However, its quarterly growth has been sliding steadily in 2011, from 17% in Quarter 1 to 8% in Quarter 4. In Quarter 4 2010, it was growing at 21%.

2010 was the year when Facebook went on hyper-drive growth on users acquisition front in Asia. However, 2011 was the year when Facebook downshifted a gear or two. The decline is expected to continue as many Asian nations are reaching saturation level.

Total Facebook users in Asia increased from 168 million on October 1 2011 to 181 million on December 31 2011, a quarterly growth rate of 8%.

Indonesia continues to be the top Asian country on Facebook with 42 million users. But India will dethrone Indonesia soon.

Facebook users in India has been growing by the double digits throughout 2011. On January 1 2011, India has 17 million Facebook users. By the end of the year, the country has 41 million users!

Other than India, eight other countries registered double digits growth throughout 2011, namely Thailand, Japan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Cambodia, Mongolia, Afghanistan, and Laos (see Table 3). However, only three countries are growing at rates higher in Quarter 4 compared to Quarter 3, namely Japan, South Korea and Mongolia. And South Korea registered the highest single quarter growth of 82% in Quarter 1 2011.

How accurate are these estimations? Read here.

Facebook in Asia: A Growth Story (2011) originally appeared on GreyReview.com on January 1, 2012.

Facebook now has over 800 million users worldwide, with 168 million are from Asia. In Quarter 3 this year, Facebook added 16.8 million new users in Asia (compared to 19.5 million in Quarter 2 2011). So far this year, the social network has added some 56 million new users; it started the year with 111 million Asian users. Its latest quarter-on-quarter growth rate is 11%. However, the rate has been somewhat slowing since end of 2010 – from 24% in Quarter 4 2010 to 17% Q1’11 to 15% Q2’11 to 11% Q3’11.

1. 57% of Facebook users in Asia can be found in the Southeast Asia region.
2. Internet users in India continue to embrace Facebook. As of end of Quarter 3 this year, India has a total of 36.4 million Facebook users, which is 4 million less than Indonesia. India will very soon surpass Indonesia to become the top Facebook country in Asia (and third-largest in the world).
3. Thailand surpassed Malaysia to become the 4th largest Facebook nation in Asia.
4. Users growth in Malaysia continues to stuck at single-digit. And Taiwan is challenging Malaysia for No. 5 in the list.
5. Facebook users in Japan continue to show impressive growth rate at 26%. In Quarter 2, users population grew by 33%. On January 01 this year, there were 1.8 million Facebook users in Japan. By the end of Quarter 3, total users jumped to 4.8 million.
6. Vietnamese Facebook users grew by 51% in Quarter 3 2011 and will soon replace Singapore in 11th rank.

How accurate are these estimations? Read here.

Facebook in Asia: Latest Stats on Total Users by Country [Quarter 3 2011] originally appeared on GreyReview.com on October 1, 2011.

Here are some photos of iPad 2 queues at some of the Apple reseller stores today in Kuala Lumpur / Klang Valley areas.

Machines, Suria KLCC

photo by Daniel Riveong on Twitter.

photo by Machines on Facebook.

Machines, Sunway Pyramid

photo by Ramakrishnan CN on Facebook.

photo by Andrew Lee on Twitter.

Machines, Mid-Valley

photo by Machines on Facebook.

photo by Lowyat.NET on Twitter.

photo by Sharine L. on Twitter.

Machines, Lot 10

photo by YH Lim.

Switch, The Mines

photo by Muhammad Hijazi on Twitter.

Macstudio, Berjaya Times Square

photo by YH Lim.

Mac City, 1Utama

photo by Mei Ng on Facebook.

Macstudio, Low Yat Plaza

photo by YH Lim.

iPad 2 Sold Out notices

photo by YH Lim.

iPad 2 swarms in Malaysia: Launch Day [Photos] originally appeared on GreyReview.com on April 29, 2011.

This is the latest edition of Facebook in Asia series. The followings are some interesting observations of Facebook growth in Asia in the first three months of 2011:

• The latest estimated number of Facebook users in Asia: 131.3 million.
• Total Facebook users grew by 17.3% in the Quarter 1 2011, which is slightly less than the 21.4% in the previous quarter (Quarter 4 2010).
• Indonesia continues to lead with 35.2 million users. Second-placed India with 23 million, followed by Philippines (22.4 million), Malaysia (10.1 million) and Taiwan (9.1 million)
• India grew by 35.7% in the first three months of 2011 and overtook the Philippines as the Asian nation with the second largest Facebook users. India is poised to overtake leader Indonesia by end of 2011, IF the nation continues with double-digit growth rates in the next three quarters.
• South Korea leapfrogged Singapore, Pakistan and Hong Kong to 7th place. The country’s Facebook users grew by a whopping 82% in Quarter 1 of 2011. Facebook users in South Korea are growing at blistering pace since Quarter 2 2010 (grew by 66% in Quarter 2 2010).
• Malaysia exceeds the 10 million users mark.
• The Japanese people are fast embracing Facebook. On October 1 2010, Japan has 1.4 million Facebook users. Six months later, the Land of the Rising Sun has over 2.8 million users. Of course, this is still pale in comparison to the 21 million users of Mixi, Japan’s home-grown social network.
• Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, and Macau are showing decline in estimated total Facebook users between January 01 2011 and April 01 2011. As with other countries, estimated Facebook users figures were extracted at the specified dates. So, I’m unsure why these countries are showing the declines.

Facebook in Asia, Estimated Total Users by Country – Quarter 1 2011

Latest Estimates for Facebook Users by Country – Asia (Quarter 1 2011) originally appeared on GreyReview.com on April 5, 2011.

With the partnership, Zynga leverages MOL’s vast network of physical and online channels to make available the Zynga Game Cards to social gamers across Asia:

• Popular retail chains such as 7-Eleven stores in Singapore and Malaysia, and Singapore’s Comic Connections;
• MOL affiliated cybercafés such as India’s Sify Cybercafes, Philippine’s Netopia Internet Cafes and Thailand’s Fun Loader Cybercafes;
• Electronic payment kiosks, online channels, banking and telco partners such as Malaysia’s Maybank2u, Singapore’s GXCredits and Indonesia’s Gudang Voucher.

MOL will make Zynga Game Cards available in values of US$2, US$5 and US$10. MOL customers can also convert their MOLPoints virtual currency into Zynga Game Cards.

This announcement follows the recent launch of Zynga’s newest game phenomenon, CityVille in Indonesian language marking its first game to be offered in the language and further signifying its dedication to the Asian region.

Prior to this announcement, Zynga Game Cards are already available in United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand. Zynga also recently announced the launch of its prepaid cards in Latin America.

Zynga Game Cards Now Available in Six Asian Countries originally appeared on GreyReview.com on March 1, 2011.

In November 2010, Indonesia overtook the UK to become the world’s second largest market for Facebook (behind the United States.) In Quarter 4 2010, over 5 million new users from world’s fourth most populous nation joined Facebook. Indonesia also widened its gap with second-place Philippines over the last 3 months. In November 01 2010, the gap between Indonesia and second-place Philippines was 11,901,900 users. Now, the gap is 13,227,560.

Today, there are over 32 million Indonesians using Facebook. Philippines is behind Indonesia, with over 18 million, followed by India (16.9 million), Malaysia (9.5 million) and Taiwan (8.7 million).

Facebook Population in Asia
Total Users (as of January 01 2011 and October 01 2010) and Total New Users

In Quarter 4 2010, Facebook users in South Korea grew by 60%. South Korea is poised to overtake Singapore to rank 9th in the Facebook in Asia list. Second fastest growing Asian nation on Facebook is Cambodia at 51%, followed by Afghanistan (45%), Mongolia (44%) and Vietnam (42%). All countries experienced double-digit growth in Q4 2010, except Singapore (7.2%) and Macau (4.2%).

Top 10 Facebook Users Growth Rate in Asia
Between October 01 2010 and January 01 2011

Over 111 million Facebook users in Asia on New Year’s Day; Slowing growth, Indonesia widens lead and South Korea on hyper-growth originally appeared on GreyReview.com on January 1, 2011.

Indonesia continues to top the Facebook Population in Asia list with 29.8 million users. Although the country is fast approaching the 30 million user mark, the most populous Southeast Asian nation continues to show impressive 12.2% growth rate (the 10th highest among the Asian nations). During the month of October 2010, Indonesia registered the highest increase of % of Total Facebook Population in Asia, an increase of 0.3 percentage point, from 28.9% to 29.2% (India increased by 0.2 percentage point and Japan with 0.1).

Cambodia registered the highest growth rate at 24.6%, followed by Afghanistan (23.3%), Mongolia (19.7%), Japan (19.6%) and South Korea (18.9%). And Bangladesh joined the 1-million users group in October 2010. As of now, there are a total of 13 countries in Asia with over a million Facebook users.

Facebook Population in Asia
Total Users (as of October 01 2010 and November 01 2010) and % Month-on-Month Growth

(Image credits: Facebook Login Hut and Asia Maps)

Facebook exceeds 100 million users in Asia; added 10 million users in October 2010 originally appeared on GreyReview.com on November 3, 2010.

This year, a total of 180 nominations from 16 member economies for 16 categories. “From a small member base of 5 countries in the first International APICTA Awards, we have now grown to include 17 nations across the Asia-Pacific region, most recently adding Taiwan to our ranks,” said Sutee Satanasathapon, Chairman of APICTA. The 16 member economies of APICTA are Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Since it started in 2001, the awards programme has recognized and rewarded the innovation of numerous ICT companies across the Asia-Pacific region. Past APICTA winners have contributed to the regional ICT Industry with two such examples being:

• CyberPlanet Interactive Co. Ltd., 2004 Winner for Media and Entertainment, has become a public-listed company and expanded into China and Japan to become the largest console game developer in South East Asia
• Les’ Copaque, 2007 Winner for Best Start-up Company, is now rated as one of Malaysia’s foremost production and animation houses with its flagship animation series, Upin & Ipin with broadcast in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Philippines, Vietnam, Hong Kong and South Korea.

Malaysia won 4 Awards

There are a total of 29 Malaysian finalists for this year’s Awards, consisting of 24 companies, 3 universities and 2 schools. Winners are judged based on these criteria:

• Uniqueness
• Market potential / value for public
• Functionalities and features
• Quality and application of technology
• Presentation

In this year’s International APICTA Awards, a total of 4 Malaysian entries winning the following categories – Research and Development, Tourism and Hospitality, E-Learning, and E-Government. Singapore-based Ephone International Pte Ltd clinched two awards – Best E-Health and Best Start-up Company – for its product, EPI Life. Other notable winners are IP Payments Account Receivable Solution from Australia, which won the Financial Industry Applications category and Thai company, Geomove Co. Ltd. for their Sensor Service Grid application, which won the Tools & Infrastructure category.

Here’s the full list of winners:
Best of Research and Development: nuRF Wireless Sensor Network and Smart Wireless System – Free Alliance (Malaysia)

Best of Tourism and Hospitality: GDX Guest Services Management – FCS Computer Systems (Malaysia)

Best of E-Learning: Jayonik Convoy Dynamic Driving Simulator System – Jayonik MSC Sdn Bhd (Malaysia)

Best of e-Government: eKasih National Databank on Poverty – Implementation Coordination Unit, Prime Minister’s Department (Malaysia)

Best of Start-Up Companies / Best of e-Health: EPI Life – Ephone International Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Best of Financial Industry Application: IP Payments Account Receivables Solution – IP Payments Pty Ltd (Australia)

Best of Tools and Infrastructure: Sensor Service GRID – Geomove Co. Ltd (Thailand)

Best of New Media and Entertainment: Scoreless Music Suite – Scoreless Music Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Best of Communications: Smoov.me – Smoov Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Best of Security Application: iMatch Mobile – PCS Security Pte Ltd (Singapore)

Best of E-Inclusion and E-Community: Brain Fitness Gymnasium for the Ederly – The Hong Kong Society for the Aged (Hong Kong)

Best of E-Logistics and Supply Chain Management: NEOtrace – NEO Invention Co. Ltd. (Thailand)

Best of Industrial Application: Java Human Machine Interface Engine – Thales Australia (Australia)

Best of Secondary Student Project: My mom’s mobile phone as my sister’s tutor – Salman Al Fansi Full Day School (Indonesia)

Best of Tertiary Student Projects: Stereoscopic video generation from Monoscopic Video – City University of Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

APICTA Lifetime ICT Award

The evening also saw former Malaysian Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad received a Lifetime ICT Achievement Award, for his contribution to the ICT industry. The MSC Malaysia is the brainchild of the Tun Mahathir.

Winners at the 10th International Asia Pacific ICT Awards (APICTA) 2010 originally appeared on GreyReview.com on October 17, 2010.

Credits, the official virtual currency on Facebook, enables the purchase of gifts and virtual goods for games and applications on Facebook platform. Popular games like Farmville, Millionaire City, Hotel City, Petville, Bejeweled Blitz, Hotel City, Barn Buddy, Likeness and hundreds other games and applications are already accepting Facebook Credits (up-to-date list of games here). There are over 200 million unique Facebook users playing games each month. Soon, these social gamers can buy Credits using MOLPoints. And they can reload the MOLPoints through MOL’s network of over 500,000 physical (e.g. 7-Eleven, cybercafes, bookstores), online banking and mobile payment channels, in over 80 countries.

“The relationship with Facebook demonstrates MOL’s growing role as a leading payment provider for social networking sites in Asia, especially in our core countries of Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and India,” said Ganesh Kumar Bangah, group chief executive officer for MOL Global.

He added, “Over the last few quarters, we have seen a double-digit increase in payment transactions and payment volume. This partnership continues MOL’s momentum to build the largest end-to-end content, distribution and commerce network in Asia.”

According to Vaughan Smith, director of business and corporate development at Facebook, “working with MOL means we can offer the benefits of Facebook Credits to millions of people in Asia using a payment system that is already widely used and trusted. We’re investing in the long-term future of Facebook Credits and we view this agreement as a major opportunity to broaden the availability of a simple, unified currency that can be used in games and applications across Facebook.”

Currently, Facebook users can purchase Facebook Credits using credit cards and Paypal. However, they can also earn Credits via other means, such as drinking a Slurpee.

In Asia, the availability of physical channels to pay for Credits can further spur the virtual goods economy on Facebook. The 18-to-24 is the largest age group in most Asian countries – Indonesia, Philippines, India, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam among others. Many in the age group don’t own a credit card. Also, Asian gamers are spending big money and today, the virtual goods market in Asia is worth $7 billion!

UPDATES
(1) Signing of strategic partnership between MOL Global and Facebook

(2) Official press release

Coming soon: Facebook Credits available at retail stores in Asia originally appeared on GreyReview.com on July 8, 2010.

Between March and June this year, Thailand replaced Hong Kong as the sixth largest Facebook users in Asia, Pakistan replaced Singapore in no. 8 spot, and South Korea jumped from no. 13 to no. 11, replacing Vietnam. Also, Malaysia is fast approaching Taiwan to become the fourth largest Asian country on Facebook.

Fastest Growing Asian Countries on Facebook originally appeared on GreyReview.com on June 2, 2010.

During Chirp, co-founder @Biz also revealed that 75% of Twitter traffic comes from outside Twitter.com. So, Fred Wilson’s argument that “Twitter ecosystem is about 3x Twitter.com” seems to apply. However, comScore’s estimate of 60 million unique visitors at Twitter.com may be way off! The use of the 60-million figure in my previous estimates resulted in inflated estimates of Twitter population in Asia.

With the use new official total registered users, the new estimates of total Twitter users in each country are reduced by roughly half (compared to my previous estimates). Maybe now, the estimates are closer to reality.

Asian Countries, by % of Twitter Users and Total Users

105,779,710 users and new estimates of Twitter users in Asia originally appeared on GreyReview.com on April 20, 2010.