The Loop
Transcription
The Loop
Message from the President 2010 - An Auspicious Year for IP-Converge! Most notably, December 9, 2010 will be long remembered as that special day when IP-Converge went Public; when our Chairman, Enrique Y. Gonzalez, rang the bell at the Trading Floor of the Philippine Stock Exchange. IP-Converge became the first and only Internet Data Center company listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange that day (PSE Symbol: ‘CLOUD’). It was the culmination of 5 years of financial successes through the efforts of the men and women of IPC, and support of the senior management, board of directors, and stakeholders. Congratulations to IP-Converge for its successful IPO! We have accomplished many things that very few companies may have achieved in a year, namely: the ISO 9001:2008 Certification, an upgrade from our previous 9001:2000 Quality Certification; awarded by Salesforce.com with the highest Customer Satisfaction rating among Partners in other ASEAN countries; appointed as the first Google Enterprise Partner for Google Apps and Messaging services in the Philippines; and we have reinforced the competitive advantage of our products and services with the introduction of the first “virtual” Disaster Recovery Services in partnership with Sybase Data Replication Services. All these accomplishments were further accentuated by our impressive 2010 financial performance, breaking previous records; our gross profit increased by 7% from 2009; gross margin was 32% of Revenues compared to 29% in 2009; and EBITDA was a record breaking 17% of Revenues. We expect to hit Php70M in Net Income After Tax in 2010, against Php35M last year. All these are attributed to the hard work and dedication of our most important asset, the men and women of IP-Converge, who toiled through the difficult challenges and operating conditions, not giving up despite the odds. To you all, job well done, and thank you. As our public listing is a manifestation of teamwork and perseverance among IP-Converge employees over the years, this same endeavor allows employees to be personally invested in the growth of this company as well. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our valued clients and partners for their unwavering support and confidence in IP-Converge. Your continued patronage is truly appreciated, and we view our alliances as integral to the success we have achieved. 2011 will be a year of new opportunities and exciting challenges, particularly the expansion of our data center capacity, new Cloud-based products and services, and expanded market presence. Now, being a public company, we are required to operate at a higher level of expectations, a sharper focus on meeting quarterly commitments and strict adherence to good corporate governance and fiscal responsibility. Our vision is to be the leading provider of products that are truly based on Cloud Computing, and become the preferred Cloud Computing Services provider in the Philippines and across the Region. Indeed, the beginning of a new and exciting journey. On behalf of IP Converge Data Center Inc., I wish you all a Prosperous 2011! Reynaldo Huergas President IP Converge Data Center, Inc. www.ip-converge.com/theloop | 3 cover story Internet Data Center goes public, declares dividends IP Converge Data Center, Inc. (PSE: CLOUD), the information technology and telecommunications subsidiary of publicly listed conglomerate IPVG Corp. (PSE: IP), will be the country’s first and only Internet Data Center to be publicly listed on the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), after listing its shares today at the PSE. The Company has set the price for its IPO at Php4.20 per share, and is expected to generate gross proceeds of P190.9 million. The offer price translates to a post-offer price-toearnings (P/E) ratio of under 10 times. IP-Converge is offering 45,466,667 common shares for the IPO, and the offer period ran from November 25 to December 2, 2010. “The IPO will further position IP-Converge for regional growth opportunities..” - Enrique Y. Gonzalez IP-Converge has assigned BDO Capital and Investments Corp. as lead underwriter and issue manager, and UniCapital Inc. as co-lead underwriter and financial advisor. The offer proceeds will fund several of IPConverge’s new projects, which include the data center and network expansion in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig and Cebu City. IP-Converge Chairman and IPVG Chief Executive Officer Enrique Y. Gonzalez says: “The listing of IP-Converge is a significant event for the Company and for IPVG. The IPO will further position IP-Converge for regional growth opportunities as well as cementing our market leadership in the Philippines. We believe that our stable and predictable business model will provide investors with a solid investment opportunity.” The Company also announced that its board approved up to 50% of free cash flow to equity to be declared as dividends, after setting aside the necessary amounts to fund its expansion projects. This reinforces IP-Converge’s commitment as a dividend annuity stock, of which the first dividend payout will be based on stockholders on record as of Dec. 31, 2010. IP-Converge is an information technology and telecommunications company that provides a wide array of managed data services and business solutions at international standards. An ISO 9001:2008 certified company, the foundation of the company’s business is centered on customer satisfaction through high-quality on-time delivery, the implementation of best business practices, and a personalized, “boutique” approach to clients. staffbox Vision Shaping the IP landscape for the communities we serve EDITOR/WRITER Mika Prado Mission Our corporate mission is directed to the specific communities that we serve. •Enable better business practices for our customers •Promote mutual growth among partners •Ensure career fulfilment for employees •Ensure maximum value on shareholders investments •Corporate Social Responsibility: Provide opportunities to develop ICT expertise for qualified marginalized youth. PAGE DESIGNER 4 |Brian Casorla IP-Converge operates a telco-grade Internet data center facility in the Philippines that connects to the world through the company’s international PoP (point of presence) in Hong Kong. IP-Converge upholds its carrier and vendor-neutrality by peering with all major Internet exchanges in the Philippines and the Asia Pacific region, and by partnering with the world’s leading hardware and software providers. Through its robust international network infrastructure and business relationships with global industry giants, IP-Converge is able to offer world-class IP-based solutions and services in the region. IP-Converge generated Php 247.8 Mn in net revenues for the first half of 2010, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) reached Php 33.9 Mn. IP-Converge entered into strategic partnerships with several big entities early this year. Just recently, IP-Converge announced it has become a Google Enterprise Partner, the largest in the country, providing Google Apps™ suite of communication and collaboration tools, and Google message archiving and security services to Philippine enterprise. IPConverge also recently announced a partnership with Sybase, a global industry leader in delivering enterprise and mobile software, to offer data replication services locally as a new disaster recovery program. Early this year, the company’s partnership with Cebu-based connectivity provider ComPoint Networks Inc. marked the initial steps of IP-Converge’s business expansion towards Metro Cebu. The Medical City (TMC), one of the Philippines’ leading, world-class tertiarycare hospitals, also signed with IP-Converge for the provision of remote back-up facilities for mission-critical applications and data as part of its disaster preparedness program. The company ended the first half of 2010 by receiving the Customer Satisfaction Award for 2009 – ASEAN, by enterprise cloud computing and customer relationship management global leader Salesforce.com during the latter’s Asia Pacific Partner Summit at the Millennium Resort Patong in Phuket, Thailand last May 2010. IP-Converge is the Philippine’s first and only Salesforce.com Select Consulting Partner, able to provide configuration and customization services to Salesforce.com users in the country and in the region. For comments and/or suggestions, email [email protected] Editor in Chief Niño Valmonte CONTRIBUTORS Newsbytes.ph Voltaire Wycoco “The entire IP-Converge team is very excited about this remarkable step that the company is taking,” says IP-Converge President Reynaldo R. Huergas. “We have grown to be one of the strongest subsidiaries of the IPVG Group and we stick by our commitment to be there for our clients as they grow their business. This is only the beginning of an incredible journey that IP-Converge is about to embark on, and we look forward to what the future holds for us.” The Official Newsletter of IP-Converge™ Quality Policy Our commitment to our Quality Management System as a Managed Data Services & Business Solutions provider is to ensure Customer Satisfaction and develop long term partnerships through our distinct “boutique” approach. With a keen understanding of our Customers, precision alignment of resources, and effective design and provisioning of solutions, we empower our Customers in the IP landscape. headline IP-Converge partners with Japan telco to build data center in Tokyo From left: Vanessa Beldia, Director - Regional Carrier Relations, IP-Converge; Rene Huergas, President, IP-Converge; Koji Miyashita, President & CEO, IPS, Inc.; Kaname Shikata, Head - Telecommunications Division, IPS, Inc. Publicly-listed Internet Data Center operator IP Converge Data Center Inc. (PSE: CLOUD) announced recently that it has signed an agreement with Tokyo-based Type I telecommunications carrier IPS Inc. for the two-way resellership of solutions and services to local and Japanbased customers. To kick off the partnership, IPS also signed contract for an International Private Line Circuit (IPLC) subscription with IP-Converge, at STM-4 capacity. This translates to 620Mbps of dedicated bandwidth for their customers requiring highspeed Internet connectivity from the Philippines to Japan and vice versa. “This partnership is the first step towards establishing a deeper business relationship with IPS.”, says IP-Converge President Reynaldo R. Huergas. ”We look forward to strengthening ties through this resellership arrangement and eventually penetrate Japan’s data center market jointly in the future.” “South East Asian nations, particularly the Philippines, make up the main clients of IPS Inc. and there is a high potential for growth as trends indicate the number of foreign residents in Japan will continue to increase in the coming years,” says Koji Miyashita, President and CEO of IPS Inc. “IP-Converge, being our connectivity services provider, is a strong partner and their experience and proven background in sales will ensure that this data center project will be a profitable venture.” IPS owns and operates a data center facility located in Fukagawa, Tokyo. According to Huergas, the two companies are in the planning stages of enhancing this facility and will soon see IP-Converge as its operator. The facility will feature the latest in network infrastructure equipment using global industry compliant, and up-to-date design and methods. ”The Japan data center is part of our commitment to building an extensive data center network with similar projects in Cebu and the Fort Global City,” says Huergas. “We see opportunities arising in this region and this partnership puts us in a prime position to be the preferred data services provider and one of the biggest in Asia.” IP-Converge Senior Vice President for Managed Data Services Percival C. de los Reyes (left) shakes hands with IPS, Inc. President and CEO Koji Miyashita at a contract signing event held at The Hexagon Lounge, RCBC Plaza in Makati City The joint undertaking is expected to commence during the first quarter of 2011 and is proposed to yield 440 square meters of data center space with a capacity for approximately 135 racks. The IPS Inc. data center will give IP-Converge its third Asian Point-of-Presence outside the Philippines. “We see opportunities arising in this region and this partnership puts us in a prime position to be the preferred data services provider and one of the biggest in Asia.” - Reynaldo R. Huergas Since its inception in 1991 as an international telecommunications services company, IPS Inc. (formerly Teleglobe Japan) has diversified its business adding print, marketing services, caregiver training, broadcasting services, and soon financial services and IPTV to its portfolio. IP-Converge is the first and only Philippine Data Center to be listed in the Philippine Stock Exchange. The company operates a telco-grade Internet Data Center in Makati City, as well as network facilities in Hong Kong. Through strategic alliances with major internet exchanges, the company boasts of a resilient, high-speed network with multiple routes out of the Philippines and to major network hubs in Asia, allowing them to provide continuous service in the event of a disaster. www.ip-converge.com/theloop | 5 feature They’ve All Gone Google! When one thinks of Google, there are several things that come to mind - ultra-fast and instant search via Google. com, the next generation email application in GMail, finding your way and location search via Google Maps and Google Earth, everyone’s new favorite browser, Google Chrome, and very soon... devices powered by Chrome OS. Few people know that these are just the tip of the Google virtual iceberg. The web giant is constantly expanding its product line - ranging from its web-based solutions to desktop and mobile products. One product that’s been making waves all over the world and has been changing how things work within companies and schools in the past couple of years is Google Apps. Google Apps is a collection of productivity tools that range from word processing, spreadsheets, e-mail, calendar and even a web page creator - all accessible online via web browser. To date, over three million businesses worldwide are using Google Apps for Business, with thousands more signing up each day. From the Philippines to Alaska, companies and even schools all over the world are going Google. The beauty of Google Apps is that it provides efficient communication, improved collaboration and huge savings. For only US$50 per user per year, users get 25GB of email storage space (you’ll probably never have to delete another email again!), ultra fast email search via Gmail, no spam, no viruses, and the ability to access their email & documents from anywhere with an Internet connection via PCs and even mobile devices. They also get the ability for their internal folks to create collaborative intranet sites using Google Sites (even creating and hosting their own public site), and storage of documents and collaboration in the cloud via Google Docs. Best of all, they don’t need to worry about downtime and missing data, Google Apps takes care of all of that because of its 99.9% Service Level Agreement (SLA). With ever expanding operations, customers can add more users and pay as they grow. IP-Converge recently became a Google Enterprise Partner providing Google Apps for Business, giving Philippine companies the chance to experience the efficiency that the Google Apps Suite promises. IP-Converge has introduced Google Apps to companies from different industries and of all sizes and making the switch has proven to be one of the best choices they’ve made. 6 | The Official Newsletter of IP-Converge™ American Orient Capital Partners, Inc. (A.O.Capital), an investment and financial advisory services firm covering the Asia Pacific region, has gone Google after experiencing issues like limited mailbox space and virtually no controls on spam. With this switch, A.O.Capital no longer worries about anything like that happening again. From the insurance industry, both life and non-life, AXA Philippines and MAPFRE Insular have also decided to go Google. AXA Phillippines, a major player of the industry, has decided to equip the majority of their Customer Service Representatives with Google Apps messaging, collaboration and communications tools to better serve their current and prospective customers. MAPFRE Insular, one of the highestranked and most stable non-life insurance companies in the country, relied on an older albeit more popular email system, this said system failed to fulfill its commitments to them due extended downtime periods resulting in zero email communications. Once their email was up & running again, they were only able to recover only a few months’ worth of user inbox data. It was with this incident in mind that MAPFRE Insular decided to search for a robust email, collaboration and communications solution which was still affordable - they decided to go Google. Diamond Auto Group, a major dealer of Mitsubishi and Hyundai automobiles has also gone Google. With over 100 employees scattered around their different offices in Metro Manila and dealerships around the country, they needed a way to allow their mobile workforce to still have access to email, without this access the downtime led to lost productivity. With Google Apps, problems like these became history for Diamond Auto Group. With the Philippine aviation industry becoming increasingly competitive, AirPhilExpress needed to find a way to overcome their dependency on their antiquated email system to keep up with their competition. With presence in all major Philippine airports and a number of offices abroad, the very limited mailbox space, frequent spam and virus attacks crippled their operations. AirPhilExpress searched for a solution that would allow them to access their emails, documents and collaborate wherever they are, 24/7 all year round, with just a browser and a low-cost internet connection - they found Google Apps. This allowed for their internal IT staff to devote more time and resources in managing and operating their core applications such as ticketing, reservations and loyalty programs. A big reason why Google Apps is becoming so popular is that it lets non-IT companies focus more on their core business. Like in the case of Enlin Steel, a Rosario, Cavite-based steel manufacturer, who has also gone Google. Their old email system did not have sufficient spam protection that they eventually experienced a steady decrease in productivity, employees would spend more time deleting spam mail rather than actually working. By going Google, Enlin Steel bid all these problems goodbye. Another company that has decided to go Google is Bonifacio Gas, the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) pipeline operator of the Fort Bonifacio Development Corporation (FBDC) provides customers with LPG using a state-of-the-art, direct to property piped gas system. Bonifacio Gas is the first member of the FBDC group to make the switch, after fighting a losing battle with spam mail, they have decided to migrate to Google Apps. continued on page 20 Newsbytes.ph : Cutting Edge, No Holds Barred Philippine I.T. News IDC: Asian businesses to fuel ICT transformation in 2011 Recovery and transformation were the two overarching themes in the annual IDC Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) Top 10 predictions for 2010. 2011 is projected to be a natural extension of these themes. In the coming year, IDC said it expects the Asian business and ICT space to be defined by sustainable growth, and in some cases, high growth. The healthy economy, in turn, will fuel ICT transformation, triggering it to go “mainstream”. “Although the Asian markets were not as badly hit by the financial crisis as compared to North America and Western Europe, the failing economy did have a lasting impact on the market dynamics in the region. As growth became an uncertainty at the end of 2008, most companies in the region started increasing their focus on capturing a larger wallet share in their existing markets rather than expanding into new ones,” said Claus Mortensen, principal for emerging technology research, practice group at IDC Asia Pacific. “As a result, competition in the region has intensified after the crisis has passed and even after organic and inorganic market expansions are back on the agenda. Most companies across all sectors are now faced with increased competition for their products and services and IDC expects the trend to continue in the next few years. IDC also believes that customer centricity initiatives will become a priority in emerging markets in 2011 and beyond,” Mortensen said. IDC expects the Asian market to enjoy another solid year of strong growth. China, India, Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines are projected to generate the strongest IT spending rise in 2011. The following are IDC’s top 10 ICT predictions in 2011. These trends are what IDC believes will have the biggest commercial impact on the APEJ ICT market. 1. Socialytic Applications Will Transform the Collaboration Market IDC predicts that 2011 will be the year where the trend of combining social media with business analytics will make its mark across most of the key enterprise applications in use today. Applications are beginning to be embedded with unified communications and social features today and IDC expects virtually all types of business applications to undergo a fundamental transformation in functional structure by fusing traditional business applications with both social/collaboration software and analytics in 2011 and beyond. 2. Mobilution — Mobility Will Make A Leap Into IT IDC is seeing what we could call a “perfect storm” created by the evolution of different areas of technology combining to create a revolution in mobility. Tablets, media tablets like iPads and large-screen smartphones can now run almost fully functional versions of all enterprise software and services. With the move towards cloud computing, we are now seeing many of these IT systems being delivered in virtualized environments minimizing the importance of device-based computing power. It truly is “everything” going mobile and IDC believes 2011 will be the catalyst year for this. 3. ‘Less for Less’ — Self-Service Customer Portals Will Spearhead LowCost Customer Centricity Market competition in Asia, regardless of industry, is expected to intensify in the next three to five years. As a result, many businesses will face the ever greater task of finding the unique competitive differentiation in the marketplace. IDC predicts that customer centricity – the adaptation of products and services to match changing markets — will become the single most important driver for most, if not all organizations. At the same time, we are also seeing the rising influence of Gen Y in corporate world. With these two forces at work, the role of self-service (via the web) will become significant. The notion of “less for less” refers to spending less on service delivery with what appears to the customer as a less complex, easy to use customercare environment. ICT will clearly play a critical role in a “less for less” self-service customer centricity environment. 4. Analytics Will Accelerate the Chase For Asian Consumption Competition is expected to intensify in Asia in the next three to five years with more businesses entering into the region given its growth potential. As a result of its ability to improve decision-making and drive revenue growth, business analytics is predicted to take center stage for CIOs in 2011 as the technology is increasingly viewed as an enabler for organizations to compete more effectively. 5. Apple’s iPad Will Catalyze Interest in Client Virtualization With the hype surrounding Apple’s iPhone and more recently the iPad in 2010, CIOs are now being approached by C-level executives wanting their Apple products to be connected to the corporate infrastructure and accessing confidential data, despite potential fears that CIOs may have about the risks. One possible solution is the use of client virtualization. Creating virtualized sessions would not only allow access to applications regardless of the operating system, but it could also provide the assurance that CIOs need in knowing that their corporate data is secure. It will likely take a number of years, but IDC expects widespread deployments of client virtualization to eventually occur. 6. Services and Federation Will Lead ‘Enterprise-Class’ Cloud Deployments The take-up of private cloud technologies and services in medium- and large- enterprise will accelerate further in 2011 due to lingering concerns about security, reliability and performance of public cloud services. IDC foresees that the ability to integrate applications or services from the cloud with apps or services from an in-house IT environment or with services from another cloud service provider will be a key enabler or inhibitor for enterprise cloud adoption. Given that the Asian enterprise will adopt cloud services as targeted solutions for specific needs rather than in a “rip and replace” manner, it is imperative that existing apps and cloud apps are integrated. Without this integration, it will be difficult to achieve ROI targets and siloed apps will again frustrate business users. Whether or not cloud will get the foothold that we predict within Asian enterprises will depend on how well cloud infrastructure providers, cloud integrators and public and virtual private cloud providers manage to enable a cloud federation. continued on page 20 www.ip-converge.com/theloop | 7 product feature product feature: Google message discovery & security Google Message Discovery Complete email security and archiving in one package ABOUT GOOGLE SECURITY AND ARCHIVING, POWERED BY POSTINI Google security and archiving products, powered by Postini, make email systems more secure, compliant and productive by blocking spam and other intrusions before they reach your network, and by providing encryption and archiving to help you meet compliance requirements. Google’s hosted model leverages the “network effect” created by billions of daily email connections to detect and block threats in real time, without requiring onsite updates. Economies of scale in storage, along with simple deployment and maintenance-free service, drive a low total cost of ownership. For more information, visit www.google.com/postini Make your email servers more secure, compliant, and productive. Block email threats before they reach your organization. Create a secure and searchable email archive without making a significant infrastructure investment by storing messages in the cloud. Locate pertinent messages quickly and comprehensively even as your email volumes and compliance requirements grow. Leverage cloud services to reduce maintenance, protect bandwidth, and free up resources to work on strategic business initiatives. Product Summary Google Message Discovery, powered by Postini, is a secure, hosted service that provides enterprise-grade spam and virus protection as well as comprehensive email archiving for organizations looking for cost-effective email management and significant advantages over onsite server or media-based email archiving. Google Message Discovery lets you: • create a centralized and searchable email repository for your organization • quickly search across the archive to find emails and save result sets • secure your email from spam, viruses, phishing, and other email-borne requirements Google Message Discovery is hosted in the cloud and built on a Software as a Service (SaaS) model, so there’s no need to forecast or plan for future storage needs. Google’s secure and redundant data centers keep your messages fully protected and backed up, removing the risk of loss due to onsite server failure. Data ownership remains with your organization so you retain the control over your information. You can archive mail without worrying about disk space, and can eliminate storage quota headaches by giving users easy access to archived email. What’s more, by removing aged mail from your servers, you can decrease both backup windows and recovery times. Google Message Discovery also includes a complete set of email security features, so you can provide the highest levels of security for your email systems – without installing expensive hardware or software. This lets you block spam, viruses, and other external threats before they reach your organization and ensure proprietary information that must remain confidential stays within your organization. Key Features • Secure and redundant Ensure availability and redundancy by leveraging Google’s network of secure, energy-efficient data centers. Minimize costly on-premise infrastructure and reduce IT maintenance • Scalable Unlimited capacity without additional administration and contracts • Easy access and findability Quickly pinpoint specific email without having to search multiple data sources • Export result sets Quickly export messages or message sets into PST and MBOX formats • Manage retention policies Reduce risks by implementing auditable email retention policies and preserve message sets beyond the retention period when required • End user archive access Allow end users to access their own personal archive through a webbased interface or an MS Outlook toolbar, without IT assistance • Archive activity reports View log reports of all archive activity including searches and exports from the archive for compliance needs • Spam and virus protection Provide market-leading email security including real-time spam and virus protection and content filtering for inbound and outbound email • Domain-to-domain encryption Transmit secure messages with policy-based Transport Layer Security protocols • Intelligent routing Easily route email traffic to de-centralized data center locations Google Message Discovery enables you to manage, protect, and access needed archival messages by providing: 1. Comprehensive message capture: Messages are routed in real time to Google’s secure data centers via the common envelope journaling capability on your email server. Alternatively, inbound and outbound email can be archived as part of the overall processing Google performs during our real-time threat analysis. 2. “Always on, always current” Message Security: Routing messages through Google’s market-leading Message Security functionality provides real-time threat protection, virus detection, content-based filtering, and policy-enforced TLS encryption. 3. Secure hosted archiving: Messages and their attachments are stored and indexed in a central repository. Retention policy management enables IT to set policies at the user or organization to meet internal and external retention requirements. 4. Search and extraction: Permission-based access provides authorized individuals with advanced tools to quickly and easily search, place holds on results, and extract relevant email. 5. Extensive Reporting: Usage and audit reporting provides the information necessary to monitor all activities that occur within the company archive. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS Google Message Discovery supports the following mail servers: • Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 Standard or Enterprise Edition • Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 Standard or Enterprise Edition • Microsoft Small Business Server with Exchange Server 2000 or 2003 Standard Edition • Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 • Lotus Domino 6.5-7x To use the journaling option with Exchange Server Standard Edition, you need at least two of these servers on your network, with one server used exclusively for receiving journaled messages. The server cannot contain any user mailboxes. Check out Google Message Securty on pages 18-19 8 | The Official Newsletter of IP-Converge™ www.ip-converge.com/theloop | 9 IPVG NEWS WikiPricing THE PLAYER (Re-published from The Philippine Star, Business Life) By Enrique Y. Gonzalez I read in the papers that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange was arrested in the UK under charges of sex crimes. It is a very suspicious but an obvious way for the mean kids to shut up the little tattletale. For those still in a Wii Tennis-induced coma, WikiLeaks is the highly controversial website that publishes explosive stories submitted by anonymous whistleblowers. The WikiLeaks staff study, check and agree with one another which leak is authentic enough to be published on the site, from what goes down in Guantanamo to Sarah Palin’s inbox to a US military chopper studding people aimlessly with bullets … it’s all there. A bulletin board for silenced journalists encouraged to just keep on looking for weapons of mass destruction. What’s a nation with a massive PR problem to do? “I realized that the wiki and the market work on similar principles.” In reality, people drive markets, and people are far from perfect. Markets then tend to react emotionally or irrationally. This creates inefficient markets, a situation where the price of a current stock is not reflective of its true value. These inefficiencies create opportunities for traders and investors to buy an undervalued stock until the collective mass of the market realizes the imperfect pricing, at which time they swoop in to buy the shares and drive the price up to or beyond the point of its true value. This creates selling pressure until such a point that the price corrects to or below its true value. The process or cycle repeats itself. Sex. It pays for every crime. It is the classic struggle for perfection and living with the tension of an imperfect reality. It seems the 39-year-old Australian Assange (his name even sounds like it belongs in the movies) met two women in Sweden over the summer, which led to a “dispute over consensual but unprotected sex.” And this is how it went down for the world’s biggest whistleblower. Of course, we all know that even as big companies like PayPal, Amazon, Visa and MasterCard have withdrawn their services, it is not going to end there. When seeking Alpha (Alpha is defined as excess returns, or above-market returns) I particularly like dividend-paying companies. These high-yielding stocks deliver a yield higher than government securities, yet allow investors to enjoy significant upside and appreciation based on the ability of the company to achieve future earnings. Most laymen investors are fixated on P/E and tsismis as the criteria for deciding whether or not they buy a stock. The struggle between national security and freedom of speech is the fodder for blockbuster movies. You’ve got to have balls to take on the US government. You need to look like Harrison Ford, talk like Russell Crowe and kick like Angelina Jolie to make it happen. For commercially oriented folks like me, we prefer to take center stage with deals, and watch from the sidelines when taking on sovereign interests. I’m not sure social media will have any success in protecting Assange from prosecution. A very simple and straightforward method of determining which company is the best place to invest your money can revolve around several data points that are easy enough to track: • Market Capitalization: P1 billion and above • Price to Earnings Ratio: 15x and below • Dividend Yield (historical): At least three percent. The cool kids have him by Interpol. How is this all relevant to our lives, an archipelago in a land so far away? Wikis have actually changed how we see information. A wiki is defined as a “web application that allows anyone visiting a website to edit content on it.” Just as Facebook revolutionized social interaction online, the wiki changed how people exchanged and canonize information. The wiki is for research, as Google is for search. Wikipedia operates on the theory of participative truth. Through the participation of many educated and responsible users, Wikipedia becomes a reference point and publishing mechanism for verified and factual information. It is perceived truth or reality that becomes the standard. In other words, the people have spoken. We are either collectively right or collectively wrong, but the notion of a collective understanding forms the basis of our reflection. Where do I stand when it comes to the wiki? I realized that the wiki and the market work on similar principles. The market theory of efficient pricing means that the price arrived at for a particular stock as a result of many buyers and many sellers represents its proper price or value at the time based on all the available information. It is a collective and conscious price or value. In a perfect world, share prices of all companies across all markets would reflect the correct value of each of those companies at that 10 | point in time. The prices would then change based on the availability of new information. The Official Newsletter of IP-Converge™ Setting a market capitalization minimum sets the standard. Following the underbelly of the “too big to fail” mentality, the belief here is that bigger companies are safer and less risky than small ones. Setting a maximum threshold for P/E ratios means you eliminate companies that are priced “out of market” or too expensively. Looking at the historical dividend yield (previous year, average of the last three to five years) is a good reference point for predicting future dividend payout and yields. By comparing companies to these criteria, the easy and simple logic is the company with the highest dividend yield but lowest P/E ratio is probably the best place to put your money relative to the other companies in that basket. It is important to dig deeper and understand the company’s financials, but for people who like cursory type analysis, this is a simple and straightforward approach. Dividends also signify that the company takes its responsibility to shareholders seriously, and rewards stakeholders by up-streaming profits. More likely than not, companies that declare dividends on a regular basis are safer havens for investment. I hope this helps you seek your alpha. If you catch an undervalued dividend play out there, you may just buy it in time before the wikis come in and correct the pricing. Enjoy the ride! ipvg news i-PCV Launches Premyo Sa Resibo Cards Premyo sa Resibo or PSR is a national raffle-based program undertaken by the Bureau of Internal Revenue to increase the country’s tax collection by encouraging consumers to ask for official receipts when they purchase goods or services from establishments. The 20 Php PSR Scratch & Match Card program (PSR Card) shall encourage more consumers to participate in the PSR by giving them seven chances of winning: • Scratch and match cash prize, win up to P1,000,000 instantly • Two (2) instant raffle prizes such as celphones, celphone load or P5000 cash • Two (2) weekly entries for a chance to win P25,000 • Two (2) chances to win P1,000,000 at the grand raffle draw The PSR Cards are available initially in 10,000 retail outlets scattered in 10 key areas such as Quezon City, Tarlac ,Pampanga, Bataan – Zambales, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Quezon province and Bicol. The BIR’s Premyo Sa Resibo program is endorsed by TV personality, Boy Abunda. During a recent press conference, BIR Assistant Commissioner Aida Simborio (far right) and Philweb’s Vice President for Sports and Mobile Gaming Antonio Garcia (far left), look on as Alejandro James Chiongbian, President of i-PCV (second from left), and Boy Abunda seal their joint advocacy for the BIR program. i-Pay Commerce Ventures, Inc. (IPCV), through Remittance and Lending Partners, Inc. (RLPI), a Western Union Subagent of IPCV, launches wellness stations along LRT, in partnership with Unilab. Now customers of the LRT can buy quality overthe-counter medicines at LRT-IPCV Western Union locations. www.ip-converge.com/theloop | 17 product feature product feature: Google message discovery & security Google Message Security Protect your email infrastructure from spam and viruses; easily set and manage usage policies ABOUT GOOGLE SECURITY AND ARCHIVING, POWERED BY POSTINI Google security and archiving products, powered by Postini, make email systems more secure, compliant and productive by blocking spam and other intrusions before they reach your network, and by providing encryption and archiving to help you meet compliance requirements. Google’s hosted model leverages the “network effect” created by billions of daily email connections to detect and block threats in real time, without requiring onsite updates. Economies of scale in storage, along with simple deployment and maintenance-free service, drive a low total cost of ownership. For more information, visit www.google.com/postini Make your email servers more secure, compliant, and productive. Block email threats before they reach your organization. Ensure proprietary information that must remain confidential stays where it’s safe. Eliminate the need for the ongoing patching and updates required by appliance or software solutions. Leverage cloud services to reduce maintenance, conserve bandwidth, and improve the performance of your existing email infrastructure. Product Summary Google Message Security, powered by Postini, is a secure, hosted service that provides enterprisegrade spam and virus protection and email content filtering, delivering cost-e₃ective email management. Google Message Security lets you: • secure your inbound and outbound email from spam, viruses, phishing, and other emailborne threats • set central email policies to manage content and compliance requirements • receive email messages even if your email server goes down Google Message Security automatically enforces your email security policies to help assure legal and regulatory compliance for both inbound and outbound email across your organization. The service also provides a convenient web console for administration, enabling real-time configuration and policy modifications, monitoring, and alerting, as well as comprehensive reporting for administrators. Define users in the console, or integrate Google Message Security with your organization directory for easy user synchronization. Google Message Security also: • includes patented anti-spam technology, which examines thousands of elements of an email message to determine safety • delivers exceptionally low false positive rates • leverages global “network effect” based on billions of email messages per day to identify emerging threatsm ensuring early blocking and prevention. Quickly self-corrects for safe IP addresses so that email flow is not interrupted • eases IT management of policy configuration, ensuring appropriate user guidelines • lets end users manage their own message quarantines and settings and fine-tune preferences within IT-set policies, via an easy-to-use web interface and without additional support • includes Transport Layer Security (TLS) support, allowing encryption of sensitive email communications (can be automatically enforced for communications between designated email domains) 18 | The Official Newsletter of IP-Converge™ Google Message Security supports the following: Mail servers The service supports common mail servers including Microsoft Exchange Server, Lotus Domino, Postfix, Sendmail, Macintosh OS X Server, Novell Groupwise, and is also included in Google Apps Premier Edition. Service Providers (hosted email) The service is compatible with ISPs and domain name providers that host the email for your own domain but you must have the ability to change the MX records associated with your service. Feature Benefits Spam and virus protection Provide multi-layer threat identification including heuristic and signature-based detection, commercial anti-virus engines, and “zero-hour” protection from rapidly mutating viruses Directory harvest attack/denial of service blocking Prevents attacks with patented behavior analysis Patented pass-through architecture Ensures maximum privacy of your email Content policy management Enforces acceptable use policies and content compliance for inbound and outbound email Scalability Built-in scale for dealing with any kinds of spam spikes or targeted attacks Web-based administration console Allows real-time user and policy updates, configuration changes, and reporting Log search Retrieve and export log information on inbound and outbound message routing details Email spooling Continue to receive email messages even if your email server goes down Domain-to-domain encryption Transmit secure messages with policy-enforced Transport Layer Security protocols Attachment filtering Enforce policies including attachment size or file type limitations Intelligent routing Easily route email tra₃c to decentralized data center locations Robust service level agreement 100% anti-virus and 99.999% service uptime www.ip-converge.com/theloop | 19 Newsbytes.. continued from page 7 They’ve gone.. continued from page 6 7. Smart Enterprises Will Adopt Catalog-Based IT Net25, a free TV channel of the Eagle Broadcasting Corporation, is Channel 25 on terrestrial TV and in major cable operators Sky Cable (Channel 18), Home Cable (Channel 18) and Global Destiny (Channel 19), has also gone Google. It is now emerging to be one of the most watched channels as it is now being carried by more than 600 cable operators nationwide. It can also be be seen in Hawaii and the US West coast, as well as the whole of Asia and Australia, the Middle East and parts of Europe, the Mediterranean, North Africa and South Asia. Net 25 was long dependent on their old inhouse deployed email system which had very limited storage and access and collaboration was next to impossible with its outdated tools. By going Google, Net25 now enjoys 25GB of email storage and real-time collaboration, letting them keep up with the times and focus more on their business. As the regional economy gets back on track and growth in businesses accelerate, users will become more demanding for IT resources. Shorter time to market and instant provisioning of computing resources are becoming compulsory requirements. IT organizations will be expected to support ad-hoc requirements, almost instantaneously. The only way to meet these expectations is to track and provide IT resources through a catalog-based IT. According to IDC’s Dynamic IT Benchmark Survey in early 2010, 49% of the 355 respondents across Asia indicated increased selfservice IT for business users as the company’s IT strategies. As the regional economy picks up in 2011, IDC predicts that more than 50% of mid- to large-sized Asia-based enterprises will be building or beginning to build a catalog-based ICT in 2011. 8. Business-as-a-Service: The answer to IT-business integration? Business-as-a-Service is an offering that focuses on business processes rather than on technology replacement. It is a trend that illustrates the importance and impact on not only the IT space but the whole business process outsourcing space in general. Business-as-a-Service is expected to bring to light the need to marry IT and business to become “one entity” to compete aggressively in the “new normal” Asia Pacific marketplace. Because of its ability to deliver business outcomes, CIOs will be able to align or integrate IT with business. IDC believes that this trend is increasingly critical and will receive a lot of attention in 2011. 9. Telecom Services Providers Will Return to IT Cloud has been described has a once in a generation technology that will allow telcos to dominate as it has all the inherent advantages, especially the ownership of networks, which essentially is what cloud is all about. IDC believes that the majority of organizations will migrate to a hybrid cloud model with many organizations preferring to ring-fence their critical workloads and applications within an on premise private cloud environment. IDC believes that telecom providers will not turn their backs on the opportunities of on-premises private cloud solutions. This market is estimated to be worth close to US$752 million in 2011 and is expected to grow to US$1.8 billion in 2014. 10. Telecom Service Providers Will Look to Cloud Computing for Operations Apart from the traditional discussion on telcos and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offering consumer and enterprise cloud computing services, there is a whole new sub-industry emerging which revolves around the software, hardware and services Network Equipment Providers (NEPs) serving telcos, and the transformation of their products/technologies and services into money-making cloud services. The type of cloud service offered is not the “one-to-many” model that typically comes to mind when talking about cloud services as carriers typically are very hesitant to share the same servers with their competitors. Instead, NEPs will be looking at offering these services as hosted private clouds with logical separation of infrastructure between carriers, with a future roadmap of moving into virtually separated cloud infrastructure as the carriers become more comfortable with a shared-services concept. 20 | The Official Newsletter of IP-Converge™ Leekie Enterprises, an online gaming provider, is fully licensed by the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) and First Cagayan Leisure Resort Corporation (FCLRC) Philippines. They have been using an internally developed and managed email system which was outdated and was in need of replacement. With a number of offices located all over the world, universal access was crucial to their operations. Even with their own email system, Leekie was having problems with spam. Also experiencing the same problems were J-Sys Philippines, a leading software house competent in both the Japanese and English systems development and programming environments, they provide Business Application Design & Development and IT infrastructure implementation & maintenance. Another company faced with the same situation was PhilWeb Corporation, the first and largest listed internet company in the Philippines by market capitalization. PhilWeb was running their own email system hosted in their own servers and data centers, it became apparent that maintaining their own system would be too expensive - making their Total Cost of Ownership higher. All three companies eventually made the decision to migrate to Google Apps, which also freed up their their internal IT resources to maintain and run their online operations - their real core business. By going Google, all these Philippine companies now enjoy the limitless opportunities that Google Apps offers. Affordable, reliable, secure and fast, it provides an all-around solution to the various email and collaboration problems most businesses encounter. Google Apps has revolutionized how these companies operate and may have given them that much desired edge over their competition. IP-Converge received training, support and deployment services from Google, as well as access to APIs for integrating Google Apps into customers’ business operations. And since we retain a close relationship with our customers, we can provide additional service and support for Google Apps. profiles: Voltaire C. Wycoco Vanessa Raya A. Beldia Volts was recently promoted to become the Senior Compliance Officer for IP-Converge. He first joined the company as a Public Relations Manager after working as an Account Manager for BRIDGES@COM, a local PR company. Volts has extensive experience in public relations and was even a news reporter on the ABS CBN News Channel. As Senior Compliance Officer, Volts will ensure the compliance with the legal and regulatory requirements pertaining to the core business of the company to prevent unethical, illegal or improper conduct within the organization. Vanessa is now Director for Regional Carrier Relations at IPConverge after working as a Business Development Manager for 4 years. She joined IP-Converge after worked for Trends & Technologies, Inc., Innove Communications, Eastern Telecom, Universal Records, Futurekids School, and the Home Development Mutual Fund (PAG-IBIG Fund). Vanessa graduated from the University of the Philippines - Diliman with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech and Drama. With this promotion, Vanessa will be key in developing new business for IP-Converge in the enterprise sector. Glenn Warren P. Flores Brian A. Casorla Glenn was recently promoted to head both Customer Support and Facilities & Infrastructure Development departments. He was the Customer Support Manager of IP-Converge for 3 years, leading his team in ensuring that all the clients’ needs and concerns are attended to on time and thoroughly. With this move, Glenn will lead the Facilities and Infrastructure Development Team in the operation and maintenance of the Data Center and office premises of IPVG, and will facilitate the Data Center expansion. He brings with him years of experience from Connectivity Unlimited Resource Enterprise, Innove Communications, Globe Telecom and Citibank N.A. Brian is no new face to IP-Converge. He was the graphic artist for IPVG for 2 and a half years and was always heavily involved in the production of this very publication, he is now IP-Converge’s Marketing Design Specialist. Brian brings with him many years of experience in graphic design and website development. He gained some of his work experience from iWebmasters.com and Impact Information Systems, and has also worked freelance while designing and developing many websites for companies based both in the Philippines and abroad. Brian took a short course on Java Progamming in UP Diliman in 2002 and is a Certified Internet Professional from Informatics Computer Institute. movements www.ip-converge.com/theloop | 21 profiles: new hires Anna Lissa C. Pacena-Vinzon Liezel recently joined IP-Converge as its new Human Resource Manager. She brings with her 15 years of work experience in the human resources field and has honed her expertise in employee and labor relations. Liezel worked for Aegis PeopleSupport, Prime Pacific Grill Corp. (franchisee and operator of Gerry’s Grill Restaurants) and the Philippine Tourism Authority. She graduated from the University of the Philippines - Diliman with a Master of Industrial Relations , Major in Human Resource Development. Michaela Noelle Z. Prado Jeramie Carla D. Umali Mika recently joined IP-Converge as a Marketing Communications Specialist. She graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in AB Communications. Mika has extensive experience in events management, public & media relations and has excellent writing skills. She gained her work experience from Philam Life. Jem joined IP-Converge as a Senior Account Manager for Corporate Sales with extensive experience in business development and product management. Jem is a graduate of BA Business Management from De La Salle University-Dasmariñas. She has worked for Blue Media Communications, Smart Communications, CURE-űmobile (now RED MOBILE), Wireless Services Asia, Asian Institute of Management, and Citimotors, Inc. As a Senior Account Manager, Jem will deal directly with clients regarding their requirements and present to them IP-Converge’s various products which best suits their need. Juanito Jason D. Valmores Jason joins IP-Converge as an Account Manager for Emerging Solutions, bringing with him his extensive Account Management experience. He honed this skill from past employers American Standard Phils. Ltd. Co., Eastern Telecom Phils., Leverage Systems Technologies, EBDI Phils. Inc., Digicom, Malate Construction & Development Corp., and Northwest Airlines Inc. He is a graduate of BS Business Administration, Major in Marketing from De La Salle University-College of Saint Benilde. 22 | The Official Newsletter of IP-Converge™ Maria Katrina C. Fernandez Joining IP-Converge as Executive Assistant to the CFO is Kat, a graduate of BS Commerce, Major in Business Systems and Technology Management from St. Scholastica’s College - Manila. She has worked for PLDT and RR Donnelley Philippines. Kat is experienced in handling, motivating and organizing people, and has excellent time management skills.