Google touts new app engine as essential business tool

BUSINESSES now have an option of developing web-based applications to further expand, enter new markets and achieve a larger profit margin. They do not have to be a 'techie' to achieve this either.

"It could be a business that is completely unrelated to technology, but (owners) might want to use technology in their business to guide (it) further," said Grant Allen, a data architect from Google Inc, who will be giving a presentation at today's ThinkBig National Technology Forum. His presentation will be focused on Google's App Engine, which is an application developing service provided by Google Inc, the US-based developer of the world's leading search engine.

"(My presentation) tomorrow will be pitched as a useful set of technology that businesses could use - for anything. There are people today in Brunei, who are developing applications for sports fans, or RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tracking and security purposes, anyone can use the app engine," said Allen. He added that technology can help owners realise their ideal business model.

"Recent developments by cloud computing (computing in which it is dynamically scalable and often virtualised resources are provided as a service over the Internet) ensures that the company will have the ability to try things quickly so you can learn what works and what doesn't, and in a very short space of time, you learn very quickly," he said.

He added that various companies can go through the same (business) processes "to see what works and what doesn't" but they would not be as agile, or as fast, and will not be able to rebound from their mistakes as quickly as their competitor that has adopted technology.

"I did a bit of research before I came to Brunei and it seems like there is a sort of new industry here, where people realise that they can create new technology in Brunei, and expand to other markets around the world," he said. Allen added that with Brunei being a "nice contained market", it has a good chance (as much as other countries) to jump into the global IT industry, regardless of their advancement.

"I personally don't think that if a country is far behind that it would really matter because I don't think that any location or anyone, is too far behind because it has a lot to do with attitude and their desire for people to get involved," he said. From his experience and observations of incubatees at Brunei's iCentre, he believes "there is a good chance the industry will do well".

At today's forum, Allen will explain how Google's products can benefit businesses with a focus on cloud computing, which was launched in 2008. Cloud computing can be used, for example, to provide fast access to information. In Australia, he said, "A team of concerned individuals came together and put together an application which (allows) people find out information about where the bush fires are, what they can do to help, emergency contact details, in a really short period of time." The platform has so many possibilities, not just confined to business and development ranges anywhere from social networking to public service announcements".

He added, "The best way to describe it is that we provide the platform and all the (businesses) need to do is to use their imagination and do what they want on top of it," he said.

The Brunei Times