their software.
Posted: February 21st, 2013 | Author: Akky Akimoto | Filed under: e-book, Japan, LLVM, software, Tatsujin Shuppankai | Comments Off
Japanese software e-book publishers Tatsujin Shuppankai [J] (Master’s Publishing Association – could not find if they have an official English name) published a book about LLVM compiler, “Kitsune-san demo Wakaru LLVM”(LLVM even fox-san can understand) by Motipizza [J].
Machine translation of the book description is here,
This is LLVM was born I think this document and I want to spread more LLVM two authors who touched the LLVM as a hobby.
LLVM has been considerable attention now, there is no official document such as the improvement of design changes or repeated API is why a coherent explanation has been made. It is fortunate that organized information by this document will be to enter into Japanese hands, and you can know the LLVM to many people.
In this document of that’ll let LLVM to deepen the understanding of the step-by-step explanation of how to make the compiler using LLVM has become a concept. I think it’s not including the contents useful for as many people as front-end (up to output intermediate representation), because it describes a wide range of middle-end (optimization), back-end (object creation).
Applications, but some parts of LLVM diverse, and have not been able to discuss this, summarizes the basic information for using LLVM as information for beginners. Learn about the LLVM again with reference to these, will take to the world of endless LLVM together.
LLVM Guide For Dummies, Or Kitsune-san
Posted: November 30th, 2012 | Author: Chiho Komoriya | Filed under: Cybird, MOOSTA OMP, QUMARION, Soft Ether, software, VSMedia | Comments Off
Cybird Inc. [J] has opened “MOOSTA OMP” [J], software which features 3DCG characters who automatically dance to match up with music. Anyone may download and try it out for free.
“MOOSTA OMP” is a software program which analyzes music and automatically sets a 3D character dancing. Simply by dragging and dropping an mp3 file upon launching the soft, the analysis begins, and a beautiful girl 3DCG character breaks into a dance in time with the rhythm. There are also functions for changing the stage and character as well as making a track playlist. Furthermore, Soft Ether [J], who took part in the development of the human form input device “QUMARION” (QUMA technology) [J], are collaborating on the dance creation engine and development interface. From now on, they are planning to release characters, motion (dance choreography), accessories, and stages to correspond with “OMP” as occasion calls.
Translation authorized by VSMedia
Beautiful Girls Dance To The Music In “MOOSTA OMP”
Posted: November 22nd, 2012 | Author: dailylicious! | Filed under: enterprise, software, tech | Comments Off
What is enterprise software, and why make the distinction?
In years past it’s been defined as software used by large corporations and even governments but it doesn’t include products like Office which is clearly used in companies of all sizes. These days, almost every software can be considered enterprise software. Sarah Lacy questions today’s meaning of the term which has been diluted to a point in which Evernote is considered enterprise software.
Microsoft’s Outlook and Yammer are also considered enterprise. Thing is, does it matter whether software is classified as consumer, business, or enterprise? Why make the distinction? What’s the purpose?
Posted: November 9th, 2012 | Author: Guest | Filed under: Echelon Ignite, Echelon Ignite: Thailand, Interview, job, News, Opinions, PEOPLE, software, software engineer, southeast asia, Startups, Thailand | Comments Off
Tanin Na Nakorn is a Thai developer who recently joined Twitter in the US. In this guest post, he shares tips on how to get hired as a software engineer in the Valley. Almost a year ago, I’ve decided to apply for an engineering/coding job in the Valley. I’ve applied to 17 companies, got phone-screened...
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Posted: October 13th, 2012 | Author: Winnie Nelson | Filed under: asia, CHINA, consultancy, Corporations, development, Hong Kong, india, Indonesia, Japan, linux, malaysia, open source, philippines, Press Release, Red hat, Singapore, software, southeast asia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam | Comments Off
Red Hat, Inc. has recently announced six key appointments across the Asia Pacific in line with its expansion in the region. Red Hat is expanding across the region, and has announced six key appointments. These include general managers for India and the Greater China region, director of services for APAC, and three newly-developed roles to support...
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