"This agreement will help us meet the growing demand for new products in local languages in Asia," said Eric Wishart, AFP`s regional director for the Asia-Pacific region.
AFP appointed Antara its translation and distribution partner for Bahasa Indonesia products in an agreement signed in Jakarta by Wishart and Antara`s Chief Executive Officer Ahmad Mukhlis Yusuf.
"We are launching a new field of cooperation between our two agencies building on Antara`s longtime and successful role as distributor of AFP`s English-language news, picture and graphics services to traditional Indonesian media," Wishart said.
The first Bahasa Indonesia multimedia services incorporating text and photos will be launched in the fourth quarter of 2011 followed by flash, video and other digital products designed for web and mobile platforms.
AFP and Antara will also for the first time offer Bahasa Indonesia multimedia packages for major sporting events next year: Euro 2012 and the London Olympics.
"We are responding to the new demand from the emergence of online and mobile technology," said Wishart.
Mukhlis said the multimedia era offers new opportunities for both agencies in Indonesia, noting that there were already 180 million mobile devices in a country of 240 million people.
"AFP`s products have been well accepted in the global market," Mukhlis said, adding that the new deal would help boost Antara`s journalism standards.
Joint training programmes for Antara staff will be part of the transfer of knowledge, he added. (*)
Editor: Kunto Wibisono
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
