Indosat, Google Cloud introduce AI-driven smart search in Indonesia

Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison (Indosat) has launched an AI-powered semantic search feature for the apps developed for its myIM3 and bima+ brands. Developed in collaboration with Google Cloud, the technology enables searches with greater relevance, personalisation, and efficiency as searches are done through understanding the question rather than just looking for keywords. 

Source: Indosat. A mobile phone showing the myIM3 app.

This capability helps Google Cloud's Vertex AI platform to gain deep insights into customer behaviour and preferences. As a result, searches for services such as data packages, lifestyle features, and loyalty programmes like IMPoin and BonsTri can be dynamically tailored to meet each user's specific needs.

Bilal Kazmi, Director & Chief Commercial Officer Indosat Ooredoo Hutchison, said: “With the support of Google Cloud, we are delivering a search system that is not only intelligent but also delivers tangible value, enhancing both user convenience and business performances. This collaboration represents a strategic step towards providing smarter, more personalised, and relevant digital experiences for our customers. 

"At Indosat, we are committed to ensuring that technology makes life easier, brings services closer, and serves as a powerful tool to empower Indonesia in navigating the digital era."

Fanly Tanto, Country Director, Indonesia, Google Cloud, stated: “As an industry-leading organisation in Google Cloud’s Indonesia BerdAIa programme, Indosat has been at the forefront of innovating with advanced, enterprise AI. Vertex AI Search’s in-built understanding of queries in Bahasa and English, the semantic meaning behind queries, and spelling variations will help surface more relevant digital services recommendations that meet the diverse lifestyle needs of millions of myIM3 and bima+ users. 

"This deployment demonstrates how the unique combination of Google Cloud's open platforms and Google-quality search can be seamlessly integrated with an enterprise’s custom-built AI models and existing applications, enabling smarter and more personalised digital experiences for its customers.”  

According to McKinsey’s research in the future of personalisation, 71% of consumers expect personalized interactions from brands. AI-driven personalisation also improves operational efficiency. As part of this launch, Indosat is introducing an interactive campaign, 30 Days of Treasure Hunt, running from August 21 to September 19, 2025. Through AI-powered search gamification, customers are encouraged to search for specific keywords or queries on the official Instagram accounts of IM3 @indosatim3 and Tri @triindonesia, and then access them via the search bar in the myIM3 or bima+ applications.

The most active users each day will have the opportunity to win a variety of e-vouchers, with a total prize pool of up to IDR5.5 M. To participate, customers can download the myIM3 app at https://myim3.co/getnow and the bima+ app at https://bima-3.co/getnow 

In addition, the semantic search technology is further supported by Sahabat-AI, an open-source large language model (LLM) specifically designed for the Indonesian language. Sahabat-AI is built to understand local contexts, including support for various regional languages and dialects, making customer interactions more engaging, relevant, and meaningful across Indonesia.

Plantronics takes design very seriously

The words sent back in 1969 from the moon came via Plantronics equipment, and the company has not stopped its commitment to innovation ever since. The company is working on devices that deliver contextual intelligence, a combination of hardware, sensors, and software, said Alvin Kiew, Director of Sales & Marketing for Plantronics South-East Asia.

Examples of such contextual intelligence include knowing that a headset has been taken off, and routing an active call to the phone, or pausing the music that is playing, Kiew said.

Plantronics found that its customers can be divided into different categories with different needs at work. 

The customer profiles are very detailed, and headsets are designed to address the challenges experienced by different customer profiles.

Plantronics is also focused on understanding their customers in order to give them what they want. Some of the headset features that cater to always-connected professionals include long battery lives of up to 18 hours a day, battery life indicators, and compatibility with inflight entertainment systems.

When it comes to gamers, customisability is key, said Kiew. Plantronics' RIG corded headsets for gaming are modular and can be modified for ordinary use. In line with the company's contextual intelligence stance, RIG 500 headsets will automatically mute the mike the moment it is lifted.

Christopher Thompson, VP of Enterprise Marketing, Plantronics, said the Voyager Focus UC family is about helping business users to focus, hence the name. The company found that changes in workstyle have changed the work environment significantly, requiring different tools to create a professional experience. "Work is something you do, it's not a place you go," he said.

For 20-somethings just beginning their careers, high quality audio and device compatibility are important, Thompson noted. "We wanted to give them a tool that works with other things that they have... and addresses the activity of the environment that they live in," he said.

Plantronics Voyager Focus UC headsets provide a different experience from standard earbuds bundled with phones, for example. While earbuds typically transmit ambient sounds in the environment, making a conference call noisy for others, Plantronics Voyager Focus UC headsets are designed with three types of noise cancellation technology, Thompson said: passive noise cancellation, which damps down sudden noises; active cancellation, where mikes placed at the outside of the headset capture and then block outside noise, and a noise-cancelling mike that prevents the transmission of the conversation beyond the headset.

Thompson pointing out that today's work environment has evolved from quiet office cubicles to noisier environments. 

The headstrap, below the usual headband, brings the cushions of the earcups closer to the ear for a better audio experience, with more effective noise cancellation. At the same time, weight is redistributed from the head to the head and the earcups. Thompson said that customer feedback has been that headsets with headstraps feel lighter as a result.

Contextual intelligence features for the Voyager Focus UC include no dedicated 'left' and 'right' controls. No matter which way the wearer has put the headset on, features will work the way he or she expects. Turning the mike 'down' or the volume control 'forward' will always have the same effect, Thompson said.

Read the WorkSmart Asia blog post on the Plantronics Voyager Focus UC headsets

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