Being able to use a big opportunity becomes a good starting point for Hamzah Abdullah who creates android-based application and wins tourism category of Mobile App Contest. Together with Amelia Rahman and Ely Desyanawati, Hamzah create android-based application named Mangan (Read: Eat) (Mobile Pangan). This application made by students of Informatics Engineering of FMIPA UNS provides any culinary information in Solo.
“We make a small survey and ask the people about Solo iconic culinary. They say serabi, some of them say intip, and also selat Solo. What we want is by creating this application, Solo can be known for special iconic culinary,” Hamzah explained on Friday (3/6/2016). Hamzah also explained that there were many respondents look for Solo culinary information using social media. “However, social media only shows food pictures and small information. Besides, only restaurants have big fund can advertise, otherwise they disappear,” Hamzah said.
The second version
Mangan Prototype which was involved in Mobile App Contest of Global Challenge 2016 is actually the second version. This second version has its changing concept which is the delivery feature changes into information portal with delivery as its additional feature. For the first version, Hamzah said that the biggest challenge was dealing with the availability of familiar delivery service itself. Moreover, the delivery service which was already common in Solo. The adaptation of the concept was done by Hamzah and his friends so that the application could be included in tourism category of Mobile App Contest.
Mangan serves any culinary information in various categories such as “the closest restaurants” and “the most visited restaurants”. Mangan Team is sure this strategy can promote all culinary spots in Solo. Aside from culinary information, Mangan is also equipped additional features such as Pesan Antar Makanan (Read: delivery) and Pick Me. The user of Mangan application can order the food using Pesan Antar Makanan feature or ask to be picked up and dropped in the particular culinary spot by using Pick Me feature. That is why Hamzah and his team will cooperate with existed courier service providers and restaurant owners. “We do not want to create a new thing, or shut down the business that is already existed, so later we will work with related service providers. We have a plan to make culinary networking in Solo,” Hamzah confirmed on behalf of his teammates.
As planned, the application will be done in three months. Mangan Team said that the challenges in the development process were collecting culinary data and any food review about Solo culinary.
Global Challenge, a New Hope
Similar with the other two winners of Mobile App Contest, Mangan Team got application development fund in the amount of 25 millions rupiahs and a trip to mobile application developer in Singapore. During the development process, the winners of Mobile App Contest will get a mentoring from the experts.
“The idea of UNS students can compete and can be contended with students from other universities. We just need to seek for more experiences and one of them is by joining this kind of competition,” Amel explained. Amel also mentioned that a lot of great ideas coming from her classmates. Unfortunately, the ideas were only for the course works.
According to Mangan Team, in order to expand the ideas, a club is needed and it should be facilitated by supporting infrastructures. “Everyone can have great ideas, but the one can make it true is better. This event becomes an opportunity to make our ideas become real, it is like a new hope,” Hamzah added.[](anggra.red.uns.ac.id)
