The Use of Cloud Computing in Startups

Yogyakarta, 8 November 2019—Not everybody is familiar with cloud computing. Cloud computing is often associated with storage, networks, computing and database. According to Gunawan Susanto, the Country General Manager of Amazon Web Services Indonesia, those 4 things are only a fraction of what could computing actually is. Gunawan Susanto was the main speaker of CFDS’ CEO Talk, which was held last Friday in the Mandiri Auditorium. This edition of CEO Talk was entitled “How Could Computing Shapes our Future?”

According to Gunawan, cloud computing makes starting a business easier. Cloud computing is cheap and easy to use.“Cloud computing allows entrepreneurs to experiment with their startups. If unsuccessful, they can stop it anytime they please,” Gunawan stated.  This means that entrepreneurs have a lot of room to innovate from trial and error. Moreover, cloud computing is cheap because the users pays only when the service is being used. If their businesses fail, the entrepreneurs can cancel their subscriptions.

“Technology shouldn’t be a barrier. If you have ideas, don’t be afraid to experiment with it. Using cloud computing to experiment is not expensive,” Gunawan conveyed. From 2010 onwards, the cost to create a startup has been rapidly decreasing. Gunawan even claimed that a few hundred million rupiahs are already enough to build a startup. Innovation is longer a luxury.

“Those who innovate are not those who have a large amount of capital, but those who have innovative ideas and know the ever-changing demands of the customers,” Gunawan conveyed. Cloud computing significantly cuts the cost of starting a startup. Previously, those who want to start a startup mush have their own hardware and servers.

“The more you fail, the more you learn. Failure and innovation are the two sides of the same coin,” Gunawan stated. In starting a business, you must always know who your prospective customers are. Moreover, socioeconomic aspects should be also be considered. The technological aspects shouldn’t be a big deal, since the technology is already available and is easy to sue, cheap and safe.