The Loop

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The Loop: Volume 9, Issue 1
DDoS Mitigation:
Service Vs.
Appliance
IPC Fortifies
Information
Security with
updated ISO
Certification
2015 Internet
Security Trend
IDC: 3rd platform
will bring growth,
disruption across
industries in 2015
CHANGING
THE GAME
The Age of the Startup
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Cover Story
Changing the Game:
The Age of the Startup
F
or years, our Gen-X (or Y for our younger readers) minds have been conditioned to
think that success is defined as being able to work our way up the corporate ladder
within a large corporation, and reaping the benefits of a fat profit share while slaving
away at least 40 hours a week.
We believed that only the corporate superpowers could
truly become a global brand. A small business that dared
to think out of the box was often scoffed at, told that they
were dreaming and not even given a second look by its
target market.
Those days are over. Ironically, startups have now become
the competition to watch out for. Large companies can no
longer disregard new players with new ideas as even those
without funding have multiple possible backers - from
venture capitalists to crowdfunding. Facebook, Agoda,
Salesforce.com, these are just a few startups that have now
become global leaders in their respective fields.
Disruptive technologies and
innovative ideas, fueled by passion
for change and improvement, are what
drive startups and small businesses
towards realizing and even
surpassing their goals.
- Reynaldo R. Huergas
IPC President
An advantage that startups have is the freedom to make
decisions quickly and act upon these with ease. This
nimbleness is something that CEOs of large enterprises can
only dream about. Small companies are able to get back
up faster after making entrepreneurial mistakes. And with
the availability of utility computing through the Cloud, as
well as social media marketing, startup IT and marketing
resources have never been more economical. Because
of these, entrepreneurs are able to start small, take their
product to market faster, and manage costs as they grow.
IPC President Reynaldo Huergas stated, “There is no doubt
that we are in the age of startups. It is amazing how these
entrepreneurs come up with their ideas, looking at their
creativity combined with a business acumen that seems as
if they were just born with it, no wonder bigger players are
panicking. The way startups are shaking things up now,
reminds me of how IPC likewise entered the PH data center
arena with a bang in its infancy.”
“We in IPC believe that regardless of industry, changing the
game in your field is imperative in order to attain success.
Disruptive technologies and innovative
ideas, fueled by passion for
change and improvement, are
what drive startups and small
businesses towards realizing
and even surpassing their
goals.” says Huergas.
IPC empowers
entrepreneurs and
SMEs to achieve
business objectives
faster by providing
business tools that
allow small players
to compete in the
same arena as large
companies. The game
has indeed been changed
-- It’s David vs. Goliath… but
David is packing some heavy
artillery this time. g
According to the World Startup Report, the Philippines
being one of the fastest growing economies in Asia, the
environment is right for entrepreneurs to launch their ideas.
In the Philippines, notable startups like Rappler, Ayosdito,
Cashcashpinoy, have disrupted the way their bigger
counterparts do business. With the country also being
named the social media capital of the world, it takes no
time for the word to get out there about ‘the next big thing.’
www.ipc.ph | THE LOOP | 3
IPC Data Center - Parañaque ceremonial ribbon cutting during its inauguration on December 3, 2104. Leading the ceremony at the lobby
of the new facility were, from left: ePLDT Group Chief Operations Officer Ms. Nerissa Ramos, PLDT Executive Vice President and ePLDT
Group President and CEO Mr. Ernesto Alberto, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, Mrs. Laura Elorde, PLDT President and CEO Mr.
Napoleon Nazareno, Mrs. Joy Tambunting, and IPC President Mr. Reynaldo Huergas.
IPC Data Center Goes Full Steam
With Its New Facility in Parañaque
I
PC, a frontrunner in the Philippines’ cloud
services and data center operations space,
officially opened its third and largest internet
data center facility in southern Metro Manila last
December 3, 2014.
Standing on a one-hectare property, IPC Data Center
- Parañaque adheres to global industry standards of
providing a telco-grade, carrier-neutral international
data center. Among the international standards for
data center environments that IPC observes are
ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration,
and Air-conditioning Engineers), as well as being
certified for ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management
Systems and ISO 27001:2013 Information Security
Management Systems. IPC is the only data center
operator that is telco-agnostic, giving it the flexibility
to work with all telcos in the country.
According to IPC President Reynaldo Huergas, “This
brand new facility enhances our data center capacity
and operations dramatically, and is testament to
the growing demand for co-location services across
various industries in the country and in the region.
By implementing the necessary expansion to address
this demand, we are able to support the increasing
IT requirements of local and global enterprises,
4
THE LOOP | www.ipc.ph
while further strengthening our foothold as a leading
provider of world-class data center services.”
IPC’s Parañaque facility boasts of having redundant
site infrastructure capacity components, dual active
power supplies, multiple independent distribution
paths serving the IT equipment, and concurrently
maintainable site infrastructure. When it comes to
security, the facility is protected by 7 layers of security,
as compared to the usual 4 to 5 layers of security
offered by other local data centers. This is also
supported by a 24x7 stationary and roving security, as
well as a CCTV Monitoring System with cameras that
cover every aisle and nook of the entire facility.
IPC Data Center - Parañaque is the first facility in
the country built expressly to be a true data center,
not as a space repurposed or converted from existing
structures. Designed to house up to 800 racks, it
is seen to boost the company’s capacity to provide
data center and co-location services to enterprises.
According to Huergas, “the facility is capable of
scaling up its operations, depending on market
demand.” Aside from the Parañaque facility, IPC
operates two additional data centers in the country. g
In The Loop
IPC Fortifies Information Security
with updated ISO Certification
P
ioneering local cloud services company and data
center operator IPC recently qualified for the new
international standard for Information Security
Management Systems (ISMS), ISO 27001:2013. This
certification is the first revision of the ISO 27001:2005
standard, which IPC recently held. IPC further maintains
an ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management Systems (QMS)
certification. Both certifications were issued by TÜV
Rheinland Philippines, Inc.
According to IPC President Reynaldo Huergas, “Our QMS
and ISMS ISO certifications assure our clients with high
standards across all areas of our business – from our staff
to our facilities. Being at par with existing international
standards is part of IPC’s commitment to provide secure
and trustworthy cloud and data management services to
local enterprises.”
IPC is one of only a few companies in the Philippines
to be certified for both ISO 27001:2013 ISMS and ISO
9001:2008 QMS.
ISO 27001:2013 (ISMS) is the international standard for
examining a company’s information security risks; designing
and implementing a comprehensive suite of information
security controls; and adopting an overall management
process to meet the organization’s information security
needs. It is the first and most recent revision to the ISO
27001:2005 standards. An ISMS certified company
ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of
information to stakeholders.
“Our upgraded certification for ISO 27001 strengthens
our position as a leading Cloud Services Provider in the
STAFFBOX
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Niño Valmonte
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Mika Calixterio
PAGE DESIGNER
Brian Casorla
CONTRIBUTORS
MAP
Newsbytes.ph
CID Communications
New ISO certificate presented to IPC’s Vice President for Operations,
Nick Ratuiste (second from left) by TUV Rheinland Philippines, Inc
officers namely (from left), Pinky Villacrusis, Senior Manager for
Marketing and Sales; Tristan Arwen Loveres, Chief Operating Officer;
and Heide Mateo, Deputy to the COO
Philippines. It assures our business partners of the integrity
of our facilities, people and processes,” said Huergas.
ISO 9001:2008 (QMS) is one of the most widely soughtafter certifications, being the global standard by which the
quality of an organization’s internal processes is measured.
It gives the seal of good housekeeping, attesting to IPC’s
commitment to deliver value-driven solutions and services,
and ensuring this value through continuous improvement
and innovation, and by emphasizing quality in daily
operations. g
For comments and/or suggestions, email [email protected]
MISSION
We are game-changers partnering with success-driven enterprises through our
best-in-class cloud and managed data solutions.
QUALITY POLICY
IPC is committed to maintaining customer
satisfaction by consistently providing valuedriven solutions and services.
Value is ensured through continuous
improvement and innovation, and by
emphasizing quality in daily operations,
as reflected by consistent compliance to
the company’s annually audited Quality
Management System (QMS), and the
professionalism of each IPC employee.
INFORMATION SECURITY POLICY
IPC ensures the confidentiality, integrity, and
availability of information and associated
assets by identifying, assessing, mitigating
and managing information security risks and
ensuring business continuity.
Effective and secure information handling, as
well as the appropriate response to security
incidents, are ensured through consistent
compliance to the company’s Information
Security Management System (ISMS) and is
reviewed and audited annually.
In the Loop
PLDT Group to pioneer ASEAN Center
of Excellence for Big Data,
joins Open Data Platform
Leading Philippine telecoms and multimedia service provider PLDT has recently
joined the Open Data Platform (ODP), a worldwide consortium of Big Data global
technology leaders that aims to standardize the core platform and accelerate Big Data
delivery across markets.
T
he ODP has a membership of 15 global companies
including GE, Hortonworks, IBM, Infosys, Pivotal,
SAS, Altiscale, Capgemini, CenturyLink, EMC,
Teradata, Splunk, Verizon Enterprise Solutions, and
VMware.
“The members of ODP are excited to partner with PLDT
Group as the newest gold member of ODP. PLDT Group
brings the ASEAN region perspective to our global initiative
and will provide a wealth of understanding around Big
Data.” shared the ODP Founding Members group.
The PLDT Group envisions a Center of Excellence for Big
Data in the ASEAN region that will pioneer world-class data
science expertise, carrier-grade analytics infrastructure, and
market-attuned Big Data services to include platforms, real
time analytics, and insights.
“As the PLDT Group sustains its Digital transformation, our
Group-wide Big Data initiative will enable game-changing
capabilities and insights for our clients, most especially
in the Enterprise space. We are very enthusiastic about
the transformative power of this technology in enabling
our Corporate customers to optimize operations and more
importantly, to engage with their consumers in ways
previously not thought possible.” said Eric Alberto, PLDT
Executive Vice President for Enterprise & International and
Carrier Business Group and ePLDT President and CEO.
The PLDT Group’s Big Data service lines include Platformsas-a-Service, Data Warehousing-as-a-Service, and Insightsas-a-Service among others. These services provide the
analytics infrastructure as well as the data science expertise
to unlock actionable insights from data sources and to
process data feeds in real time.
Use cases for Public Sector, meanwhile, include transport
planning, route optimization, and traffic monitoring. By
employing sophisticated algorithms to analyze anonymous
cell phone signals on the move, cities and roadway
authorities can get a view of the traffic situation without
deploying costly road sensors.
6
THE LOOP | www.ipc.ph
Our foray into the Big Data
Analytics space further
leverages on our investments in
network infrastructure and other
strategic digital initiatives.
- Napoleon L. Nazareno
PLDT President & CEO
In Retail, Big Data is used to measure foot traffic,
analyze transactions, and mine loyalty card activity to
better understand customers. Through this enhanced
understanding, retailers are able to personalize offers,
design campaigns, plan staffing-levels, manage inventory,
and get the right products on shelves.
PLDT Group itself is among the largest implementers of Big
Data and Real-time Analytics in the ASEAN Region. The
group and its subsidiaries process over 30 Terabytes of data
on a daily basis, leveraging its own in-house talent of Data
Processing Engineers, Data Scientists and Analytics experts.
For the Philippine market, the PLDT Group is currently
working with a select number of Enterprise clients from
a wide spectrum of industries for collaborative enterprise
implementations.
“The PLDT Group aims to ensure the competitiveness of the
country in this Digital Age, and our foray into the Big Data
Analytics space further leverages on our investments in
network infrastructure and other strategic digital initiatives.
We will sustain our commitment to transforming the PLDT
Group to benefit all our stakeholders, and most especially,
to providing leading-edge ICT solutions that contribute to
the progress and development of the Philippine economy.”
said Napoleon Nazareno, PLDT President and CEO. g
Zoom
DDoS Mitigation:
Service
Vs.
Appliance
W
ith increasing Internet interconnectivity, a
majority of today’s businesses are now operating
online. As such, protecting one’s online presence
becomes tantamount to protecting not just a source of
income, but also the company’s brand name, reputation
and its relationship to its clients.
According to IPC, cyber attacks of all kinds have been
steadily growing over the years on a global scale. Moreover,
more than half of the world’s cyber crimes are distributed
denial of service (DDoS) attacks. A DDoS attack refers to
a method of bringing down a website by flooding it with
a large volume of malicious traffic, causing the site to be
overwhelmed and go offline.
“Falling victim to these attacks have financial implications,
among others. What makes the threat even bigger is the
fact that there is no way to prevent DDoS attacks. The
only answer is protection,” said IPC Director for Product
Management and Marketing Niño Valmonte.
But in the face of increasing volume and sophistication of
DDoS attacks, how can a company protect itself? Enter
DDoS mitigation.
DDoS mitigation is a calibrated response against malicious
attacks mounted by botnets, or infected computers being
controlled by cybercriminals. Enterprises have been shoring
up their defenses by either investing in equipment, or
engaging the services of DDoS protection providers. But
which one is best?
Protection Via Machine Use
Some companies opt to set up their own dedicated DDoS
mitigation appliances and integrate this with their existing
systems. This allows the company to configure this setup
to their specifications, as well as exercise full control over
their data. However, recurring capital expenditure can
pose a substantial impact on the company bottom line; an
What makes the threat
even bigger is the
fact that there is no way to
prevent DDoS attacks. The
only answer is protection.
- Niño Valmonte
IPC Director for Product
Management & Marketing
appliance is not just a “plug-and-play” machine, it also
involves having trained and skilled staff to operate it, having
the sufficient bandwidth to work in, as well as upgrade
requirements in hardware and software every few years.
DDoS mitigation appliances don’t provide that “magic
bullet” solution against the ever-evolving nature of DDoS
attacks. Machines can work up to a point, but it still needs
human intervention by programmers and other IT experts to
ensure that it maximizes its effectiveness against attacks.
Protection Via DDoS Mitigation Center
On the other hand, a DDoS mitigation service center offers
the addition of human know-how and technical experience
on top of the use of appliances. Outsourcing this crucial
defense of data also allows for a more cost-efficient way
of managing the company’s resources; a DDoS mitigation
center has all the necessary equipment, bandwidth
and expert personnel to counter attacks, however big,
sophisticated and sustained it may be, all packaged at a
more reasonable cost. Some providers even offer specialized
service menus that can be scaled up or down in cost, as the
need may be.
CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
www.ipc.ph | THE LOOP | 7
MAP Insights
COUNTRY RISK UPDATE
GROWTH WEAKER
THAN EXPECTED
Source: D&B ASEAN Newsflash; Dun & Bradstreet, Inc.
P
hilippines’s economic growth surprised
on the downside, the slowest pace since
2011 (market consensus had been in the
neighbourhood of 6.5% y/y). On the production side,
it was a poor agricultural quarter that explains much
of the GDP slowdown due to a very high incidence
of extreme weather phenomena this year. Industrial
production was robust, advancing by 7.6% y/y,
while services increased by 5.4% y/y. Meanwhile
private consumption, which represents about 70%
of the economy, is still strong (growing by 5.2%) and
exports have expanded at a robust pace (9.8% y/y).
The main reason for the slowdown is reduction in
government expenditure. D&B cautioned that in July
the country’s Supreme Court deemed some elements
of the fiscal stimulus package unconstitutional, and
this decision has indeed blocked parts of public
spending (and progress on a supplementary budget
to jump-start halted projects has been slower than
expected). However, this blockage will be temporary
and as public finances are in good health, we do not
expect that the public sector to continue to hamper
the economy. Hence, we are maintaining our 2015
forecast at 5.6%.
Finally, President Benigno Aquino approved the
country’s latest Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) in
November 2014. This offers eight years’ income tax
holiday and tax credits on raw materials to companies
that invest in the targeted sectors/activities, namely
manufacturing, services, agriculture and fishery, public
infrastructure and logistics, energy, housing, hospitals
and public-private partnerships.
Note : The country’s ample FX reserves and robust economic growth are contributory factors to D&B’s decision to maintain LC as both
minimum and recommended terms. The Philippines fell nine places in the World Bank’s Doing Business 2015 report, to 95th place; due
partly to the truck traffic ban in Manila (which restricted access to the city’s port); however, the ban has since been lifted.
8 | THE LOOP | www.ipc.ph
The main reason for the slowdown is reduction
in government expenditure. D&B cautioned
that in July the country’s Supreme Court deemed
some elements of the fiscal stimulus package
unconstitutional, and this decision has indeed blocked
parts of public spending..
ASEAN Regional Country Risk
Headline News
The Country Risk Headline News is designed to help draw your attention to
potential business risk associated with trading in overseas countries. The
headlines below highlight some of the recent changes that have impacted the
risk environment.
Cambodia -
Export and construction boosts country’s favourable
outlook.
Indonesia -
Combination of stable outlook and new cabinet
seem promising.
Myanmar -
Economic growth continues to strengthen over
soaring exports.
Malaysia -
Foreign trade deceleration threatens robust
economic growth.
Singapore -
All IMF targets met but deeper reforms are still
needed.
Business continuity assured as threats neutralisation
in progress.
Thailand -
www.ipc.ph | THE LOOP | 9
IDC: 3RD PLATFORM
WILL BRING GROWTH, DISRUPTION
ACROSS INDUSTRIES IN 2015
A
nalyst firm IDC has announced its top ten
predictions for the worldwide information and
telecommunications technology (ICT) industry in
2015.
The driving force behind all of IDC’s predictions is the
industry’s accelerating transition to the 3rd Platform for
innovation and growth, built on the technology pillars of
mobile computing, cloud services, Big Data and analytics,
and social networking.
“IDC first identified the 3rd Platform in 2007 and predicted
that it would eventually become the new core of ICT market
growth. In 2015, the 3rd Platform will account for one
third of global ICT spending and 100 percent of spending
growth,” said Frank Gens, senior vice president and chief
analyst at IDC.
“The industry is now entering the most critical period
yet in the 3rd Platform era: the ‘Innovation Stage.’ Over
the next several years, we expect to see an explosion of
innovation and value creation on top of the 3rd Platform’s
foundation. This stage will be driven by a new wave of
core technologies – Innovation Accelerators – that radically
extend the 3rd Platform’s capabilities and applications
across all industries.”
IDC’s predictions for 2015 include the following:
1.Worldwide ICT spending will grow 3.8 percent in
2015 to more than $3.8 trillion. Nearly all of this
spending growth will be focused on 3rd Platform
technologies, with spending on the 2nd Platform
expected to slip into recession by the end of the year.
On a geographic basis, ICT spending in emerging
markets is forecast to grow 7.1 percent year over
year while mature markets poke along at 1.4 percent
growth.
2.Telecommunications services will see wireless data
emerge as the largest ($536 billion) and fastest
10 | THE LOOP | www.ipc.ph
growing (13 percent) segment of telecom spending.
To avoid being marginalized as little more than
infrastructure providers, carriers will scramble to
develop platform- and API-based services that add
value and attract developers to their networks. They
will also seek rapprochement with over-the-top
(OTT) cloud services providers through innovative
performance and revenue-sharing arrangements.
3.Mobile devices and apps will continue to charge
ahead in 2015, but not at the frenzied pace seen in
recent years. Sales of smartphones and tablets will
reach $484 billion, accounting for 40 percent of all
IT spending growth (excluding telecom services),
while Chinese vendors capture a significant share
of the worldwide market. Wearables will see an
explosion of innovation, although unit sales will
underwhelm. And mobile app downloads will
start to slow in 2015, but enterprise mobile app
development will double.
4.Cloud services will remain a hotbed of activity in
2015 with $118 billion in spending on the greater
cloud ecosystem. Adoption of cloud Infrastructure
as a Service (IaaS) will grow briskly (36 percent) as
market leader Amazon comes under attack from all
directions as challengers attempt the “Amazoning of
Amazon”. Similarly, look for heightened competition
among Platform as a Service (PaaS) providers as
competitors engage in death match battles to attract
developers and their apps and Software as a Service
(SaaS) players accelerate their adoption of PaaS and
cloud marketplaces. “Cloud is also where we expect
to see new partnerships forming among ‘strange
bedfellows’, such as Facebook with Microsoft and/or
IBM or Amazon partnering with HP, to expand market
opportunities,” added Gens.
5.Big data and analytics will see important
developments in 2015 as worldwide spending on
Big Data-related software, hardware, and services
grows to $125 billion. Rich media analytics (video,
The industry is now entering the most
critical period yet in the 3rd Platform era: the
‘Innovation Stage.’ Over the next several years, we
expect to see an explosion of innovation and value
creation on top of the 3rd Platform’s foundation..
audio, and image) will emerge as an important driver
of Big Data projects. And Big Data supply chains
(i.e. Data as a Service) will grow in importance as
cloud platform and analytics vendors offer clients
value-added information from commercial and open
data sets. Elsewhere, IDC expects to see important
new developments in cognitive/machine learning and
Internet of Things (IoT) analytics.
6.The Internet of Things is one of the most important
Innovation Accelerators for growth and expansion of
IT-based value in the 3rd Platform era. The invention
of more and more intelligent and connected “things”
will drive the development of thousands of new
3rd Platform solutions. One third of IoT spending
in 2015 will be focused on intelligent embedded
devices outside the IT and telecom industries
helped by partnerships among leading IT companies
seeking to kickstart the market for industry solutions.
Predictive maintenance will emerge as an important
IoT solutions category.
7.Datacenters are undergoing a fundamental
transformation in the 3rd Platform era as the majority
of raw compute capacity and raw storage capacity
moves to cloud-, mobile-, and Big Data-optimized
hyperscale datacenters operated by cloud service
providers. This shift will spark a burst of “cloud first”
hardware innovations and drive greater consolidation
among server, storage, software, and networking
vendors. IDC expects to see two or three major
mergers, acquisitions, or restructurings among the
top-tier IT vendors in 2015.
8.The 3rd Platform is transforming not just the
technology industry; but every industry on the planet.
IDC believes a number of industry disruptions, driven
by 3rd Platform developments, will emerge in 2015.
Examples include alternative payment networks in
financial services, expansion of IoT technologies into
city safety, public works and transportation systems,
and the expansion of location-based services in the
retail industry. The number of industry platforms –
CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
www.ipc.ph | THE LOOP | 11
Ernesto R. Alberto, PLDT Executive Vice President and
ePLDT Group President & Chief Executive Officer
Napoleon L. Nazareno, PLDT President and Chief Executive Officer
IPC DATA CENTER PARAÑAQUE
INAUGURATION CEREMONY
and Cocktails
DECEMBER 3, 2014
ELORDE SPORTS COMPLEX
PARAÑAQUE CITY
Napoleon
PLDT Huergas,
PresidentMrs.
and Joy
Chief
Executive Officer
From leftL.
toNazareno,
right: Reynaldo
Tambunting,
Parañaque Mayor
Edwin Olivarez, Napoleon Nazareno, Mrs. Laura Elorde and Ernesto Alberto
Reynaldo R. Huergas, IPC President
I
PC celebrated the opening of its newest facility in
the south of the metro, IPC Data Center Parañaque,
on December 3, 2014, in style with a cocktail
party attended by the who’s who of the PLDT Group,
Parañaque City government and valued IPC customers.
Leading the night’s celebration was PLDT President & Chief
Executive Officer, Napoleon L. Nazareno, who noted in his
message that the opening of IPC Data Center Parañaque
effectively gives the PLDT Group the largest data center
footprint in the Philippines. PLDT Executive Vice President
and ePLDT Group President & Chief Executive Officer
Ernesto R. Alberto also lauded the inauguration, stating
IPC Employees with ePLDT Chief Operating Officer,
Nerisse Ramos
that this was the newest and most modern and most
advanced data center facility in the country to date.
Guests of Honor included the Honorable Mayor Edwin
Olivarez, Mrs. Joy Tambunting representing Congressman
Gus Tambunting, the matriarch of the Elorde family,
Mrs. Laura Elorde, and Architects Pablo Antonio, Jr. and
Architect Yugi Antonio.
The evening also included exclusive tours for all of the
guests, giving them a sneak peek of the country’s most
modern and only purpose-built data center facility.
From left: Antoine Nookadu, BlueCloud CEO & Co-Founder
with IPC President, Rene Huergas.
From left to right: Jam Macalino, Director, Asia-Pacific Market,
Nexusguard; Reynaldo Huergas and Dave de Leon, Chief Finance Officer,
IPC
IPC Employees with ePLDT Chief Operating Officer, Nerisse Ramos (far right)
From left to right: IPC Employees with Napoleon Nazareno (third from
right)
From left to right: Katrina Luna-Abelarde, Head, Small and Medium Enterprise
Group, PLDT SME Nation; Bettina Gordon, Group Treasury Head, ePLDT;
Angelene Garcia-Amistoso, Group Financial Controller and Group Head - Product
Pricing
Zoom
THE CUSTOMER SUCCESS PLATFORM
IPC FUELS CUSTOMER SUCCESS
WITH THE CLOUD
Sales
Service
1
Marketing
Community
Apps
Analytics
A
s emerging technologies transform the business
landscape faster than ever, local cloud pioneer IPC
empowers enterprises to boost sales productivity,
while managing operating costs through Salesforce.com,
the world’s leading cloud-based Customer Relationship
Management (CRM).
In order to stand out in today’s ultra competitive market,
entrepreneurs need to not only sell faster, but smarter as
well. Salesforce.com helps users do so with its simple yet
intuitive user interface. Providing an in-depth look into
each sale, a user no longer needs to look for numerous
documents, spreadsheets, or presentations to get a better
understanding of what their customer needs.
“Over 100,000 companies worldwide now use Salesforce.
com in growing their business. IPC is proud to be the
only Gold Cloud Alliance Partner of Salesforce.com in the
country, it has allowed us to offer an incredibly powerful
tool that will help Philippine enterprises take even better
care of their customers,” said IPC President Reynaldo
Huergas.
14 | THE LOOP | www.ipc.ph
“Salesforce.com not only helps track an enterprise’s current
sales performance, it also lets them look closer into what
their clients need. It connects to various social networking
sites, scouring the web for what the public thinks of their
product without having to conduct extensive, complicated
surveys that would take months in certain cases. Keeping
track of what your audience thinks and wants has become
crucial to the operation of the enterprise today,” Huergas
added.
To further the knowledge of Philippine enterprises on CRM,
IPC is engaging C-level officials in IT, sales, and marketing
from various industries via its free executive sessions. These
sessions, held monthly, provide local firms more than just a
glimpse into how global outfits have gained from CRM apps
via Salesforce.com.
“In an internet-driven world of empowered consumers, we
urge enterprises to take this chance to see how together,
CRM and the Cloud can help their business grow,” Huergas
concluded. g
Ushering growth through
continuing education and training:
Events
BAIPHIL holds 28th biennial
National Convention
*Article Courtesy of Ms. Abby Rebong (First Published in the Philippine Star,February 27,2015)
C
arrying on with its theme, “Reaching Greater
Heights Through Continuing Education and
Training,” BAIPHIL president Tess Solis-Galvadores
shares how they have meticulously put together a wellrounded lineup of technical and general sessions for the
Nation a BAIPHIL biennial event, starting February 27 to
March 1, 2015 at the Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City.
Describing this year’s BAIPHIL National Convention, as
“packed” is something that delegates, members and guests
eagerly look forward to with excitement. Opening today,
the lineup of topics for the two-day event, has been wellchosen by the working committees under the leadership of
Galvadores, who aim to give the delegates, an enriching
and insightful convention experience.
“We have invited subject matter experts from the banking
and financial community. Another much awaited topic is
on health and cellular nutrition, to cater to everybody’s
interest. In the past conventions, we had topics in faith
and religion, and had some media practitioners who graced
the occasion. We are honored to get the confirmation of
speakers completing the authority on the defined topics for
this convention.
Sharing their expertise on this two day session, promises
a learning experience, expected to bring about regulatory
updates, a look at the financial market, updates in the
automation processes of check clearing, and a good number
efficiency and process improvement initiatives which impact
on profitability in the workplace to be shared by partners
in the information technology industry. Packed with very
significant inputs which delegates can bring back to their
respective workplaces, the talks are carefully managed to
fit in to the time allocation, with an open forum after each
session,” Galvadores says.
Becoming a better banker through education and training
As the training arm of the banking industry, Galvadores
takes pride in sharing that they have been successful in
fulfilling this duty through the various training and seminar
offerings.
“The thirst for knowledge from the banking community is
observed high, so much so that we have seminar offerings
with a number of repeat runs especially those involving
banking regulations. The value of compliance to regulations
has always been highlighted by bankers. To make the
sessions more effective, the committee handling the
training and education ensures that the speaker has time to
answer the participants’ questions, concerns and areas for
clarification. This will in turn be echoed by the participants
to their respective banks. The objective is really to empower
the banking community with proper education through
training, updates, research and information exchange.
The ASEAN Integration
Aside from regulatory topics, Galvadores shares that they
have invited no less than the BSP governor, Amando
Tetangco, Jr. to speak on the upcoming ASEAN Integration
and Security Bank Corp. EVP Rafael Algarra, Jr. to talk on
the ASEAN Integration from the private sector’s perspective.
Reinforcing the topics from the regulator side is the BSP
deputy governor who will discuss the agency’s continuing
reform agenda. Faced with the seeming challenges of
the ASEAN Integration, Galvadores shares that it is but
proper for bankers to be prepared, get a good grasp of the
integration framework, know what to expect, and move
toward putting the country at par or even ahead with the
rest in the region. When asked if the ASEAN Integration
scares her, Galvadores shakes her head no because she, for
one, is actually looking forward to the positive effects that
CONTINUED ON PAGE 19
www.ipc.ph | THE LOOP | 15
Events
T
ICCCE:
The Undisputed Premier
Contact Center Event in 2015
he big guns of the contact center industry were
in full force during the recently concluded
International Contact Center Conference and Expo
(ICCCE). Over 900 delegates from the contact center
industry, government, IT service providers, academe and
other industries trooped to the SMX Convention Center
to witness one of the grandest industry event of the year.
This was a banner year for the ICCCE with no less than
the president, Benigno Aquino III delivering the closing
key note speech.
Celebrating its tenth year, the ICCCE stayed true to being
the premier and unparalleled contact center event in the
country by featuring a collection of top technology speakers
who talked the issue on how the contact center industry
should navigate through a more digital economy with
increasingly social-media conscious consumers: Spotify’s
Mark Cohen talked about how Spotify engages the new
digital consumer with its music sharing platform; Kristof
Vos of Google talked about how the tech giant is shaping
the world’s digital future with constant innovation; Nick
Tham of Salesforce.com talked about digital consumer
interaction in a more enterprise environment; and, Darin
Williams of LinkedIn gave his take on how companies can
navigate in the new digital economy.
Contact Center Association of the Philippines (CCAP)
president, Benedict Hernandez, presented the state of
the industry address highlighting the achievements of the
industry in the past ten years. Everest Group’s H. Karthik
gave a more global perspective of the Philippines’ contact
center performance. Top economist, Doctor Bernardo
Villegas gave his positive prediction for the industry in the
next ten more years. While Senator Grace Poe expounded
on what she believe the national government’s role should
be as a partner in industry development.
This year’s other notable speakers in the various track
sessions (a total of 19 breakout topics) include: Doctor
16 | THE LOOP | www.ipc.ph
From left: Darin Williams of LinkedIn, Nick Tham of Salesforce.
com and Mark Cohen of Spotify during the panel discussion
Majar Lagmay of the Department of Science and
Technology’s Project Noah, Mayor Herbert Bautista of
Quezon City, Mayor Oscar Moreno of Cagayan de Oro City,
Doctor Ramon Clarete of the University of the Philippines’
School of Economics, labor law expert Attorney Rico de
Guzman of ACCRALAW, retail guru Samie Lim of the
Philippine Franchise Association, and many more.
The event was even made more festive with the attendance
of over two thousand graduating college students from
different Metro Manila universities who had the opportunity
to experience career opportunities in the industry. And as
a testament to its success, the event was given the biggest
grade by the delegates in its ten year history. 55% of the
surveyed delegates gave a “very high” opinion and 44%
gave a “high” opinion of the event.
The ICCCE is an annual event organized by Contact Center
Association of the Philippines (CCAP). g
CIO NETWORKING NIGHT
Events
I
PC recently hosted an exclusive CXO
Networking Night at the Baron’s Bar of
The Tower Club on February 26, 2015.
Guests were treated to an evening filled with
sumptuous food, overflowing drinks, and fine
entertainment of the Baron’s Bar.
Leading the night’s festivities were IPC
President Rene Huergas, and IPC Vice
President for Operations Nick Ratuiste.
IPC President Reynaldo Huergas
From left to right: Nick Ratuiste, Vice President for
Operations, IPC; Gary Calantuan, Reynaldo Huergas
From left to right: Rolando Tiu, Nilo Zantua and
Nick Ratuiste
From left to right: Egie Gutierrez, Vice President for CRM Sales & Cloud Professional Services; Gary Calantuan, CIO, RAMCAR; Niño Valmonte, Director for
Product Management and Marketing, IPC
From left to right: Lilibeth Diaz de Rivera, Business
Development Director for Managed Data Services
- Public Sector, IPC; Chito Dychioco and Rolly Tiu,
Project Consultant, IPC
Mauch Franco and Nishy Ramos
From left: (front row) Mauch Franco; Nishy Ramos; Angela Castro, Business Development
Manager, IPC; Lilibeth Diaz de Rivera; Joey Binay; Tina Robles, Account Manager, IPC; Kelsey
Hartigan-Go, Vice President - IT, SM Prime Holdings, Inc.; Chito Dychioco; (back row) Saki
Basa, Head, Data Center Operation, PBCOM; Anthony Medalla, Application Designer Lead,
Sunlife of Canada
From left: Saki Basa, Head, Data Center
Operation, PBCOM; Joey Binay, Director for
Busines Development - Managed Data Services
- Enterprise, ADB & Telco, IPC; Mauch Franco,
Chito Dychioco and Reynaldo Huergas
Egie Gutierrez with Alfonso Castro, PreSales Engineer for Goole for Work
www.ipc.ph | THE LOOP | 17
Zoom
Nexusguard Reports
2015 INTERNET SECURITY TREND
Revisiting 2014
In Nexusguard’s 2014 DDoS Attack Trend Report, our
security researchers correctly noted the
increased complexity and sophistication
in the methods used for installing
DDoS malware and scripts via
what we refer to as Zero-dayplus-one attacks: attacks
against vulnerabilities with
existing patches that have
not yet been applied
to vulnerable devices.
Bandwidth-level DDoS
attacks accounted for
89 percent of total
attack volume, a
proportion that is much
higher than in previous
years. Additionally,
political hacktivism such
as civil unrests, attacks
propagated by groups like
Anonymous, the Sony Pictures
hacking and targeted attack on
the Xbox and Playstation networks
saw a marked increase.
In 2015, we expect cyber attacks to further mature and
have a deeper and broader impact than before. Drawing
from historical attack data and the expertise of our Global
Security Operations Centers, Nexusguard researchers have
put together the 2015 Internet Security Trend Report. Here
are some key findings.
How will cyber attacks evolve in 2015
The popularity of Zero-day-plus-one (or Zero-plus) and
multi-vector attacks will continue to grow. And successful
attacks will spread rapidly, because once a vulnerability is
discovered, automated attack tools that can be reused by
copycats show up in the wild within hours. End-users and
network administators alike will have to be on their guard to
reduce data breaches and damages brought on by malicious
atacks. Even after most machines are patched,
18 | THE LOOP | www.ipc.ph
hackers will long continue with their attempts to exploit
popular vulnerabilities, particularly on industry
protocols such as UDP (User Datagram
Protocol) and TLS (Transport Layer
Security).
As for other developments, we
expect to see more concerted
efforts to attack essential
Internet standards like DNS
(Domain Name System)
and BGP (Border Gateway
Protocol), which may trigger
bandwidth-cuking incidents
that would disrupt Internet
availability on a global scale.
Emerging technologies like
IoT (Internet of Things) devices
will provide a broad variety of
vulnerable surfaces for attackers
to probe. Furthermore, updates for
IoT devices will become decentralized
using standard libraries, a situation
that inevitably will amplify the number of
vulnerabilities in deployed devices.
Highlights
•Attackers are weaponizing Zero-day exploits into Zeroday-plus-one attacks at a very fast rate.
•The IoT will introduce more vulnerable systems onto
the Internet than ever before.
•Bandwidth attacks will continue to reign supreme.
•DDoS will be used increasingly as a smokescreen for
intrusion attempts on enterprises.
For our latest reports, visit:
https://www.nexusguard.com/genius/ddos-reports.php
FROM PAGE 15... Ushering Growth Through...
it poses and its impact on the financial landscape of the
country.
“Preparation is really something that takes time, and is
what looks more taxing, but with our regulators taking the
lead, the banking community is pretty confident we can pull
through with ease. We are waiting for the framework, the
road map. We understand discussions are ongoing for the
firming up of the framework. More updates on this area will
be heard during the convention. This is something excitedly
looked forward to.”
A sharing of knowledge
In his keynote speech, Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam”
Aquino IV will discuss the Role of Banks in our Nation’s
Economic Development. Other topics that are sure to
catch the interest of BAIPHIL members include Propelling
the Philippines Towards An Inclusive, Dynamic and
Thriving Economy Through Global Competitiveness,
Social Responsibility, and Consumer Welfare, which will
be discussed by ING Bank N.V. Asia director and senior
economist Jose Mario Cuyegkeng; Updates on Philippine
Automated Clearing System, which will be discussed
by Philippine Clearing House Corp. president and CEO
Emmanuel Barcena; BSP Direction in Adopting BASEL III
Regulations, to be discussed by BSP assistant governor
Johnny Noe Ravalo; and BSP: Preparing The Banking
System to Meet the Challenges of the Next Decade, which
will be discussed by deputy governor Nestor Espenilla, Jr.
She adds the timely concern regarding the adoption of
the check imaging clearing system, “Banks will not be
dealing with physical checks anymore as everything will be
digitized/imaged. It is something that has already been done
in other Asian countries. This is part of being at par with
what the rest of ASEAN is doing.
The check imaging clearing system is expected to be
implemented by the first quarter of 2016. “Banks are now
heavy with the preparations,” she says.
“Aside from the learning gained from the sessions, delegates
from the banking community can also renew ties and
deepen the relationship as we network with each other.
We deepen ties with the people from BAIPHIL and guests.
There may be members who are not always visible in the
many activities of the Institute, but during the convention,
we endeavor to make time to meet them so they will be
more driven to become active members. The fellowship
nights are good opportunities to discover and see the other
side of the bankers, in their display of talents such as
dancing, singing and a test of memory through the various
contests.“
Galvadores concludes that the true measurement of the
success of their National Convention is in how well the
sessions were assimilated and put to good use through
implementation in the workplaces, hence, the importance
of choosing the right speakers and which topics to discuss.
Looking at their lineup, they will surely do good with their
goal. g
FROM PAGE 7... DDoS Service Vs Appliance
In the end, the decision will depend on your organization’s
needs. Smaller organizations or enterprises that are working
within financial limitations may be able to get by with a
basic protection afforded by appliances. But for those who
deal with sensitive data, or have more to lose if their site
were to go offline, the multilayered protection of a DDoS
mitigation center may be a better choice.
“Clients should weigh the value of their data, their brand
and their business relations against the level of protection
they need to cover their organization’s needs for security. In
the end, it is all about how much they value their enterprise
and all that it stands for, in the face of cyber attacks that
want to take all that away from them,” said Valmonte. g
FROM PAGE 11... IDC: 3rd Plaform...
industry-specialized cloud-based data and services
platforms, usually created by leaders within the
industry – will expand rapidly, easily doubling in
2015.
9.In addition to the Internet of Things and cognitive/
machine learning systems, two other Innovation
Accelerators will become important growth drivers
in 2015. “3rd Platform-optimized” security
solutions will help to secure the edge of the cloud
(i.e. biometric security on mobile devices) and
the core (i.e., encryption in the cloud will become
the default practice). And threat intelligence will
emerge as a killer Data as a Service category with
a rapidly growing number of enterprises receiving
tailored threat intelligence information. Elsewhere,
3D printing will see significant activity among
conventional document printing companies as
they lay the groundwork for a looming battle for
commercial and industrial markets in 2016.
10.China will experience skyrocketing influence on the
global ICT market in 2015 with spending that will
account for 43 percent of all industry growth, one
third of all smartphone purchases, and about one
third of all online shoppers. With a huge domestic
market, China’s cloud and ecommerce leaders
(Alibaba in ecommerce, Tencent in social, and Baidu
in search) will rise to prominence in the global
marketplace. Similarly, Chinese branded smartphone
makers will capture more than a third of the
worldwide smartphone market.
11.“To say that 2015 will be a pivotal year in the ICT
industry is a gross understatement,” said Gens.
“We’ll see the 3rd Platform finally reach massive
scale, along with lots of vendor consolidation and
drop outs, ‘strange bedfellow’ partnerships, death
match battles for developers (and their apps),
expanding cognitive/machine learning and IoT
offerings, a growing focus on data supply chains, and
skyrocketing influence for China.” g
www.ipc.ph | THE LOOP | 19
Local Loop
M
arking the end of yet another exciting year for
IPC, the company celebrated its 2014 Christmas
party on December 12, at D’7th Note Bar and
Restaurant. Employees came clad in their best black and
gold outfits ready to let their hair down for the night.
Hosts for the evening were Business Development Manager
Angela Castro, Business Development Director Joey Binay,
and Senior Facilities Engineer Erick Pontilla. The trio proved
to be the highlight of the party, keeping the audience
entertained throughout the night. Employees enthusiastically
participated in the games prepared for the evening and were
kept on the edge of their seats during the raffle.
Local Loop
I
PC held its annual Team IPC Kickoff last February 5-6,
2015 at the Tagaytay Highlands, Tagaytay City. This
year’s theme “Change the Game” focused on how IPC and
its range of business solutions can help today’s SMEs and
startups in realizing their goals and growing their business.
The 2-day session was filled with various group activities that
challenged each participants skills, making them think out
of the box and see how the company’s various products and
services can fit together to form the best solution for a client.
IPC CELEBRATES CHINESE NEW YEAR
F
or the very first time, IPC opened its doors to a
very traditional Chinese ritual - a lion and dragon
dance to celebrate the the Chinese New Year. The
Philippine Rui Lion and Dragon Dance Group performed
at the Makati and Parañaque offices on February 13
and 16, respectively.
Traditionally the Chinese use Lion and Dragon dancers
as a symbol of auspiciousness to mark key dates such
as Chinese New Year or the opening of a new business
premises. The tradition is thought to chase away negative
energies, scare away evil spirits and bring in strength and
good luck.
Local Loop
NEW TEAM MEMBERS
NEW HIRES
JOEY BINAY
LILIBETH DIAZ DE RIVERA
Joey is IPC’s Business
Development Director for
Managed Data Services
- Enterprise. He oversees
the sales team handling
accounts ranging from SMEs
to large corporate clients for
IPC’s bandwidth, colocation,
DDoS mitigation, and
Professional Services.
Lilibeth is IPC’s Business
Development Director for
Managed Data Services Public Sector. She oversees
the sales team handling
public sector accounts,
from LGUs to the national
government level. They
handle sales for IPC’s
bandwidth, colocation, DDoS
mitigation, and Professional
Services.
ALJIG ADONA
ALDREN ALMENDRA
GAYLORD MASTER BARREDO
VANESSA BELDIA
SAUL CABANGCALAN
Technical Consultant
Cloud Professional Services
Facilities Associate
Facilities Management and
Data Center Operations
Facilities Associate
Facilities Management and
Data Center Operations
Director for Telco Sales
Managed Data Services
Network Support Associate
Technical Operations
MARCO CABAZAL
LANI CORTEZ
ANIA DEL ROSARIO
ALEX ESPINO
JOHN KENT JOSE
Mobile Applications
Development Manager
Cloud Professional Services
Senior Product Manager
Product Management &
Marketing
Executive Assistant
to the President
Executive Office Admin
Senior Account Manager
Managed Data Services Enterprise
Facilities Associate
Facilities Management and
Data Center Operations
22 | THE LOOP | www.ipc.ph
SANDRO OAFERICUA
RENZ VALDEABELLA
CAROL VERDERA
Facilities Associate
Facilities Management and
Data Center Operations
Functional Consultant
Cloud Professional Services
Accountant
Finance
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