enterprise the

VOLUME
24
O C T
2015
THE
DIGITAL
ENTERPRISE
Enterprise solutions for your 360°
business transformation
In the digital age, an enterprise organization must undergo continuous and drastic business
innovation. It’s what you need to stay ahead of constantly changing global market forces. Now,
more than ever, you need a reliable ICT partner for innovative solutions leveraged on social,
mobile, analytics, and cloud. PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is more than ready to lead Philippine
enterprises through a transformative, digitally powered journey towards continued success.
Let’s get to it. Let’s innovate together to the next level.
PLDT ALPHA: Enabling the Digital Enterprise
Learn more at www.pldtalpha.com
88-ALPHA (25742)
ASC Ref. Code: P020P082615P
BUILDING THE
ENTERPRISE
F
Jovy Hernandez
Markus Jentes
Mikey Smyth
Andrew Batiduan
Editor
Managing Editor
Creative Director
Art Director
Gerrard Fabie
Vickie Perez de Tagle
Nico Alcoseba
Gary Ignacio
Senior Creative Adviser
Senior Editorial Adviser
Editorial Adviser
Executive Producer
Kaye Pineda
Ram Anciro
Creative Adviser
Jill Gonzales
Paula Venturina
Associate Editors
Nikko Bustamante
Sara de Guzman
Lo Regino
Emily Reyes
Murielle Sarmiento
Kat Tangonan
Editorial Coordinators
Michal Perez de Tagle
Enrique Estagle
Inez Golamco
Anton Santos
Igor Cruz
Dessa Malaluan
Mac Lubaczewski
Daniella Marfori
Patricia Mariano
Editorial Contributors
Taimak Sevilla
Banjo Dizon
rom the moment we
set on our mission
to Enable the Digital
Enterprise, we knew
it was going to be a
thrilling ride. We were
about to witness the
emergence of new business models,
management practices, and transformed
operational processes.
Recent events have certainly borne
out those realities, and so this issue is a
chronicle of what has happened so far,
how we’re seeing the rise of the true
digital enterprise.
We take off from our initial point
in SMAC (Social, Mobile, Analytics,
and Cloud Computing) and how these
pillars of digital enterprise continue to
define the future in our Main Window
on page 8.
So far, there have been more
success stories from our clients who
have figured out the optimum mix of
our legacy and digital solutions. You can
read more about them in an expanded
Live Wire section starting on page 14.
It’s also worth plumbing the
thoughts and assessments of our
PLDT Insider on page 50, namely
PLDT Group Chief Technology and
Integration Officer Joachim Horn.
He’s one of the visionaries for the
renewed network of PLDT, one that
must ably deliver on the Digital Value
Chain as featured in our Solved section
on page 76 as well as new Smart
Enterprise Broadband described in
MoBiz on page 104.
Of course technology will always
be a sophisticated tool that needs
professional handling, and this is exactly
the point made in our Sleeper Hit on
page 100 that stresses the imperative for
Big Data Expert Consulting.
We are in the midst of truly massive
shifts in technology and business. It is
our hope that this issue will serve to
inform and inspire us for the even larger
transformations that await us all.
Jovy hernandez
Editor
Circulation Coordinators
OCT 2015
3
32
VOLUME 24
14
OCT 2015
58
20
03 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
Jovy Hernandez describes the
latest phase in PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s overall Digital
Transformation
58 PARTNER PEEK
IBM’s Kellar Nevill, Luis
Pineda, and Victor Silvino
illustrate an expanding
Big Blue territory in the
digital era.
05 CLIENT CALLS
Letters from delighted PLDT
clients that share their unique
experiences with PLDT and
feedback on HOT JOE.
64 WERE YOU THERE
08 MAIN WINDOW
The IDC Roundtable Series,
Asia Carriers Conference
2015, ePLDT ICT Forum,
and other power summits
hosted and participated by
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise.
Inside the idealized
“Digital Enterprise.”
14
LIVE WIRE
LBC, Meralco, First Life
Financial, PhilNaRe, Manila
Hotel, and SM Lifestyle are
well on their way in the Digital
Enterprise journey.
76 SOLVED
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s
digital solutions portfolio
is moving forward and
shaping up.
50 PLDT INSIDER
The journeyed Joachim Horn
uses global experiences to
implement the PLDT
network’s transformation
for the digital age.
50
56 ALPHA EXTRA
The Philippine Internet
receives its much-needed
boost through the historic
partnership of PLDT
and DOST.
82 CAUGHT ON PAGE
44
Great partnerships with
RCBC, Cathay Pacific,
AirAsia, LDB, ePerformax,
and more.
92
COMING + GOING
What’s coming, what’s going,
and what’s staying still in the
world of tech.
100 SLEEPER HIT
Big Data can and must
drive your new digital
strategy. You can do it with
PLDT's Big Data Expert
Consulting solution.
104 MOBIZ
Smart Enterprise
Broadband + the Samsung
Galaxy Tab A + Microsoft
Office 365 = The perfect
end-to-end solution for
enterprise mobility
106 THE ALPHA BITS
Immense bits of knowledge
any ALPHA should know.
112 THE LAST SAY
Eric R. Alberto on how
digital solutions can now
literally change the way
we look at the nine-to-fiver.
38
26
Calls
CLIENT
WE ASKED OUR READERS
WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT
HOT JOE. HERE'S WHAT THEY
HAD TO SAY:
Dear Marizel,
I'm writing to express my gratitude
for all of MG Librojo’s support for
Cemex's group of companies. Since
the time MG assumed the account in
June 2012, he has been instrumental
in helping us implement some major
projects and address operational
requirements in the organization.
To name a few, the Cosmocall system
revolutionized the way our Customer
Service Center handles and manages
client relations. Cosmocall enabled
the Service Center to improve client
satisfaction through the system's
performance monitoring, metrics,
and reporting features. The initiatives
on network connectivity for some
of our remote regional/provincial
terminals enabled on-time coordination
among our Logistics, Operations, and
Commercial groups. We could not
imagine how the different teams will
efficiently collaborate without these
critical circuits.
On operational matters, his persistent
coordination and follow-through with
PLDT Service teams during critical
incidents facilitated faster mitigation
and resolution of issues. He has
been constantly on the lookout for
opportunities to further improve our
operations and address challenges
through PLDT's products and solution
offerings—and much more!
My kudos to you, Kent, and his
previous superiors for being exemplary
mentors to MG. I look forward to
more exciting solutions and impeccable
service from MG and the rest of the
PLDT team!
More power!
Marco Lim Antonio
BSO, Processes & IT Manager
Philippines and ASIA CEMEX
Philippines
6
OCT 2015
Thanks Roger for your time and your
team as well in visiting us. It was
reassuring to see technical people from
PLDT addressing our concerns.
Now we see the faces behind the
emails and calls.
And let me take this opportunity to
thank you in particular for the “extra
mile” you put into resolving our issues
personally, even taking our calls after
office hours and on weekends. If you
will be awarded the “model employee of
the year” you truly deserve it, because
you do not only provide solutions to
your customers but you make us feel
that “Customer is King”. More power
to you, to Gene, your team and your
company.
Regards,
Melanie Licup
IT Director
Getz Brothers
PLDT Team,
Thanks a lot for the full support you’ve
provided to Concentrix in turning up the
required circuit. We really appreciate the
determination and effort exhibited on this
project. Another milestone for a good
partnership. More to come!
Great job also to our AM, Jeff, for the
unwavering support and making things
possible with their team despite the very
tight timeline. All the processes were short
cut but they made it!
Sincerely,
Rey Matias
IT Service Delivery Manager
Concentrix
Thank you, Val and Juzi.
Thank you to the PLDT Engineering Team
for working towards a positive outcome.
Thank you to the two PLDT gentlemen
who waited patiently as we transported the 1
kva ups to Rockwell. Mission accomplished!
Overall, the magazine helps us be
up-to-date on the growth of the company,
and informs us of new products and
services that PLDT offer.
A good read and source of information
on PLDT ALPHA clients and products.
Looking forward to more innovative
products.
Wesley Whang
Security Bank Corporation
Geoff Dominguez
ePerformax Contact Centers & BPO
Great work! A break from the
traditional magazines.
My main source of information
on what's happening in the Telco industry.
Hi Marizel,
Rhoda Marie Sta. Elena
Call Design
Ferdinand C. Cruz
Pfizer Inc.
Congratulations on the promotion! We are
all very happy for you, and a big thank you
for the support shown over the past few
years. I'm sure we will still bump into each
other from time to time.
Very nice reading material.
Keep it up!
A nice read. I enjoy reading what other
companies are doing.
Moises M. Banta, Jr.
DMCI Power Corporation
Glenn Antaran
Mead Johnson Nutrition Philippines
Cool and informative. Gives me
the update I need to see.
A very informative and interesting
magazine. So, keep it up!
Aldo S. Santos
GPPCI
Ma. Daisy B. Posadas
ING Bank N.V.
Kudos to all who made it happen!
Jowee Reyes
Pointwest
Looking forward to meeting our new
counterpart soon.
Best regards,
Andrew Gascoigne
Country Manager
Atos Philippines
Hi Shandra and Team,
Thank you all for the VITRO tour! It was
great and our global client reps were rightly
impressed!
Aaron Dutch
Head of Technology
Merlin Information Systems Limited
A thank you to Jovy and the rest of
the HOT JOE team. One of my
favorite magazines that I would really
spend time reading from cover to cover.
It’s informative, keeps me up-to-date
and provides entertainment.
HOT JOE is a great reference on the
status of PLDT businesses, and very
informative, that most enterprise
companies would read.
WE WANT TO
HEAR FROM
YOU
SEND YOUR THOUGHTS,
COMMENTS, OR FEEDBACK
AND RECEIVE PREMIUM
ALPHA ITEMS!
Email: [email protected]
Call: 88-ALPHA
(88-25742)
or visit
www.pldtalpha.com
David Catalan
BAE Systems Applied Intelligence
Judith Antaran
DHL Global Forwarding Phils. Inc.
Subscribe to our e-newsletter,
ALPHA Mail, and keep up-to-date
with our latest news and offers.
OCT 2015
7
AT THE DIGITAL
POINT
HUMAN ITY
IS
PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE LEADS
THE CHARGE INTO ENABLING
THE DIGITAL ENTERPRISE
8
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
9
“We are becoming
AWARE
that the major
questions regarding
TECHNOLOGY
are
NOT
TECHNICAL
BUT HUMAN
questions."
- Peter Drucker,
Technology and Society in the Twentieth Century, 1967
particular quote from Drucker topbills
the home site for the 7th Global Drucker
Forum 2015, traditionally held late in the
year in Vienna, Austria. Steadily gaining
ground in popularity and diversity given
the expanding importance of digital in
business, this year’s conference will be
examining the impact of technology in
10
OCT 2015
major aspects of enterprise management
and operations. Specifically, it will evaluate
Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data,
and Cloud Computing “through the lens
of humanity”.
None of those aforementioned
technologies were even close to the
mainstream at the time Drucker made
that statement. Today, as they emerge
seemingly out of fantasy, his words remain
as applicable and timeless as ever.
By now, major enterprises and
business individuals have long realized
that there are far deeper
implications in taking their
organizations on the digital
road. Beyond technologies—
which are quickening the pace
of disruption—we must also
consider the human impact or
adjustments to be made in the face
of such profound shifts.
Social, Mobile, Analytics, and
Cloud Computing, known by the
convenient acronym SMAC, are seen
by many to be the definitive pillars in
any enterprise’s digital pivot strategy.
Even the large and mighty are not spared
from the imperative to form a cogent
digital strategy; in fact, John Chambers
of Cisco had once predicted that about
33% of the Fortune 500 will be extinct in
the coming decades if they fail with their
digital strategies.
Face to Face on Social
Social Media has undoubtedly put
companies and their customers in a
continuing round-the-clock virtual faceto-face conversation. Reluctant or nonresponsive companies have been publicly
called out or worse totally ignored, with
sizeable market share taken away from
them.
In the Philippines, home to one of
the most active social media audiences,
Social Media has unlocked a political
awakening and reformation. It has become
the de facto medium for consumers to
voice out their comments and complaints
on the company’s products and services.
This interaction has highlighted the
most compelling fact for companies and
institutions: you must listen and take part
in the online conversation responsibly.
There is no use ignoring or undermining
the value of social media anymore.
OCT 2015
11
WE
EITHER
OR
WE
- Manuel V PangilinAN
Mobile Shrinks Space and Time
Of course the Mobile element of
technology is growing in significance as
well, in direct proportion to the expanding
adoption of mobile devices, particularly
smartphones. As these devices gain even
more sophistication and features, you
can expect corporate marketing decision
cycles to shrink even further and possibly
move into automation. On that note, one
emerging application of mobile—that of
embedded mobile computers in robots—
is intriguing. Think of automated CRM
bots roving malls who never need a coffee
or lunch break.
Crunching the Numbers
be used to solve almost any quandary,
everything from “spotting business trends,
preventing diseases, combatting crime and
so on" according to a foretelling by The
Economist as early as 2010.
For some observers, the
rationalization of Big Data is akin to
the human discovery of fire and other
key technological milestones. Big Data
is rapidly evolving out of its three initial
classifications: Smart Data or actionable
data towards refined ad or political
campaigns; Identity Data that safeguards
security in a cyber-threatened world;
and People Data that individualizes and
personalizes each and every customer
or client.
Lighter On the Cloud
All this activity will undoubtedly
release a flood of data and analytics, but
what does an enterprise make of it? The
opportunities to refine products, customer
service, and business strategies based on
Big Data are innumerable. Big Data could
12
OCT 2015
These massive data stores and
processes are just as swiftly moving to
the Cloud, which has made one of the
best cases from moving away from ownoperated infrastructure (CAPEX) to
outsourced models (OPEX). Companies
can now do away with old and heavy
infrastructure costs while enjoying
enterprise-grade applications, as well as
easier management and maintenance.
And so in the months since
recognizing SMAC as the transformative
front of technology, individuals and
corporations have realized dramatic
jumps in productivity, improved operating
margins, and perhaps even discovered
entire new business models. It has
allowed minor players to become true
disruptors, and loosened the inertia of
larger corporations to act as disruptors
themselves. Drucker said that the
underlying foundation and consideration
of technology is the human element. For
all of us, that will mainly involve figuring
out all the implications and possibilities
that technology unlocks and deriving
maximum benefit possible to positively
impact our respective endeavors.
PLDT’s Own Transformation
The PLDT Group is itself making
the warp-drive leap into digital, just as
many other responsive organizations are
doing in the face of disruptive forces.
PLDT and Smart Chairman Manuel V
Pangilinan himself had said during a May
press conference that “either we pivot
or we perish”. It is for this reason, aside
from a transformative realignment from
within, PLDT is also teaming up with
partners that can offer a new set of values:
expertise, disruptive abilities, and content.
The recent agreements with Rocket
Internet, Fox, TackThis, iflix and Uber
bear this out.
Of particular note is Uber, which had
demonstrated world-class operations and
professionalism during the now-infamous
Carmageddon of September 8. On the
same night Smart signed a deal with Uber
to provide in-vehicle WiFi, a perfect storm
of rush hour madness, infrastructure gaps,
and crashing rain had stranded commuters
for hours on end.
While other online ride sharing
services essentially failed, most world
class providers didn’t. In allying with
Uber, clearly the PLDT Group and Smart
choose partners well. Other sharing
economy platforms will undoubtedly
emerge for different applications and
this trend is only set to continue in a sea
of successful positive disruptors such as
AirBnB and the like.
Government and Industry,
a Winning Alliance
For the longer term, it would be great
for private industry leaders such as PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise and the government
to set an all encompassing playbook
for digital interaction and partnership
through a single agency similar to the US
Digital Service. This could involve a much
welcome examination and overhaul of
legacy processes in different departments.
One can think of refurbished processes
for the LTO and transparent operations
at the Bureau of Customs as some of the
more immediate examples.
In all these ways and more, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise goes beyond endto-end ICT and assumes a larger role as
an end-to-end digital expert and partner.
Each and every solution is geared towards
addressing or revamping many (if not
all) aspects of a business or institution
that must move towards a new position
as a fully enabled digital enterprise. Such
transformed organizations and processes
will ensure that humans at both ends—
customers and business people—fully
benefit and experience the positive effects
of the digital pivot point.
OCT 2015
13
LBC PARTNERS WITH PLDT ALPHA
ENTERPRISE FOR BIG DATA ENABLEMENT
L
14
OCT 2015
LBC has a clearer and distinct view on
how its organization must transform
itself in the digital economy age.
OCT 2015
15
Transforming LBC’s Big Data
into Actionable Insights
goes beyond re-engineering our websites
and using booking applications,” LBC
President and COO Mike Camahort says
when asked about how his organization
must transform itself in a new digital age.
Transformation, after all is an LBC legacy.
Founded in the 1950s, the Luzon
Brokerage Company originally was a
brokerage and air cargo provider. Adapting
to changing market and consumer
behavior, they then expanded to express
courier and money remittance services.
Today, LBC is recognized as one of the
country’s leading logistics companies,
operating more than 3,000 branches in five
continents.
According to him, LBC is currently
placing a strong focus on social media
marketing, the inescapable online venue
where today’s informed and empowered
customers engage with brands. Through
their eCommerce affiliate LCC, they are
introducing new products like the “Instant
Balikbayan Box” and “Gadget Express.”
They’re also going digital in bigger
ways to increase operational efficiency. “We
are currently using handheld devices to
capture digital PODs (proof of deliveries)
with the end goal of streamlining all data
encoding processes. We are looking at the
possibility of going 100% with this,”
he said.
Because of this, Mr. Camahort says
that LBC is starting to rely more on data
and analytics for decision-making. They
may be the ultimate game changers in such
a time-sensitive industry as logistics.
LBC recently collaborated with PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise to start up their digital
enterprise requirements via the ePLDT Big
Data Platform as a Service solution.
“Everyone talks about Big Data,”
said Mr. Camahort. “And PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s approach to Big Data and the
digital transformation is quite advanced—
they truly understand our business. They
made a strong pitch on how this solution
can help us meet our strategic goals.”
“We at LBC have always believed
that it would be a data strategy that would
separate us from our competitors,” he
added. “And PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
shared this belief with us since the start.”
Through the partnership, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise provides LBC Big
Data with expert consultancy services
that can help steer their analytics strategy
on the optimum path. From there, the
ePLDT Big Data Platform as a Service also
allows LBC to maximize their data sets and
transform it to actionable insights. Their
engagement has just started, according
to Mr. Camahort, but judging from initial
indications they are quite optimistic on
future outcomes.
Streamlining Communications
with UNO
Staying true to its trusted expert
end-to-end ICT partner position, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise also provided LBC
with a reinforced communications system
through PLDT’s UNO Managed Unified
Communications solution.
With it, LBC converges real-time
voice, data, and messaging into a single
convenient platform. Multiple delivery
vehicles and geographically dispersed
branches are always interconnected
regardless of device, network, or location.
“We have invested heavily in
our infrastructure for LBC to leverage
on cloud services,” Mr. Camahort
said. “Because our business is
heavily reliant on data transmission,
the UNO Managed Unified
Communications has vastly improved
our communication needs as well
as our capability to support future
expansion plans.”
Towards a Complete Digital
Transformation
“We at PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
are proud to be an active part of
LBC’s exemplary endeavors towards
a complete digital transformation,
beginning with their Big Data
and Unified Communications
requirements,” said PLDT FVP and
Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
Jovy Hernandez. “We look forward
to further supporting LBC and all
our other customers as we Enable the
Digital Enterprise.”
PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE’S
APPROACH TO BIG DATA AND THE
DIGITAL
TRANSFORMATION
IS QUITE ADVANCED.
-MIKE CAMAHORT
LBC PRESIDENT AND COO
16
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
17
LBC SVP and CTO Alexander Francis Deato,
LBC President and COO Mike Camahort,
PLDT Relationship Manager Maria Charina Ann Mariano,
LBC CRO Javier Mantecon, PLDT VP and Head of
Corporate Relationship Management Precy Katigbak,
and PLDT VP and Head of Enterprise Strategic
Solutions John Gonzales
18
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
19
THE
FUTURE
PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE ENERGIZES
MERALCO’S DIGITAL ROADMAP
THROUGH THE POWER OF ICT
20
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
21
LET S
face it. The once stable and formidable
power industry faces disruption. With
rapid developments in electricity
generation, metering and automated
distribution, everyone—from
homeowners to large enterprise
organizations— is clamoring for smarter
power solutions that challenge the
traditional model. In Italy, for example,
there are 37 million smart meters installed
throughout the country. This ‘Smart
Grid’ provides real-time information
to customers on their usage and allows
distribution companies to offer a wider
range of services. It also allows for a
much tighter control of the network
and for operational savings to be made
through remote meter reading and
disconnection / reconnection.
For the Manila Electric Company
(Meralco), the largest power distributor in
the Philippines, this seismic shift simply
cannot be ignored.
During their first electricity
technology and innovation summit,
MTech 2015, Meralco Chief Technology
Advisor Gavin Barfield, along with other
Meralco executives – Ronnie Aperocho,
Alfredo Panlilio, Ramon Segismundo,
Marthyn Cuan, and President and CEO
Oscar Reyes – brought to light the
company’s Technology Vision for the year
2021.
“Everything is becoming connected—
from fridges to watches through the
‘Internet of Things’,” said Mr. Barfield.
He adds that the prospect of employing
new technologies within Meralco’s
operations not only creates a leaner
operating model, but also determines the
company’s future direction.
Mr. Barfield elaborates that “The
convergence of Information Technology
and Operational Technology, together
with social media, Big Data, mobile
and location-aware technology, cloud
computing, sensors, advanced metering,
and so on has shifted the ground we
stand on.”
22
OCT 2015
DATA
IS THE NEW
NATURAL
RESOURCE,
WHICH WILL BE
THE KEY FOR
MERALCO’S FUTURE.
- GAVIN BARFIELD
MERALCO CHIEF
TECHNOLOGY ADVISOR
The Digital Roadmap
For Mr. Barfield, going digital is
not just about technology. It is an entire
transformational process.
“We recognize that not only is
the industry changing, but so are our
customers,” he noted. “They are no
longer satisfied with a monthly total
consumption bill. What they want now is
more information on their usage, greater
control over how they use power, as well
as the ability to pay and interact with more
convenience.”
As part of their digital roadmap,
Meralco is set to modernize their
technologies, embracing new platforms:
social, mobile, analytics, and cloud. They
also foresee to innovate their existing
network through two cutting-edge
technologies: First is the new Enterprise
Asset Management (EAM) tool, enabling
the company to exercise more effective
asset management and be more proactive
in maintenance through advanced
analytics.
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vitiorrorit lant utempor alitiur.
OCT 2015
23
Second—which they consider as
a major investment—is the Advanced
Distribution Management System.
ADMS will provide a greater level of
information to their network operations
to quickly identify faults and dispatch
the crew. In addition, this system allows
“self-healing” in the form of power
redistribution to alternative circuits
should an outage take place. This will
help minimize the impact of outages and
keep as many customers connected as
possible.
“We will incorporate mobility into
everything we do,” said Mr. Barfield
as he mentioned Meralco’s field force
automation system and its customerfacing Meralco Virtual Engine (MoVe)
app and web portal. Through a
redesigned MoVe, customers will be
able to view and pay their bills online,
monitor their consumption, receive
notifications of outages and restorations,
and even control their household
appliances remotely.
As they plan to roll out the Smart
Grid, Mr. Barfield expressed with utmost
certainty that a dramatic expansion in the
level of available data will ensue. With
this, he said, “Data is the new natural
resource, which will be the key for
Meralco’s future. Thus, we are embarking
on a Big Data discovery project to unlock
the value in our data and provide our
business users and our customers with
more insights.”
World-Class ICT to Jumpstart
a Digital Transformation
In order to realize Meralco’s Big
Data future, they have turned to PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise as their trusted endto-end expert ICT partner.
“We have a long partnership with
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise as our ICT
partner mainly because of their network
reliability, sophisticated technology, and
customer service excellence,” said Mr.
Barfield. “We are keen to explore their
technology solutions to help us become
a data-driven organization.”
To realize any new advantages,
information must be effectively
24
OCT 2015
transmitted throughout an organization.
Currently, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
provides the power company’s voice,
data, and mobility requirements. Having
a robust telecommunication solution is
crucial for the company’s operations—
where outages, especially during
typhoons, can result in a large number of
calls to the contact center.
“We at PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
are honored to support Meralco’s
digital initiatives,” said PLDT FVP and
Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
Jovy Hernandez. “We look forward to
assisting them further in their digital
enterprise enablement through innovative
solutions such as our expansive ePLDT
Big Data Platform as a Service.”
The Meralco of the Future
Meralco’s memorable tagline has
always been May Liwanag Ang Buhay.
This time, however, there will be a
distinct enhancement to the message.
Energy networks will become
smarter—power distributed intelligently.
Consumers will become more
empowered with the ability to control
their power usage and expenditure.
Decisions, both large and small,
will now be guided by data-based
insights. Through the integration
of electrical power and ICT
innovation, Meralco will become–as
per Manny V Pangilinan–an “Internet
company with a power business.”
“In 2021, the Philippines will
shine brightly with Meralco taking the
lead in driving our industry forward,”
Mr. Barfield proudly proclaimed. “By
implementing our technology vision,
Filipinos will be empowered to shape a
world-class economy enabled by a highly
technical, cost effective, safe, and reliable
electricity distribution network.”
PLDT Relationship Manager Anna Chelo
Obedencio, PLDT VP and Head of Enterprise
Strategic Solutions John Gonzales, Meralco
Chief Technology Advisor Gavin Barfield,
and PLDT VP and Head of Corporate
Relationship Management Jay Lagdameo
OCT 2015
25
AN INDUSTRY
GAME
C HANGER
FOR INSURANCE
NATIONAL REINSURANCE CORPORATION OF THE PHILIPPINES
CONTINUES TO LEAD DIGITAL INITIATIVES IN THE INSURANCE
INDUSTRY WITH PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE’S TECHNOLOGIES
26
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
27
OUR
long term vision is to be the benchmark
of national reinsurance companies in the
region,” said NRCP's Senior Assistant
Vice President Jeffrey Lacson. “And our
main anchor in achieving this is through
technology.”
Digital technologies are shifting the
business landscape and consumer behavior,
with some exciting developments for
insurers. Just as in other industry verticals,
it is now time for insurers to evolve and
respond to this massive change to avoid
getting left behind.
Since its incorporation in 1978,
National Reinsurance Corporation of the
Philippines, also known as NRCP in local
insurance industry, remains to be the only
professional reinsurance organization in
our country. The company provides life
and non-life insurance services to other
insurance companies. Essentially, it insures
insurers.
“We are building our technologies
to provide analytical services for local
companies and industry partners,” said Mr.
Lacson, mentioning that they are currently
improving their infrastructure, processes,
and integration systems. They are training
their people overseas and bringing in
experienced foreign consultants to share
valuable perspectives and insights.
“Technology really plays a big part in
our roadmap and vision, that is why we are
very diligent in choosing an ICT partner
that offers scalability and reliability,”
he said.
An End-to-End ICT Partner
NRCP is able to focus on their core
business by confidently outsourcing most
of their ICT services to PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise.
“PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s digital
infrastructure solutions such as VITRO
Colocation, DRaaS, and Google Apps
help us set up and establish the right
infrastructure and technologies for our
future expansion,” mentioned Mr. Lacson.
28
OCT 2015
He also mentioned that the solutions meet
their corporate goals and objectives in
terms of efficiency and cost-savings.
And as they continue to scale up
their digital backbone, Mr. Lacson also
projected the company’s use of Big Data.
“We are considering to use ePLDT’s Big
Data Platform as a Service for the data
warehouse that will be housed internally,”
he said. The solution can transform raw
data and information into actionable
insights for reports and insurance
commissions.
“We are tapping PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise in this initiative, as they are
already experienced and have implemented
the technology within their group.”
Leader of Change
For Mr. Lacson, the potential NRCPPLDT ALPHA Enterprise Big Data
partnership benefits the organization as
well as the entire industry.
“We want to be the Big Data
pioneers for this industry,” said Mr.
Lacson, sharing that this initiative will
be a collaborative effort among the local
insurance companies. “In the near future,
we will be utilizing more technologies
to help the industry in consolidating
all the information and data for
government regulators, and other involved
organizations.”
“PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is
definitely a big help for us, because of their
customer service, flexibility, and integrity,”
said Mr. Lacson, adding that PLDT could
be their “gateway” in attaining their goal
of “becoming the technology leader of the
local insurance industry”.
“We are one with NRCP in their
aim to revolutionize the entire insurance
industry through technology,” said
PLDT FVP and Head of PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise Jovy Hernandez. “Technology
always reveals new frontiers of innovation
and competition, and this is certainly the
case here. With this partnership, we will
ensure our continued pursuit of innovating
our solutions to further enable NRCP and
the local insurance industry.”
OCT 2015
29
WE WANT
BIG DATA
PHILNARE
FOR THIS
INDUSTRY.
-JEFFREY LACSON
PHILNARE SENIOR ASSISTANT
VICE PRESIDENT
30
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
31
THE
DIGITAL
THE MANILA HOTEL MAKES ITS MARK
IN THE NEW DIGITAL CENTURY.
32
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
33
is only one hotel that has served as both
historical fixture and vantage point. The
Manila Hotel has witnessed and survived
war, colonizers, waves of regime change,
and fashion trends. Standing regal and
proud against every iconic Manila Bay
sunset, the century-old “Grand Dame” of
Philippine hotels also sits at the edge of a
digital transformation.
“Apart from being iconic, we clearly
represent history as the country’s flagship
hotel,” The Manila Hotel Assistant
Vice President for PR and Corporate
Communications Nian Liwanag-Rigor
says. “If they have The Raffles in
Singapore and The Four Seasons in Hong
Kong, we have The Manila Hotel in the
Philippines.”
DIGITAL
DEFINITELY
CANNOT BE
NEGLECTED.
A Grand Transformation
“The management, especially our
Executive Vice President Dr. Enrique
Y. Yap, Jr., recognizes the challenge of
evolving with our guests’ and the market’s
ever-changing needs,” Mrs. Liwanag-Rigor
notes. The hotel itself has undergone
structural and aesthetic changes since
opening in 1912, with current renovations
having begun almost five years ago.
Work on the vast 1,200 squaremeter Presidential Suite—including its
dedicated spa, fitness center, bar, and
helipad—is being done in time to welcome
distinguished dignitaries attending the
Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
summit in November. The smaller but
equally famous MacArthur Suite is
undergoing its own general makeover,
as are the façade and driveway. Café
Ilang-Ilang, the Fiesta Pavilion, and all
guest rooms are just some of the Dame’s
crown jewels that have been re-cut and
re-polished for the modern age. Of course
everything is done with a mindfulness
to preserve that distinctive Filipiniana
aesthetic. Even the logo was redesigned to
reflect the Grand Dame’s new look.
34
OCT 2015
- NIAN LIWANAG-RIGOR
MANILA HOTEL ASSISTANT VICE PRESIDENT
FOR PR AND COMMUNICATIONS
Communicating New Life
and Classic Luxury
In adopting newer ICT solutions,
simultaneously refurbishing physical assets,
and branding, the hotel is essentially
hitting the ground running. Mrs. LiwanagRigor explains the need to balance digital
and traditional communications strategies,
as the hotel engages with a younger and
savvy market.
“Digital definitely cannot be
neglected, just like ‘yuppies’ who sooner
or later will have larger total purchasing
power,” she says, noting trends among
young professionals and millenials who
like ‘staycations’ and occasional high-end
treats.
While the hotel’s typical market
still relies on printed information,
management is now also actively tapping
social media. In delivering key messages to
the public, The Manila Hotel actively posts
on its Facebook and Twitter accounts
alongside its usual press releases and email
blasts. It is also listed on leading online
directory Zomato, where patrons can
now book stays and other services. The
platform now contributes a bigger chunk
of all reservations. Other ICT applications
in the works are a highly tailored and
seamless one-stop online reservations
system, and a QR-Code-triggered,
app-based tour of the hotel.
Manila Hotel Assistant Vice President
for PR and Corporate Communications
Nian Liwanag-Rigor joined by PLDT
Corporate Relationship Manager
MG Librojo.
OCT 2015
35
Growing Further
Adding value to the hotel’s ICT
capabilities is Smart Enterprise’s
Messaging Suite, which sends SMS
blasts to clients’ mobile phones. Mrs.
Liwanag-Rigor says they are widening
their partnership with PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise by adopting the Smart
Ads geofencing system that alerts
subscribers entering a preset radius
from the hotel. They also use the
SafeZone solution, which gives Smart
users access to The Manila Hotel
website and mobile application without
incurring data charges.
For Mrs. Liwanag-Rigor, these
solutions extend the hotel’s reach to
a sizable untapped market in Metro
Manila’s financial and political centers.
All have immediately proved more
cost-efficient and effective, to the
extent that full-time personnel are now
devoted to maintaining a constant
online and offline presence.
“All we do now is segment the
market using age and location, but we
want to go deeper with data mining
and insights to let us know where we’re
headed in reaching our market,” Mrs.
Liwanag-Rigor adds. “These can be
powerful guides.”
The Manila Hotel’s personal
brand of service, she states, is pegged
at a premium, and PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s own brand of service
is delivered with a similar identity.
Needless to say, it has earned her
continued professional and personal
confidence. “We appreciate how the
team is so accommodating, and that
is why I have been pushing to take
our relationship with PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise even further,” she adds.
Left: The "Dame" and her jewels all laid out
for admirers old and new.
Right: The Manila Hotel's Mrs. Liwanag-Rigor
(left) and PLDT Relationship Manager MG
Librojo (right) pause from a chat under the glow
of one of the lobby's five brass chandeliers.
36
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
37
A
PREMIUM ON
RELATI ONS
HOT JOE SITS DOWN WITH FIRST LIFE FINANCIAL
CO., INC. PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE
OFFICER PETER G. COYIUTO, CLU, TO DISCUSS
ICT AND DIGITAL STRATEGIES FOR PROVIDING
SECURE AND COMPLETE LIFE COVERAGE.
38
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
39
GOING DIGITAL
IS ONE OF OUR STRATEGIES
IN IMPROVING OPERATIONAL
- PETER G. COYIUTO
FIRST LIFE PRESIDENT AND CEO
ICT framework is required to achieve this
quality of client relations. “It speeds up
innovation and product development,
and makes us more available to our clients
and partners.”
Life Strategies
provide clients with the most
comprehensive and customized coverage
is a top priority for insurance companies.
Needless to say, fostering good client
relations is key in an industry where trust
is an absolute requirement and life is at a
premium.
First Life President and CEO Peter
G. Coyiuto, CLU, states that an effective
40
OCT 2015
First Life has been around for over
half a century, bringing to fore vast
experience and financial stability, with the
strong backup expertise of the Coyiuto
Group of Companies’ wide network
of ventures in general insurance, car
dealership, stock brokerage and travel
services. Over the years, First Life has
been providing a broad range of life
insurance products and services that
harness its reputation and tradition of
excellence.
Mr. Coyiuto, shares that “going
digital is one of our strategies in
improving operational efficiency,
attracting talented financial advisers
and ensuring customer satisfaction.”
In a nutshell, he says, the company’s
digital initiatives as “go online, go
paperless, go mobile, and go ultra-fast.”
Streamlined Operations
External and internal digital
operations, Mr. Coyiuto noted, are
only possible through PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s Internet backbone—the
country's largest. It enables First Life to
do process integration, research, and realtime employee collaboration. “We are a
long-time partner of PLDT and
will continue to apply their solutions
in effectively delivering services to our
stakeholders,” he added.
A vital component of this framework
is an integral IP VPN solution for reliable
connectivity to all First Life branches,
including its Disaster Recovery (DR) site.
Mr. Coyiuto also added that PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise’s ICT capabilities go
beyond the internal connectivity essential
for daily operations. PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s Business DSL service remains
as a pillar solution granting employees
Internet access; for personnel and
financial advisors, it is a reliable tool for
customer engagement.
Not leaving to chance its commitment
to customer satisfaction, First Life trusts
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s VITRO
Subic Data Center to guarantee business
continuity should natural disruptions
occur in the company’s home base of
Metro Manila.
Mr. Coyiuto sees new developments
on the horizon, such as frequent website
updates, creation and maintenance
of mobile applications, as well as
rapid customer engagement through
social platforms.
Comprehensive Engagement
and Service
While technological advances do
help immensely, Mr. Coyiuto stressed the
importance of genuine face-to-face client
interaction. As an example, he cites some
high-tech actuarial processes where an
agent simply enters data into his tablet
computer without deeply engaging the
prospect. As a First Life partner, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise does not undervalue
the human element, according to Mr.
Coyiuto, lauding the telecom giant’s client
relations framework as more developed
and proactive under Mr. Manny V
Pangilinan, a fellow Wharton School
alumnus.
“Even for a company of their
size, the PLDT group’s relationship
management model is active from the
top down, from seniors at corporate
and networking events to Relationship
Managers who keep in touch and actually
see you,” he added.
Effective digital tools and systems
that build good client relations are
essential to First Life’s continued success.
This winning formula is founded on the
shared aspiration of First Life and PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise towards superb and
responsive customer-centered service.
Because no matter what technology is
involved, the human element will always
be the differentiator.
OCT 2015
41
First Life ISD Manager Nito Alveniz,
PLDT Relationship Manager Roberto
De Guzman, PLDT Head of Corporate
Relationship Business Kent de la Calzada,
First Life President and CEO Peter G.
Coyiuto, First Life EVP-Actuary and COO
Meng Santiago, and PLDT VP and Head
of Corporate Relationship Management
Jay Lagdameo
42
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
43
THE FILIPINO LIFESTYLE,
THE
SM LIFESTYLE ENTERTAINMENT, INC. REAFFIRMS
ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE
AND SMART ENTERPRISE FOR STRONGER
CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT THROUGH ITS
FORTIFIED MESSAGING PLATFORM
44
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
45
THE
SM Group’s legacy of touching the
Filipino lives continues.
In 2014, the Group launched SM
Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. (SM LEI),
its lifestyle and entertainment arm. With
fourteen (14) major brands under its
growing portfolio, SM LEI promotes the
best entertainment and leisure activities
through personalized facilities. Everything
is aimed at enhancing the modern Filipino
lifestyle.
SM LEI leads the country’s evolution
to a digital lifestyle with its present role
as the first enabler of digital movie
technology and other key innovations. Its
first brand, SM Cinema, converges sensory
design and technology through 2D and
3D digital projection and surround
sound systems for more exciting and
immersive theater experiences. To make
every experience even more engaging,
the company promotes an easy-to-use,
secure, and cost effective cashless payment
scheme for Filipinos through the ePLUS
Tap-to-Pay card.
Powered by smart card technology, an
integrated e-wallet can easily be reloaded
for all retail, dining, and entertainment
establishments of the SM Group as well
as for partner merchants. And since
ePLUS is accessible even without online
authorization, cardholders can easily do
transactions within seconds.
As a reflection of their commitment
to empowered customer experiences,
SM LEI President Edgar Tejerero said,
“it is very important for us that we stay
connected to our patrons, always reaching
them in the fastest and most efficient
way.” He added that a consistent and
reliable connection is an extremely critical
factor for their all-around operations.
46
OCT 2015
"IT’S QUITE FITTING TO
PARTNER
WITH AN UNDOUBTEDLY
RELIABLE AND STABLE
NETWORK,
PLDT.”
-EDGAR TEJERERO
SM LEI PRESIDENT
SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc. President Edgar Tejerero (4th from Right) with Smart Enterprise
Senior Manager for Segment Marketing Debbie Ledesma (3rd from right), PLDT FVP and Head
of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and Smart Enterprise Jovy Hernandez (2nd from Right) and PLDT VP
and Head of Corporate Relationship Management Mitch Locsin (5th from Left), joined by
representatives from PLDT, Smart, and SM Lifestyle Entertainment, Inc.
“We believe that in order to deepen
the relationship with each of our
customers, a proactive means of reaching
them should be in place. This objective is
being met by Smart’s Messaging Suite.“
OCT 2015
47
A Reconnected Partnership
SM LEI’s renewed partnership
with Smart Enterprise allows them to
strengthen the company’s communications
and messaging platform through the
Smart Messaging Suite. With its SMS blast
feature, SM LEI’s ePLUS Tap-to-Pay card
promos and other announcements are
easily and instantly broadcasted to their
valued customers.
“Smart’s Messaging Suite provides an
efficient, accurate, and easy-to-navigate
solution for ePLUS,” said Mr. Tejerero.
“With this solution, ePLUS is able to
create a stronger brand recall through a
proactive marketing approach via SMS.”
48
OCT 2015
Living the Filipino
Digital Lifestyle
With its diverse brands lined up,
SM LEI is definitely gearing up to make
their digital move and it will be fueled by
innovation, technology, and creativity.
“Digital is really the way to go. That
is why we at SM Lifestyle Entertainment,
Inc. spearhead SM’s move to digital,”
enthused Mr. Tejerero. “And with this,
it’s quite fitting to partner with an
undoubtedly reliable and stable network,
PLDT.”
“We at PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and
Smart Enterprise are grateful to the SM
Group for entrusting us with their digital
requirements. We will definitely continue
to intensify our strategies and solutions
to better enable SM during their exciting
move to digital. With the continuing
partnership between PLDT and SM, we
are optimistic that this will lead to bigger
and better opportunities,” said PLDT FVP
and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
and Smart Enterprise Jovy Hernandez.
Mr. Tejerero (2nd from right) shares a
candid moment with Mr. Hernandez
and Mr. Locsin (1st and 2nd from
Left, respectively) prior to the contract
signing ceremonies.
FOR JOACHIM HORN, THE PHILIPPINE
TELCO INDUSTRY LED BY PLDT IS SET
FOR A NEW TAKEOFF.
50
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
51
FOR
the PLDT Group’s newly appointed
Chief Technology and Integration
Officer Joachim Horn, things are looking
great. He should be the best judge to
validate newfound optimism in the
telco industry. His global expertise in
telecommunications, technology, and
wireless networks has brought him across
sweeping geographical boundaries: from
Sweden to the Philippines by way of
Germany, Indonesia, and India. He had
joined big name organizations such as
Siemens, T-Mobile International, Bharti
Airtel Limited, and Tele2 AB.
And while he has worked with the
best of the best, he describes the PLDT
team as “the strongest” he has ever
dealt with. Joachim is a true master of
his craft, living and working a passion
for technology, which he considers the
“universal language.”
HOT JOE was fortunate enough
to have a few minutes of Mr. Horn’s
time as he reveals to us a new wave
of innovation that is set to propel the
country’s telecommunications landscape
to new and greater heights.
HOT JOE: Please describe your present
role within the PLDT Group as its Chief
Technology and Integration Officer.
JOACHIM HORN: I am in charge
of all areas of the PLDT Group’s
technology. This covers mainly the
fixed and mobile networks, the service
platform area as well as all and beyond
the integration across all technology
domains. Also, part of my portfolio is
the technical coordination with Voyager
Innovations and other PLDT affiliates.
There are so many possibilities; and
I think it would be a sin, if we would
not leverage on all these technology
capabilities in the best possible way.
52
OCT 2015
HJ: Could you share with us what your
typical workday is like?
JOACHIM: My work here is relatively
unpredictable. I live mainly on meetings,
from early morning until late evening. It’s
very rare that I sit on the table and just do
emails. I respond to emails early morning or
late evening in my car so the day is free for
me to focus on more pressing matters.
Since I am now in the Philippines, I
also try to introduce a little bit of German
structure into the meeting culture. We just
announced actually that we now have a new
Project Management Office. We try to better
coordinate how we talk, how we decide, how
we manage and monitor all of our projects.
We have almost two hundred projects, which
are running in parallel. So, it’s very difficult
to look at them simultaneously. But with a
little bit of structure, it gets very easy. Today,
we had our first meeting where we discussed
over two hundred projects in less than two
hours. And I want to know where we are in
each of those projects. That’s my thing. I try
to establish some structure that makes our
lives much easier.
HJ: What adjustments have you had to
make, in personal and professional life,
moving from Sweden to the Philippines?
JOACHIM: I used to live in Stockholm,
Sweden, and so the main differences are
the temperature and the weather. It is
much colder and less humid in Sweden,
but as I have lived in India, I was actually
expecting it to be hotter here. So, I’m
pleasantly surprised that I’ve adjusted to
the climate very well. But, I would say the
biggest adjustment is the traffic, which can
sometimes be very frustrating. When this
happens, I just put my headset on and listen
to some nice music.
When it comes to work, I think what you
always have to experience when entering a
new company is cultures are always a little
bit different. There are always differences
when it comes to working and dealing with
people. Also, since I come in as a leader into
a new team, it’s very important for me to
win over the people I work with. I’m actually
a low hierarchy person. I like to talk to
people on all levels and understand, as much
as possible, the details of our projects
and problems.
THAT’S MY
THING
.
I TRY TO ESTABLISH
SOME STRUCTURE
THAT MAKES
OUR LIVES MUCH
EASIER.
- JOACHIM HORN
PLDT CHIEF TECHNOLOGY
AND INTEGRATION OFFICER
OCT 2015
53
Mr. Horn admires this colorfoul retrospective of the PLDT Network's history.
HJ: What can you say are the differences
between working for a European
telecommunications company and a
Filipino one like PLDT?
JOACHIM: Probably the most
impressive difference is that it’s much
more fun here. It’s not that there is no
fun in Europe or India, but the amount
of laughter in a meeting here is probably
the same level as we have very serious
talks. I have to say, I really enjoy that.
And this absolutely doesn’t mean we
are wasting time. It helps keep the
productivity high, and the pressure
and stress at reasonable levels.
When it comes to the market,
the enterprise and consumer markets
have very similar situations. The major
difference is that the economy is in a
different state. It can be considered from
an industry perspective that Sweden
and Germany are more mature. In the
Philippines, there are more areas where
the technical development has not
progressed. But in telecommunications,
the technology we have is absolutely
on the same standards as Europe. The
technologies and ambitions are the same.
54
OCT 2015
We are as advanced in wireless cellular
technologies, not to mention our fantastic
fiber backbone.
There is also a difference when it
comes to the customer-based standpoint
and their needs. Here, there is a necessity
of selling things in small amounts, or what
is known as “sachets” for low income
markets. I’ve learned from a meeting with
Voyager that consumers can buy Internet
access for a Peso. And for me, this is a
fantastic concept that is not practiced in
Europe. It is an important enabler, which
requires different solutions. And this
unique combination in technology and
consumer models is very interesting.
HJ: What are the most important lessons
you’ve learned from your previous
experiences?
JOACHIM: I have actually worked for
almost 20 years on the supplier side, and
now 13 years with network operators.
So I’ve seen both sides. I consider this
extremely valuable because we have to deal
with a lot of suppliers, and it gives me the
ability to put myself into the shoes of the
other side. That’s actually one of the key
Mr. Horn (Center) poses with some Smart employees after they demonstrated one of their landmark innovations.
learnings I have made in the technology
and business-oriented angle.
Also, having experienced a lot
of things that did not go so well, the
key thing as they say in German is “Do
something, learn, and do it better.”
We always commit mistakes. What’s
important is to learn from them.
On a personal side, I have obviously
established my leadership principles but I
would bring it down to a few things:
One is transparency. I am a big fan
of keeping things transparent— be
predictable, open, and honest.
Second is very direct: I am a no
politics person. Sometimes it’s necessary,
but it can be very inefficient.
Third is to not take yourself too
seriously. A big title doesn’t make you a
better person. Of course, a leader has
certain functions and roles, but you need
to try to treat everybody with respect, as
if you are all on the same level. Hierarchy
is necessary, but only to achieve what
the company needs, and not to treat
people wrongly.
HJ: What, in your opinion, are the
Philippines’ chances of becoming more
recognized and adept in ICT? How does
that compare with the capabilities of our
ASEAN neighbors?
JOACHIM: I have to say, the Philippines
is definitely one of the top countries
for ICT outsourcing and other related
services. The ambition is to grow as the
economy of its ASEAN neighbors, and
that comes along with investment cycles.
The need for Internet in this country is
big, but the usage pattern is very different
from other countries. This is the reason
why the challenge is daunting because
most of the Philippine Internet usage is
actually outbound. More than 90% of
Internet access is routed to other
countries – mainly in the US, Asia, and
Europe. When I was in Germany, most of
the Internet usage is local. The good thing
is this concern has been recognized.
We are edging up to make sure that this
will become a very competitive company
and country.
HJ: In your opinion, how instrumental is
PLDT in enabling companies to become
digital enterprises?
JOACHIM: The PLDT Group,
together with all its subsidiaries, has all
the ingredients. I think there’s no other
company that is as digitally equipped
to serve enterprises in the best possible
way. When I look at it from a network
perspective, the biggest asset is the
enormous fiber backbone that we
have. We connect practically all the
islands. There’s a high-speed data highway,
we can say, in which we are continuously
investing. Of course, there’s a little
bit of challenges from natural hazards
and man-made errors. But rest assured,
we are continuously working on making
our network resilient and reliable, more
than ever.
I think we have the best portfolio.
We deliver fiber and the highest DSL
speed to the home. We also have all
technologies – 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE, and
TD-LTE. So whatever an enterprise may
need, from the network side, we can
deliver. For delivering enterprise-specific
requirements and applications, what
I’ve seen in Eric Alberto’s team is their
enormous competence to find and provide
the right digital solutions for both SMEs
and large enterprises. So, to combine the
strengths from the network with all the
new technologies leveraged on social,
mobile, analytics, and cloud, I think there’s
nobody else who can do that. Honestly,
I’m very impressed. I was always involved
in enterprise business in all the companies
I’ve worked for, and I think, this by far is
the strongest I’ve seen.
HJ: What do you hope a major Philippine
telco like PLDT do? What are your
long-term goals for PLDT?
JOACHIM: We continue to invest heavily
on ICT. It has been announced recently
that our CAPEX for next year will be
increased in order to get the network
become even better. And our goal is
nothing less than to be best in quality
and to lead in technology here in the
Philippines.
HJ: What do you think is the best way to
achieve PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s stated
mission, which is Enabling the Digital
Enterprise?
JOACHIM: I would say first is we have to
listen to our customers. On the technology
side, my contribution would be to deliver
the best network required in order to
further enable digital enterprises. And in
between, I’m sure, digital enterprises
will thrive.
OCT 2015
55
LANDMARK
AGREEMENT
WE LOOK FORWARD
TO A
RELATIONSHIP
AND
PHILIPPINE
INTERNET
ON
SEALED
PLDT JOINS FORCES WITH DOST TO BOOST
PHILIPPINE OPEN INTERNET EXCHANGE PLATFORM
STRONGER
BETTER
COLLABORATION
BETWEEN DOST AND PLDT.
- ERIC R. ALBERTO
suitable environment to host PHOpenIX
– it not only delivers the vital operational
amenities to continuously run such
mission-critical systems, it also guarantees
maximum security and protection from
the elements and natural disasters for
utmost business continuity. PHOpenIX
as well becomes accessible to more entities
as existing or potential VITRO co-locators
can now easily connect locally within the
said data center.
Service On All Levels
hilippine Internet
users can look forward
to an enhanced web
experience in local
online transactions
and accessing locally
hosted content. This
is the new reality after the PLDT Group
sealed an agreement with the Department
of Science and Technology to support
their landmark Philippine Open Internet
Exchange (PHOpenIX) initiative.
Under the memorandum of
agreement which, both parties signed in
early September, DOST will be able to
set up and operate its envisioned third
PhOpenIX node location right in the
heart of ePLDT’s VITRO, the PLDT
Group’s and the Philippines’ premiere
network of Data Centers. Within VITRO,
56
OCT 2015
PLDT will provide the requisite facilities
and amenities to host PhOpenIX’s node
infrastructure and Internet exchange
platform. This third PhOpenIX node
in VITRO has been complete with full
optical fiber connectivity, which will run
all the way going to DOST Quezon City
headquarters, linking it up with DOST
and the other PHOpenIX node locations
in the country.
“The PLDT Group fully supports
DOST and its landmark PhOpenIX
initiative, and its vision to operate an
Internet exchange that will interconnect
local Internet and data service providers,”
PLDT Executive Vice President and
ePLDT President and CEO Eric R.
Alberto remarked at the event.
Other top dignitaries, including
Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino,
DOST Secretary Mario Montejo, and
DOST ICTO Executive Director Louis
Napoleon Casambre witnessed the
landmark contract signing.
In this regard, PLDT’s reliable digital
infrastructure will certainly boost the
government’s online capabilities. For
example, the DOST’s Philippine Research,
Education, and Government Information
Network (PREGINET) initiative, a
Research and Education Network that
interconnects academic, research, and
government institutions stands to enjoy a
major boost. Through this convergence,
citizens will be granted better, faster access
to government information, leading to
better overall public service.
The partnership stands as proof
of a shared public and private sector
commitment to quality customer service
and dedication to serving the nation.
“We look forward to a stronger
relationship and better collaboration
between DOST and PLDT,” said Mr.
Alberto in conclusion, “and a brighter
future for our fellow Filipinos, whom we
all sincerely aim to serve.”
Seated (L-R): PLDT Regulatory Affairs Head Atty.
Ray Espinosa, PLDT EVP and ePLDT President
and CEO Eric Alberto, DOST Secretary Hon.
Mario Montejo, and Senator Bam Aquino
Standing (L-R): PLDT VP and Head of Corporate
Relationship Management Renato Castañeda,
PLDT FVP and Head of PLDT ALPHA
Enteprprise Jovy Hernandez, DOST Usec.
ICTO Executive Director Louis Napoleon
Casambre, and DOST-ICTO Deputy Executive
Director for e-Government Denis Villorente
Resilient Network Equipment
Upon activation of the new peering
node in PLDT, DOST will be able to
operate PHOpenIX simultaneously
from three different locations, thereby
further improving the resiliency of the
government Internet exchange.
“With a fully functional third node
set up in our VITRO Data Center,
PHOpenIX network not only expands
to cover PLDT, it also becomes a more
resilient platform from a technical
architecture standpoint,” Mr. Alberto
proclaimed. VITRO provides a most
OCT 2015
57
PHILIPPINE
ENTERPRISE
HOT JOE GETS THE THREE BIGGEST NAMES IN
IBM’S ASIA-PACIFIC DIVISION TO SHARE THEIR
BUSINESS INNOVATION SECRETS AND THE FACTS
ON PLDT’S EVER-GROWING CLOUD PORTFOLIO.
58
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
59
INNOVATION.
It is a term that runs loose and unfettered
in the business world these days.
However, it is a word truly easier invoked
than done. A mere handful of companies
actually walks the talk. And among
them, a name remains as dominant as
it is historic: the International Business
Machines Corporation or IBM.
Big Blue (IBM’s famous nickname)
invented the ATM, the magnetic stripe
card, the hard disk and floppy drives,
and the universal product code (aka. the
barcode). Here in the Philippines, they
also introduced the iconic punch card for
accounting systems, the first mainframe,
and the first airline reservation system.
And here’s a little known fact: the original
Manila Clock Tower is a true blue IBM
product.
“We at IBM have a deep
commitment to drive progress through
innovation,” says IBM Philippines
President and Country General Manager
Luis Pineda. “We have continued to
innovate, evolve, and be relevant to meet
the needs of our clients. And now we’re
ushering them into yet another global
business shift: the era of cloud, data, and
engagement.”
We were lucky enough to sit down
with Mr. Pineda as well as IBM ASEAN
General Manager Kellar Nevill and
IBM Asia Pacific Cloud Strategy and
Integration Executive Victor Silvino to
learn more about how their company
employs innovation on both their
technology and their partnership with
PLDT.
On IBM’s Cloud and a Smarter
Way to Do Big Data
“The world’s information technology
infrastructure is being transformed by
the emergence of cloud computing,” Mr.
Nevill said. He pointed out that analysts
predict that by the end of this year, a
60
OCT 2015
quarter of all applications will be on the
cloud and 80% of software development
will be done on the cloud.
“IBM has been investing heavily
in this area,” he added, “remaking
enterprise IT for the era of the
cloud,” spending billions of dollars
in acquisitions, hiring experts, filing
thousands of patents, and expanding
cloud data centers worldwide. The result:
a lineup of industry leading, superbly
comprehensive cloud solutions suite.
This includes breakthrough solutions
such as their Workload Transformation
Analysis for Cloud or WTA.
The IBM WTA helps enterprise
organizations create the optimal roadmap
they need towards full cloud adoption.
This consulting framework solution
gives decision makers a quantitative
look at their business applications and
infrastructure in order to better identify
areas that could benefit the most from
cloud adoption.
To say the least, IBM has an
optimistic outlook on Big Data. “Data
is the world’s new natural resource.” Mr.
Nevill claims that it promises to be for
the 21st century what steam power was
for the 18th century, what electricity
was for the 19th century, and what
petrochemicals were for the 20th century.
“Data has the power to transform
industries and professions," he added,
"but it is only valuable if you know how
to extract value and insights from it.”
IBM’s answer to that is what Mr.
Nevill called an intersection between
“neuroscience, supercomputing, and
nanotechnology”: Cognitive Computing
Systems aka. IBM Watson. Named after
the company’s first CEO, Mr. Nevill
said that Watson is something even
beyond artificial intelligence. Watson is a
computer system designed to self-learn,
currently making huge strides in finance,
retail, and healthcare.
IBM Philippines President and Country General
Manager Luis Pineda, IBM ASEAN General
Manager Kellar Nevill, and IBM Asia Pacific Cloud
Strategy and Integration Executive Victor Silvino
OCT 2015
61
“DATA
IS THE WORLD’S
NEW
NATURAL RESOURCE.”
-KELLAR NEVILLE
IBM ASEAN GENERAL MANAGER
These "new era technologies,"
according to Mr. Nevill, can help
businesses stay ahead of the competition
and drive the next wave of business
growth when properly integrated with
their core systems.
The Perfect Business
Partnership for the Digital Era
“In the past, IBM’s relationship and
engagement with PLDT was mainly
transactional,” replied Mr. Silvino when
62
OCT 2015
we asked about the origins of their
partnership with PLDT. “But given the
emerging opportunities in technological
and market shifts, we have decided to reimagine the possibilities that are available
to both companies to transform our
business.”
And that began an almost yearlong
courtship-of-sorts between the two tech
giants. Through joint workshops and
meetings, IBM and PLDT worked out
a transformative partnership structure
founded on the IT innovation of the
former with the well-entrenched reach of
the latter.
This common linkage on the
infrastructure level is based on SoftLayer,
according to Mr. Pineda. In this
partnership’s initial stage, PLDT will now
add IBM’s industry-leading IaaS solution
as part of an evolving PLDT Cloud
portfolio.
“Our cloud partnership will enable
growth for both companies by penetrating
market-disruptive offerings especially
in the SME space,” Mr. Silvino said. In
fact, that is IBM’s key takeaway in this
partnership with PLDT, together learning
to sell to a market sector that according
to Mr. Pineda “would have otherwise
remained whitespace.”
Mr. Pineda praised PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise for Enabling the Digital
Enterprise, in part through the pillar
technologies of Social, Mobility, Analytics,
and Cloud (SMAC). “Given IBM’s bold
agenda of transforming in the era of
cloud, data, and engagement, PLDT
is in the perfect position to accelerate
transformation and adoption of new
technologies in the Philippines.”
With SoftLayer as the starting
point, Mr. Pineda and the rest of IBM
envision infinite possibilities with their
breakthrough partnership with PLDT.
“We would also like to bring cloud for
line-of-business users looking to drive
innovation,” alluding to the possible
integration of the company’s massive
Software as a Service (SaaS) portfolio that
can address nearly countless industryspecific functions. He also mentioned the
possibility of integrating the impressive
BlueMix Platform as a Service (PaaS)
to bring even more value to the PLDT
Cloud.
The Philippine enterprise community
will surely be eager to embark on what
can only be an exhilarating adventure.
And more importantly, the PLDT-IBM
partnership serves as inspiration for all
to shun innovation as a buzzword, and
instead, embrace it as essential.
OCT 2015
63
Y
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
Were OU
There
1
2
FURTHER FORWARDS IN DIGITAL INNOVATION
PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE AND
IDC ONCE AGAIN COLLABORATE
TO FURTHER ENABLE
THE DIGITAL ENTERPRISE
REVOLUTION THROUGH THE
PHILIPPINE ICT LEADERSHIP
ROUNDTABLE SERIES.
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and the
International Data Corporation (IDC)
continued with a shared momentum for
enabling digital enterprises at the 2015
Philippine ICT Leadership Summit. A
series of targeted industry events dubbed
as the 2015 Philippine ICT Leadership
Roundtable Series featured international
experts and enterprise leaders sharing their
in-depth knowledge on the third platform
benefits for Offshoring and Outsourcing
organizations (O&O’s), banks and other
financial institutions, as well as the retail
and manufacturing industries.
The first of the roundtable series
started at the Meralco Lighthouse. With
business leaders from the Philippine
O&O organizations participating, the
discussions centered on the importance
of up-to-date applications and solutions,
streamlined operations, and reduced
hardware footprints through the PLDT
Cloud Desktop as a Service (DaaS).
Speakers included IDC Asia/Pacific Lead
for Services, Cloud, and BPO Mayur
Sahni and VMware Philippines Systems
Engineering (SE) Manager Carlos Vargas.
Next up were top executives of the
banking and financial sectors. Held at the
prestigious Tower Club, IDC Thailand
Country Manager and IDC Asia/
Pacific Research Director for Financial
Insights Michael Araneta and PLDT
VP and Head of Enterprise Strategic
Solutions John Gonzales demonstrated
the vast improvements in running their
organizations with transformative
third platform technologies, specifically
Big Data.
3
More recently, PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise and IDC gathered the biggest
names in local retail and manufacturing
at the Shakespeare function room of
the Discovery Primea. IDC Asia/Pacific
Managing Director and International
Head of IDC Manufacturing Insights
Dr. Christopher Holmes talked about
optimizing solutions and increasing
market share through the power of Big
Data, while Mr. Gonzales shared how
participants can reap the benefits of
PLDT’s Big Data solutions for their
enterprise.
The first three installments of the
roundtable series were truly a resounding
success. With this, PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise and IDC are ready to take
on the positive effects of disruptive
innovation to the Government and
Healthcare industries.
4
5
64
OCT 2015
1.
VMware Philippines Systems Engineering
Manager Carlos Vargas (5th from left) and
IDC Asia/Pacific Lead for Services, Cloud,
and BPO Mayur Sahni (8th from left) pose
with industry executives and the PLDT team
during the O&O roundtable.
2.
Mr. Sahni serves as the keynote speaker
during the first roundtable series at the
Meralco Lighthouse.
3.
Juzi Tan, Renato Quizon, Cristina Coronel,
Vic Tria, and Josefina Reyes
4.
Vic Tria shares a conversation with Cristina
Coronel
5.
Mr. Renato Derpo of BakerNet asks a
question for the speakers.
6.
PLDT VP and Head of Corporate
Relationship Management Vic Tria
6
OCT 2015
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WERE YOU THERE
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2
1
BUILDING THE CONNECTED DIGITAL ECONOMY
GLOBAL AND REGIONAL
TELECOMMUNICATIONS
PROVIDERS CONVERGED IN
CEBU TO DISCOVER NEW DIGITAL
OPPORTUNITIES AT THE 2015
ASIAN CARRIERS CONFERENCE
Representatives from top international
telecommunications providers and
technology companies once again gathered
at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort Hotel
in Cebu for this year’s Asian Carriers
Conference. The four-day summit, which
commenced from September 1 to 4,
focused on how telcos play a pivotal role in
the “connected digital economy.”
Gracing the ACC plenary session
with their unique insights on the global,
digital telco industry were PLDT and
Smart President and CEO Napoleon
L. Nazareno, Hot Telecom President
Isabelle Paradis, and Disruptiveviews.com
Managing Director Tony Poulos.
Other speakers included Telekom
Malaysia Berhad General Manager –
Regional and Alliance Sales, Global and
Wholesale, Mr. Ganesh John Sivasamboo
and Ciena Vice President and General
Manager – Global Field Sales and
Operations – ASEAN, Greater China, and
HK/Taiwan, Mr. Lionel Gan.
The four action-packed days truly
made the participants experience the best
of both worlds, as they were filled with
valuable insights and lively social functions
– including industry workshops, themed
dinners, and other leisure activities.
And in true ACC fashion, the
organizers continued their yearly social
responsibility efforts with the PLDT-
Smart Foundation and Gabay Guro (2G)
donating classroom buildings and Smartpowered educational tools to selected
schools in the Visayas region.
“Year on year, we do our best to
break down barriers and discover new
frontiers at the ACC,” said Mr. Alberto.
“Our partners and delegates are not here
to adapt to changes in the industry; they
are the ones who are largely initiating those
changes.”
3
4
5
6
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OCT 2015
5
1.
PLDT Executive Vice President and Head of
Enterprise & International and Carrier Business
and ePLDT President & CEO Eric Alberto leads
the PLDT Group in hosting the offsite dinner for
the ACC 2015 delegates.
2.
PLDT President and CEO Napoleon Nazareno
graces the plenary session with his keynote
address.
3.
Mr. Alberto warmly welcomes the delegates
during his opening remarks.
4.
Disruptiveviews.com Managing Director
Tony Poulos
5.
Hot Telecom President Isabelle Paradis
6.
Leading the ceremonial ribbon cutting of the
ACC 2015 Exhibit are Mr. Nazareno (4th from
left), Mr. Alberto (3rd from left), PLDT SVP
and PLDT Global President & CEO Alex Caeg
(leftmost), and PLDT VP Gene Sanchez, with
event partners.
OCT 2015
67
WERE YOU THERE
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7
8
11
9
12
7.
13
11. Delegates enjoy a relaxing day of island
hopping and snorkeling tour in Olongapo
Island.
The ACC 2015 delegates begin the day
with a friendly round of golf at the scenic
Alta Vista Golf Club in Cebu.
8.
PLDT VP Gene Sanchez awards the
plaque of appreciation.
9.
Ciena Director of Systems Engineering
Gideon Hoe (1st from left) leads the Ciena
team during the workshop.
12. Mr. Caeg, Mr. Sanchez, and Executive Advisor
for Network Operations Rudi Frey (1st, 2nd,
and 5th from left)
13. The delegates engage in bilateral meetings and
networking during the four-day event.
14. PLDT executives Alex Caeg, Joachim Horn,
and Eric Alberto (1st, 4th, and 6th from left),
together with Platinum Event Partners Gao
Kexin of Huawei, Stephane Dartige du Fournet
of Orange, and Marc Halbfinger of PCCW
Global, lead the ceremonial toast to the ACC
2015 opening.
10. Mr. Sanchez and Mr. Caeg hand over
the plaque of appreciation to TATA
Communications Senior Vice President
SAARC and APAC Sales Global Voice
Solutions Chris Almeida.
10
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OCT 2015
14
OCT 2015
69
WERE YOU THERE
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1
2
3
4
5
PIONEERING DIGITALLY DRIVEN INNOVATION
ePLDT BOLSTERS END-TO-END
DIGITAL SOLUTIONS AT THE
SUCCESSFUL ICT FORUM
ePLDT, together with its subsidiaries
ABM Global Solutions (AGS), CuroTeknika,
ePDS, and IP Converge (IPC), recently
concluded the Information and
Communications Technology (ICT) Forum
at PLDT Innolab in Mandaluyong. With top
enterprise executives and industry leaders
in attendance, the forum reintroduced
the group’s digital solutions portfolio and
established the organization’s concrete plans
for the coming years.
Titled “Enabling Customers’ Success
through Dynamic Digital Infrastructure,”
PLDT Head of Corporate Business
Solutions Nico Alcoseba presented an
overview of ePLDT’s end-to-end digital
technologies.
“VITRO has the best of both worlds—
it is a global class carrier-neutral facility
which allows other telcos, both foreign and
local, to provide network connections based
on the preference of the customer,” said
Mr. Alcoseba, highlighting the colocation
features and the superior managed ICT
solutions of the purpose-built data center
network.
Mr. Alcoseba further elaborated on
ePLDT’s other digital platforms: system
integration of software and hardware, PLDT
Cloud solutions, contact center services, as
well as Big Data Platform as a Service.
Towards the end of his presentation,
Mr. Alcoseba cited some remarkable
innovations on ePLDT’s ICT solutions.
According to him, the company is set to
establish VITRO sites in Makati and Clark
within the first two quarters of 2016. For
cloud services, he said they will soon utilize
Amazon’s Web Services and Microsoft’s
Azure cloud solution.
Other speakers during the forum were
Percival Flores from ABM Global Solutions,
Jojo Uligan from Curoteknika, Clint Siao
from ePDS, and Jose Valmonte from IPC.
With its vision of being ubiquitous in
every digital platform critical to day-to-day
business operations, ePLDT continues to
deliver innovation to customers through its
leading end-to-end digital technologies.
OCT 2015
Attendees from different industries come
together for the ICT Forum.
2.
PLDT Head of Corporate Business Solutions
Nico Alcoseba presented an informative
overview of ePLDT’s solutions portfolio.
3.
PLDT VP and Head of Corporate Relationship
Management Jay Lagdameo
4.
PLDT VP and Head of Corporate Relationship
Management Jay Lagdameo, Maynilad SVP
and CIO for Information Technology Services
Kiko Castillo, and Makati Medical Centre's
Edison Dungo.
5.
PLDT VP and Head of Enterprise Solutions
John Gonzales
6.
The participants pay close attention to
the insightful presentation on ePLDT’s
latest ICT innovations.
7.
CuroTeknika's Jojo Uligan
8.
IP Converge's Niño Valmonte
6
7
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1.
8
OCT 2015
71
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
2
3
1
4
FOR THE ALWAYS-ON ENTERPRISES
PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE
HOSTS FIRST BUSINESS
CONTINUITY FORUM
Enterprise leaders from South Luzon
recently gathered at Seda Hotel in Nuvali,
Sta. Rosa for PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s
Business Continuity Forum. The workshop
raised awareness for disaster recovery
plans contributing towards futureproofed organizations through PLDT’s
comprehensive business continuity
solutions.
Kicking things off was PLDT
Senior Manager and Head of Corporate
Relationship Business Dick Perez, who
welcomed participants to a productive day
of shared learnings and best practices. He
stressed the value of technology and digital
solutions for business continuity plans and
strategies.
Considering that the Philippines
is historically at a high-risk for natural
disasters, Philippine National Red Cross
Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang
discussed the current disaster preparedness
situation. She outlined the relevant
measures being implemented, and the
steps that still remain for a cohesive
disaster plan.
Sandz Solution Managing Director
Henry Velasco explained how to
develop a business continuity plan in
ten steps – from concept building to
implementation. He also mentioned
the importance of investing in the right
disaster recovery technologies as well as
conducting a Business Impact Analysis
(BIA) for every organization.
Following Mr. Velasco was PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise Product Manager
Miguel Gonzales, who explained the
company’s solutions for BCP requirements
in detail: the cloud-based Disaster
Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) and VITRO
Data Center’s disaster recovery solutions.
These solutions protect mission-critical
data and ensure instantaneous resumption
of operations.
The last segment of the forum
included an engaging question and answer
exchange. The panel, comprised of the
day’s speakers, readily responded to the
questions of the participants, some of
which were naturally anxious in the light of
all the revealed information. However, the
experts were calm and reassuring, stressing
the value of planning and preparation
on BCP and ended the workshop on a
decidedly optimistic note.
5
7
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OCT 2015
6
1.
Business representatives from the South
Luzon area attend the full house Business
Continuity Forum.
2.
PLDT Senior Manager and Head of Corporate
Relationship Business Dick Perez gives his
opening remarks, warmly welcoming the
event attendees.
3.
The forum guests attentively listen to the
event speaker.
4.
The speakers engage in an insightful
discussion, thoroughly answering the
questions of the participants.
5.
Restylou Talamayan, Manager of PRC
Typhoon Haiyan Recovery Operation
6.
Kate Tampinco, IP and Data Center Category
Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
7.
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Product Manager
Miguel Gonzales explains the company’s
Disaster Recovery solutions in detail.
8.
Henry Velasco, Managing Director of Sandz
8
OCT 2015
73
WERE YOU THERE
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3
ON THE ALPHA CIRCUIT
PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE
ENABLES THE DIGITAL
ENTERPRISE BY SHARING
VALUABLE INSIGHTS ON THE
FUTURE OF ICT AND DIGITAL
THROUGH VARIOUS INDUSTRY
SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS
One of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s
measures in Enabling the Digital
Enterprise is being consistently present at
various speaking engagements across the
country, sharing technology trends and
innovations as well as relevant professional
insights instrumental for organizations to
succeed in the digital era.
During the IBPAP General
Membership Assembly and the People
Management Association of the
Philippines (PMAP) event, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise Vice President and
Head of Enterprise Strategic Solutions
John Gonzales presented the company’s
latest digital transformation strategies. He
focused on how the potentially disruptive
technology of ePLDT Big Data Platform
as a Service enriches overall business
operations with relevant insights for
more informed decisions and improved
customer engagement.
For the Association of Pharmaceutical
Financial Executives, Inc. (APFEI) General
Membership Meeting, Mr. Gonzales
described the healthcare industry’s current
state in the age of the Internet of Things
(IoT). He discussed the Big Data Analytics
benefits such as better decision-making and
customer service, improved operational
efficiency, and new revenue opportunities.
Mr. Gonzales then presented Smart M2M
Pharma’s bundled solutions ideal for the
medical representatives and pharmaceutical
companies. He cited the end-to-end
4
CEBU ICT & BPM
CONFERENCE AND EXPO
solution’s mobile workforce enablement,
extensive data network, and the latest
smart devices as tools for optimized dayto-day operations.
Among the other events that PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise participated in were
the IMMAP Summit, Cebu ICT and
BPM Conference and Expo, Philippine
Marketers Association Event, National
ICT Summit, and Amcham General
Membership Meeting.
At the forefront of digital innovation,
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise, through
its speaking engagements, continues to
transform industries and enterprises
with the proven power of technology.
Through an increased ICT awareness and
involvement, the company demonstrates
a stronger commitment in delivering ICT
innovation and revealing more digitally
driven business-building opportunities for
local enterprises.
OCT 2015
1.
PLDT FVP and Head of PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise Jovy Hernandez
2.
PLDT and Smart Enterprise’s Chet
Alviz, Jovy Hernandez, and Ng Khai
Corporation’s Melanie Ng
NATIONAL ICT SUMMIT
3.
PLDT Head of Corporate Business
Solutions Nico Alcoseba
5
PHILIPPINE MARKETING
ASSOCIATION GMM
4.
PLDT Cloud and New Space Data
Center Solutions Head Enzo Tanedo
IBPAP GMM
6
74
2
5.
Guests actively listen to Mr. Tanedo as he
presents ePLDT's disruptive technologies.
6.
IBPAP Executive Director for Talent
Development Penny Bongato, IBPAP Director
for Projects Jopat Lelay, PLDT Manager and
Head of Corporate Relationship business Jeff
Mendoza, PLDT VP and Head of Enterprise
Strategic Solutions John Gonzales
OCT 2015
75
THE DIGITAL VALUE CHAIN
COULD BE THE KEY IN ENABLING
THE DIGITAL ENTERPRISE
76
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
77
or PLDT VP and
Enterprise Strategic
Solutions Head John
Gonzales, change is
inevitable especially in the
digital economy age.
“Enterprises need to
realize that we now live
in a world of constant
disruption,” he said. He
noted that today’s world leaders in transport
and hospitality are tech startups, three to five
years old and without owning a single car or
hotel room. “Will these companies continue
to abound? Will it ever stop? Is my business
going to be disrupted anytime? These are
questions C-Levels are asking nowadays.”
The only way for enterprises to survive
and thrive in the digital economy, according
to Mr. Gonzales, is to create their own
disruption. And today, PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise is ready to support the new
wave of disruption with solutions that work
seamlessly in the Digital Value Chain.
Enabling Digital Disruption
According to Mr. Gonzales, the
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Digital Value
Chain covers the whole operational
spectrum essential for achieving business
goals or objectives. It accelerates the
entire digital transformation journey,
opening an enterprise to a cultural change
that encourages ideation, innovation,
collaboration, and quick adoption to changes
in customer behavior and business models. In
other words, it enables large companies with
the agility and skills of smaller disruptors.
“And these are not only limited to the
confines of sales and marketing departments
where digital platforms are used to engage
customers,” he said. “The PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise Digital Value Chain also makes
them more efficient through a more
productive workforce as well as more
cost-effective operations.” These solutions
create a truly symbiotic enterprise ecosystem
governed by social, mobile, analytics, and
cloud.
78
OCT 2015
Simply speaking, the Digital Value Chain
consists of the tools that Enable the Digital
Enterprise through four major facets:
Optimizing Your Assets, Enabling Your
Workforce, Enriching Your Business, and
Reaching Out to Your Customers.
Optimizing Assets
with the PLDT Cloud
A true digital enterprise must be lean
and agile in order to better innovate as well
as pivot (switching to new business models)
instantly. And the PLDT Cloud technology
suite makes it all possible through a more
cost-effective OPEX-based model.
PLDT Cloud IaaS (Infrastructure as a
Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service)
provide infinite computing power on demand
as well as the ability to develop, deploy, and
deliver bespoke business applications in a
shortened timeline. PLDT Cloud’s numerous
SaaS (Software as a Service) solutions, such
as Microsoft Office 365 and Google Apps
for Business, gives organizations continuous
access to up-to-date business software
without recurring manual updates. PLDT
Cloud DaaS (Desktop as a Service) now
also enables organizations to enforce costeffective BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)
policies or shift to low-cost thin clients, with
employee work desktops fully hosted on the
cloud.
PLDT Cloud DRaaS (Disaster
Recovery as a Service) now gives
enterprise organizations top-notch backup infrastructure, protecting data and
applications from unexpected disasters.
Instantaneous infinite storage is also now
available on demand via PLDT Cloud
StaaS (Storage as a Service.) Even real-time
monitoring of assets are now cloud-based
with PLDT Cloud VMaaS (Video Monitoring
as a Service.) PLDT Cloud UCaaS (Unified
Communications as a Service) provides
more streamlined enterprise communication
and collaboration. Finally, contact
centers—the leading sector of the Philippine
economy—could exceed global expectations
exponentially by moving their operations
to PLDT Cloud CCaaS (Contact Center
as a Service.)
Enabling Your Workforce,
the Smart M2M Way
“Mobile” certainly goes hand-in-hand
with “Digital”. And PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise, through Smart Enterprise
machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions,
provides maximum productivity wherever an
enterprise organization may be.
Companies can now optimize the sales
process and their deployed sales personnel
through Smart M2M Sales. Pharma sales
reps can now better navigate the intricacies
of industry sales process with Smart M2M
Pharma. Smart M2M Powerform creates
online forms using web-based tools for
quicker data gathering and coordination.
Smart M2M Workforce allows more effective
work assignments for remote personnel
while continuously tracking their progress.
For banking and financial institutions, Smart
M2M Credit enables quicker loan processing
turnaround by helping field investigators with
multiple tools hosted on mobile devices.
Smart M2M now also provides real-time
information on various enterprise assets and
operations. Smart M2M Fastrack keeps tabs
on vehicles with unprecedented efficiency,
while Smart M2M Merchandizing monitors
retail inventory in real time. Smart M2M
Telemetry uses direct data flows, leveraging
on Smart’s reliable mobile network, and
disposing with outdated manual monitoring
of remote assets.
An Enriched Business with Big Data
It is this way that data becomes the fuel
and engine that run the Digital Enterprise.
And PLDT’s new Big Data solutions enable
organizations with a clearer understanding
of their business, one that is impossible with
mere intuition and old management models.
PLDT’s Big Data Platform as a Service
gives organizations an OPEX-based way to
run data sets (both their own or combined
with PLDT’s rich data resources) through
various algorithms. PLDT’s Insights as a
Service helps organizations make sense of
all this big data, and turns it into actionable
business insights. Beyond technology,
PLDT’s Big Data Expert Consulting Services
allows enterprise organizations to collaborate
with PLDT’s renowned data experts in
crafting a one-of-a-kind digital strategy,
fueled by Big Data. (You can know more about
this solution at this issue’s SLEEPER HIT
section on page 100.)
Reaching Out to
Digital-Enabled Customers
But what really completed the circle in
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s Digital Value
Chain are the solutions reaching out and
serving an organization’s customer base.
With the web and mobile becoming primary
platform of digital lives, organizations must
tailor solutions that maximize customer
engagement in this shifting arena.
Most enterprise organizations encourage
customer use of newly deployed mobile
applications and websites. PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s Safezone increases customer
traffic into both websites and mobile apps
by allowing a company to sponsor mobile
data access for users— letting Smart and Sun
subscribers use these applications without
incurring any data charge whatsoever. Smart
WiFi, on the other hand, provides a richer instore experience for customers by providing
Internet access as well as relevant surveys,
advertisements, and exclusive promos.
Beyond brick-and-mortar traditions, a
digitally enabled enterprise must have a rich
web presence. Tack This! can instantly rollout
a feature-rich website with an end-to-end
eCommerce platform— from online store
development, online payment facilitation,
to delivery management. Complementing
this web presence are mobile applications,
which PLDT can now provide via per
industry templates, with features such as
location-based services, analytics, marketing
automation, alerts and notifications, as well as
content management.
Marketing communications teams
now also have better tools on hand with
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s Digital Value
Chain. Smart Ads allow brands to access
PLDT’s immense mobile subscriber base,
deploying time-relevant or location-based
advertisements targeted down to granular
levels. This solution can work jointly with
Media 5’s array of communications tools that
empower organizations to execute a genuine
360° brand campaign, maximizing reach to
relevant demographics and psychographics.
Constant Evolution
Mr. Gonzales said that the PLDT
Group is now more than ready to stay ahead
of the evolving digital game, providing
new solutions to support every enterprise
organization’s digital transformation journey.
“Technologies related to the Internet of
Everything (IoE) like sensors, wearables,
remote transmission devices, and the like
all have a relevant place in the Digital Value
Chain,” he said with firm conviction.
In such a short time period, the
word “disruption” now evokes not just a
threat to established enterprises but also
infinite opportunities through innovation.
This is the best time for Philippine
Enterprises to seize the moment and use the
Digital Value Chain to greater effect. This
makes it possible for them to succeed in the
local and global arenas.
ENTERPRISES
NEED TO REALIZE THAT
WE NOW LIVE IN A
WORLD OF
CONSTANT
DISRUPTION.
- John Gonzales
PLDT VP and Enterprise
Strategic Solutions Head
OCT 2015
79
THE PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE
DIGITAL VALUE CHAIN
AN END-TO-END, FULLY SYMBIOTIC,
ECOSYSTEM FOR ENABLING THE DIGITAL
ENTERPRISE
ENABLE
REACH
YOUR WORKFORCE
YOUR CUSTOMERS
Smart M2M Sales
Smart M2M Credit
Safezone
Smart Ads
Smart M2M Pharma
Smart M2M Fastrack
Smart WiFi
Media 5
Smart M2M Workforce
Smart M2M Merchandising
Tack This!
Vertical Mobile Apps
Smart M2M Powerform
Smart M2M Telemetry
OPTIMIZE
YOUR ASSETS
ENRICH
YOUR BUSINESS
PLDT Cloud IaaS
PLDT Cloud DRaaS
PLDT Cloud PaaS
PLDT Cloud StaaS
PLDT Cloud SaaS
PLDT Cloud CCaaS
PLDT Cloud VMaaS
PLDT Cloud UCaaS
Big Data Platform as a Service
Insights as a Service
Big Data Consulting Services
80
OCT 2015
THE DIGITAL
ENTERPRISE
OCT 2015
81
PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE
PARTNERS WITH RCBC’S
CARD PAYMENTS
GROUP WITH ITS MOBILE
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS
AND EXPERTISE
The Rizal Commercial Banking
Corporation (RCBC) selected PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise, the corporate
business group of PLDT, as the ICT
and digital enabler for their revolutionary
eWallet service. A Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) signing ceremony
marked this new milestone, held at the
PLDT office with top officials from both
parties in attendance.
Established by the Yuchengco
Group of Companies (YGC) in 1960,
RCBC is one of the country’s largest
universal banks. It is known for its
leading consumer, corporate, and
82
OCT 2015
commercial banking and financial
services.
The partnership is seen to leverage
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s mobility
solutions and expertise to enable RCBC’s
digital resources, one of which is the
eWallet. This standalone mobile banking
application is a complementary service
of the company’s existing MyWallet,
an all-in-one card authorizing users
for convenient ATM and debit card
transactions. Backed by PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s technology, eWallet users
can now experience easy-to-use mobile
banking with added layers of security and
stability. This service is also designed to
have a convenient application process
ideal for unbanked customers.
“This is truly a collaborative synergy
between RCBC and PLDT, as it brings
two market leaders from different
industries in the same arena,” said RCBC
SVP and Business Development Head
Eric Buenaflor. “We have appointed
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise as our partner
for the eWallet Service because they
bring in their expertise in the mobile
sphere through their app technology,
authentication, and connectivity,” he
added.
“We at PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
thank RCBC for appointing us as their
mobility enabler,” said PLDT First Vice
President and Head of PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise Jovy Hernandez. “The
widespread use of mobile technology
has truly become a game changer. We are
pleased that this partnership with RCBC
has allowed us to innovate their mobile
banking solutions to constantly keep
up with the pace of today’s increasingly
mobile customers.”
PLDT VP and Head of Corporate Relationship
Management Boy Castañeda, PLDT FVP
and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Jovy
Hernandez, RCBC SVP and Business
Development Head Eric Buenaflor, and RCBC
FVP and Product Management Division Head
Sylvia Roxas
CATHAY PACIFIC
PARTNERS WITH PLDT
ALPHA ENTERPRISE FOR
PREMIUM INTERNET
CONNECTIVITY AT ITS
PASSENGER LOUNGE IN
NAIA TERMINAL 3
PLDT, through its corporate
business arm PLDT ALPHA Enterprise,
was chosen by Cathay Pacific Airways to
provide seamless Internet connectivity
at their brand-new passenger lounge. To
officially mark the partnership, a contract
signing ceremony was held at the PLDT
offices, which was attended by top PLDT
and Cathay Pacific officials.
This latest partnership is seen to
further bolster PLDT’s position as the
country’s leading telecommunications
and multimedia service provider, as well
as the key enabler of digital enterprise.
Cathay Pacific Airways offers
scheduled passenger and cargo services
to nearly 200 destinations throughout
Asia, North America, Australia, Europe
and Africa, deploying a fleet of more
than 140 wide-body aircraft. It was
named “World’s Best Airline” for the
fourth time in the 2014 annual Skytrax
World Airline Awards.
Moving to NAIA Terminal 3, the
new Cathay Pacific Lounge is nearly
twice the footprint as the previous
version in Terminal 1. It is designed by
London-based firm Studioilse, featuring
amenities such as deluxe custom chairs,
side tables with built-in lamps, and iMac
workstations. The lounge also boasts
the signature Noodle Bar, serving up
gourmet noodle dishes prepared on site
by senior chefs. With the PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise - Cathay Pacific partnership,
guests will enjoy fast and reliable WiFibased Internet access thanks to PLDT’s
Dedicated Internet Access Service or
iGate.
“It is a privilege to partner with
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise for our
lounge project, which has been a decadelong project for us,” says Cathay Pacific
Philippines Country Manager Alan
Lui. He stressed the indispensability of
quality WiFi connectivity that discerning
customers and passengers now come
to expect. “PLDT’s solution is a strong
support for our lounge. We are looking
forward for more collaboration between
Cathay and PLDT in providing good
service for our customers.”
“On behalf of the entire team at
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise, I would like
to express our sincerest gratitude to
Cathay Pacific for entrusting to us the
ICT requirements of their new NAIA
Terminal 3 lounge. As we focus on
Enabling the Digital Enterprise, we hope
that this is just the beginning of a more
lasting and fruitful partnership between
our organizations,” said PLDT FVP
and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
Jovy Hernandez.
PLDT Corporate Relationship Business Head
Ben Melasa, PLDT Vice President and Head
of Corporate Relationship Management Precy
Katigbak, PLDT First Vice President and
Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and Smart
Enterprise Jovy Hernandez, Cathay Pacific
Country Manager Alan Lui, Cathay Pacific
Station Manager Jojo Aganinta, and PLDT
Relationship Manager Luis Asistio
OCT 2015
83
PLDT GROUP CONNECTS
MORE CUSTOMERS
TO THE CLOUD WITH
MICROSOFT CLOUD
SOLUTIONS PROVIDER
PROGRAM
Philippine telecom giant
PLDT, through its Information and
Communications Technology (ICT)
subsidiary ePLDT, recently announced
its inclusion in the Microsoft Cloud
Solutions Provider Program.
The first Philippine telco to resell
Microsoft Office 365 in the market,
PLDT elevated its status to Cloud
Solutions Provider so it can directly
offer Microsoft Cloud Services to its
customers. The program enables PLDT
to customize its cloud service packages
combining Microsoft Cloud services
with its own product offerings to answer
varying requirements, directly handle
billing, as well as directly provision,
manage, and support the solutions
delivered.
84
OCT 2015
This new achievement reflects
PLDT’s commitment to connecting more
customers to the cloud and helping them
maximize its benefits.
“Cloud technologies have become
increasingly popular due to its cost
efficiency, reliability, and ease of
deployment,” shared PLDT FVP and
Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
Jovy Hernandez. “Our goal has always
been to provide our customers with the
innovative tools and the unparalleled
support they need to become more
competitive and elevate their businesses,
and being a Microsoft Cloud Solutions
Provider empowers us to deliver on that
promise.”
“To meet the growing demand of
our cloud-based solutions, we’re thrilled
to expand the capabilities for cloud
partners under the Microsoft Cloud
Solutions Provider Program,” said Phil
Sorgen, Corporate Vice President,
Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft
Corp. “By joining the Microsoft Cloud
Solutions Provider Program, partners
will deepen customer relationships and
expand business opportunities in the
cloud.”
PLDT’s cloud solutions portfolio is
replete with a wide array of innovative
cloud solutions meant to help enterprise
organizations grow their business
through technology. These include
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS),
Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as
a Service (SaaS), Microsoft Office 365,
Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), and
Unified Communications as a Service
(UCaaS). PLDT has also undergone
recent infrastructure upgrades to beef
up its support capabilities as it meets the
growing demand for cloud solutions.
ePLDT’s superior technical support
will also enable customers to get the
most out of their cloud services. “As the
market leader in digital infrastructure and
ICT, ePLDT ensures that we deliver not
only innovative solutions but also reliable
support,” said ePLDT Group Chief
Operating Officer Nerissa Ramos. “With
our team of technical experts, we enable
our customers to take full advantage of
their ICT investments and harness the
cloud’s capabilities to optimize gains for
their business.”
PLDT ALPHA
ENTERPRISE AND
EPERFORMAX EXPAND
PARTNERSHIP TO
BOOST LOCAL BPO
INDUSTRY
Pioneering Filipino BPO company
ePerformax Contact Centers & BPO
continues to strengthen its service
capabilities with the support of PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise, the corporate
business group of leading telecoms and
digital services provider PLDT.
The two industry leaders recently
sealed their expanded partnership
that will see ePerformax leveraging
on the benefits of PLDT’s Ethernet
International Private Leased Circuit
(EIPLC). A robust point-to-point
connectivity solution for enterprise
customers, PLDT’s EIPLCs are
backed by global standard service
level commitments and provide
customers with best-in-class technology,
infrastructure, and service.
With EIPLC, ePerformax will have
the capability to scale up its bandwidth
as business requirements increase. It can
also configure circuits to boost resiliency,
ensuring continuous connectivity for all
ePeformax customers.
ePerformax recognizes the need
to select the right partner to enhance
its capabilities and achieve greater
efficiencies. Having already engaged
Smart Enterprise for the mobile
connectivity requirements of its
employees, the company has chosen
to expand its partnership with PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise even further with the
provision of EIPLCs as these advanced
ICT tools are integral for the company to
maintain their competitive edge.
“If you don’t partner strategically,
you can’t maximize your success,” shared
ePerformax President and CEO Teresa
Hartsaw. “That’s why we enjoy working
with PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and
Smart; they think strategically about our
business. They’ve come up with great
ideas on how we can continue to improve
the way we support employees and how
we engage with them.”
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise VP
and Head of Corporate Relationship
Management John Gonzales concurred,
saying: “In today’s economy, it is critical
to seize every possible competitive
advantage and advanced ICT solutions
can bestow quite an edge. ePerformax
has merged technology, manpower, and
cultural excellence to make it the highperformance entity it is today – and
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is proud to
have played its part as ePerformax’s endto-end ICT partner.”
ePerformax President and CEO Teresa Hartsaw
(4th from left) and PLDT VP and Head of
Corporate Relationship Management John
Gonzales (5th from left) are joined by (from left to
right) ePerformax Contact Centers & BPO VP for
Finance Ricky Santiago, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
AVP & Head of Corporate Relationship Business
Joy Hilao, ePerformax Contact Center & BPO
VP for IT Fernando Abano, ePerformax Contact
Centers Vice President Louis Meeks, Smart
Enterprise Senior Manager for Segment Marketing
Debbie Ledesma, ePerformax Contact Centers &
BPO COO Dennis Lindley, Smart Enterprise Senior
Product Officer Christian Almendarez, ePerformax
Contact Centers & BPO Mobile Solutions
Specialist Geoff D., and PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
Relationship Manager Shandra Tecson
OCT 2015
85
PLDT GAINS AMAZON
WEB SERVICES PARTNER
STATUS, STRENGTHENS
CLOUD PORTFOLIO
Leading telecoms and digital services
provider PLDT, through its Information
and Communications Technology (ICT)
company, ePLDT, continues to bolster
its enterprise solutions portfolio with
its recent inclusion in the Amazon
Web Services (AWS) Partner Network
(APN). PLDT has also expanded its
participation in the APN by being named
an APN Direct Connect Partner, the
only telecommunications company in the
country to gain this status.
With these industry-recognized
distinctions, PLDT expects to further
strengthen its leadership with its
capability to serve the end-to-end ICT
requirements of its customers.
“We have always endeavored to go
beyond infrastructure and deliver all the
relevant IT elements for our enterprise
customers in order to enable their
competitiveness in this digital economy,”
shared Nerisse Ramos, ePLDT Chief
Operating Officer. “Our status as an
AWS Registered Partner and Direct
86
OCT 2015
Connect Partner is made even more
valuable to clients by the fact that we are
able to serve both their infrastructure
and network needs, while providing local
support that will certainly offer a better
customer experience.”
Amazon Web Services, widely
regarded as the global cloud leader, is the
cloud computing platform of Amazon.
Operating on 11 regions around the
world, it includes a wide range of webbased services including Compute,
Storage, Network, Mobile, and Database.
The AWS Partner Network, the
global partner program of Amazon Web
Services, is composed of industry leaders
that have established their expertise in
providing services and support for the
AWS platform. The Direct Connect
Program, open only to AWS Partners,
enables certified partner organizations to
enhance their customers’ experience by
offering more flexibility when it comes
to choosing how to connect with AWS.
Inclusion in the AWS Partner Network
involves intensive training across the
various AWS focus areas, to ensure that
partners’ personnel are fully capable to
deliver support for these services.
“Achieving AWS Registered Partner
and Direct Connect Partner status
is an important milestone for us, as
it underscores our commitment to
constantly enhance the solutions we
deliver and the support we provide to all
our customers,” said Mr. Eric Alberto,
ePLDT President & CEO and PLDT
EVP for Enterprise and International &
Carrier Business Group. “With a more
comprehensive suite of cloud services,
combined with our strength in the data
center space and continuously growing
capabilities in Social, Mobility and
Analytics, we are more than ready to help
our customers leverage on the benefits
of AWS to help boost operational
efficiencies and business performance.”
PLDT’s cloud portfolio includes a
wide array of innovative cloud solutions
meant to help enterprise organizations
grow their business through technology.
These include Infrastructure as a Service
(IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS),
Software as a Service (SaaS), Desktop
as a Service (DaaS), Disaster Recovery
as a Service (DRaaS), Contact Center
as a Service (CCaaS), and Unified
Communications as a Service (UCaaS).
The Group also offers Salesforce.com,
Microsoft Office 365, and Google Apps
for enterprise productivity. PLDT has
undergone recent infrastructure and
platform upgrades to beef up its support
capabilities as it meets the growing
demand for cloud solutions.
PHILHEALTH TAPS
TELCO LEADER PLDT FOR
IMPROVED OPERATIONS
Some 89 million PhilHealth
members are expected to benefit
from the agency’s major connectivity
operations upgrade program as it
recently signed leading telecoms and
digital services provider PLDT, through
its corporate business group PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise, to provide robust
connectivity to link the agency’s 126
regional and local health insurance
offices nationwide and over-all customer
support.
Through this partnership, all
PhilHealth offices in the country will be
linked via IP VPN (Internet Protocol
Virtual Private Network) connectivity.
The managed connectivity will help
PhilHealth process more transactions
efficiently to meet customer needs
pertaining to membership queries
and benefits claim applications, and
maintain its excellent ratings in frontline
servicing, as granted by the Civil Service
Commission.
“PLDT is delighted to be
PhilHealth’s partner in enhancing its
operations, knowing that all of these
efforts are for the higher purpose of
providing the best possible health
services to its millions of customers.
We believe that this initiative will enable
PhilHealth to respond faster and more
efficiently to the rising demands of
its members,” said PLDT and Smart
President and CEO Napoleon L.
Nazareno.
PLDT is in the best position to
serve the connectivity requirements of
Philhealth offices around the country
with its robust and extensive network
that includes more than 100,000
kilometers of fiber optic cable.
“PLDT has always been keen on
continuously re-investing in our network
to enable communities and enterprises
with the right network platform as
they embark in their respective digital
transformation journeys. We are grateful
to our partners in PhilHealth for trusting
us to be their end-to-end ICT partner,
and we are excited to fully implement
this project as this will surely translate
to immediate benefit among the general
populace that PhilHealth serves” said
PLDT EVP and ePLDT President &
CEO Eric R. Alberto.
Apart from the private network
connectivity, a network performance and
management tool that offers on-demand
and real-time network visibility will be in
place to effectively monitor the running
systems. These generate on-demand
reports on network profiling and capacity
planning enabling the delivery of critical
business services with high reliability for
their customers.
“We are positive that through this
program, we can bolster the processing
and delivery of our services to our
members, giving them fast and the
most efficient course to carry out our
obligations of providing seamless health
insurance coverage for all Filipinos,”
said PhilHealth President and CEO
Alexander A. Padilla.
PhilHealth has been one of the
leading government agencies that is
augmenting its digitally accessible
services primarily linking their customers
and processing via online channels.
It recently ramped up its Health
Care Institution (HCI) Portal which
establishes a linkage between PhilHealth
and its accredited institutional health care
providers through an online connection
simplifying the filing of claims and
availment procedures by cutting down on
the documentary requirements through
the generation of the PhilHealth Benefit
Eligibility Form (PBEF).
A contract signing ceremony was held to
formalize the partnership, attended by (from
left to right) PLDT Executive Vice President and
ePLDT President & CEO Eric Alberto, PLDT
and Smart President & CEO Napoleon
Nazareno, PLDT Chairman Manuel V Pangilinan,
PhilHealth President & CEO Alexander A. Padilla,
PhilHealth SVP & Chief Information Officer Engr.
Jovita Aragona, and First Vice President & Head
of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Jovy Hernandez.
OCT 2015
87
PLDT ALPHA
ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS
TO BOOST KAPASERV
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise, the
corporate business group of leading
telecom company PLDT, has been
selected by Kapaserv to provide topgrade solutions for its connectivity
requirements.
Established in 2013, Kapaserv
provides a wide range of BPO services
such as Human Resources, Back Office,
and Contact Center Operations. Its
technology partnership with PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise entailed the
enhancement of Kapaserv’s connectivity
via PLDT iGate, the company’s extensive
global internet gateway that leverages
on PLDT’s highly robust, extensive
and resilient network. Apart from this,
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise also provided
Kapaserv’s direct lines and Call All SIM
to ensure that communication lines are
88
OCT 2015
always available for its customers
and employees.
The partnership of Kapaserv and
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise has enabled
the rising BPO company to enhance
operational efficiency and expand its
capabilities; in fact, it has increased
the number of seats available and also
upgraded its bandwidth in order to
serve the needs of its growing clientele.
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise has also been
tapped for future upgrades including the
installation of SIP Trunk services and
other ICT requirements.
“We are delighted to support
Kapaserv in enhancing their capabilities
in order to deliver superior services to
their customers,” shared Jovy Hernandez,
PLDT First Vice President and Head
of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise. “As
Kapaserv’s trusted, end-to-end ICT
partner, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is
always on hand to provide them with the
solutions they need to strengthen their
operations.”
A contract signing ceremony was held
to formalize the partnership, attended by
(from left to right) PLDT Vice President
and Head of Corporate Relationship
Management Renato Castaneda, PLDT
FVP & Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
Jovy Hernandez, Kapaserv President
Jose Manuel Lagdameo and Kapaserv
Director Ricardo Lagdameo.
AIRASIA PHILIPPINES
TAPS PLDT ALPHA
ENTERPRISE AND SMART
ENTERPRISE AS ICT AND
WIRELESS PARTNERS
AirAsia Philippines recently selected
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and Smart
Enterprise as their end-to-end ICT
and wireless provider. This partnership
was formalized with a contract signing
ceremony attended by top PLDT, Smart,
and AirAsia Philippines officials.
AirAsia began their Philippine
operations back in 2011 with their hub
located in Clark, Pampanga. Two years
later, the company formed a strategic
partnership with Ambassador Alfredo
Yao’s Zest Air to form AirAsia Zest,
moving their operations to Ninoy
Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
The joint strengths of these two carriers
now operates a combined fleet of fifteen
(15) aircrafts, traversing top destinations
here in the Philippines as well as the rest
of the Southeast Asian region.
Through the partnership, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise and Smart Enterprise
will provide AirAsia solutions such as
IPVPN, Dedicated Internet Access
Service (iGate), Smart Messaging Suite,
and Smart Mobile plans, among others.
“We are constantly investing
in technology to make flying easier,
more enjoyable, and comfortable for
our guests,” says AirAsia Philippines
CEO Atty. Joy Cañeba. She adds that
“PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and Smart
Enterprise have the capability to make
our connection become seamless,” with
their solutions buttressing the AirAsia
IT network and enhancing better
communication with customers.
“The digital world presents a
paradigm shift in how we work, serve,
and engage with our customers. As
the digital enterprise enabler, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise and Smart Enterprise
look forward to further collaborate
with AirAsia in finding new and better
ways to use digital technologies to
optimize business and enhance customer
experience,” says PLDT FVP and Head
of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and Smart
Enterprise Jovy Hernandez.
PLDT Senior Manager and Head of Corporate
Relationship Business Ben Melasa, PLDT
Corporate Relationship Manager Luis
Asistio III, Smart Enterprise Business Head
Debbie Ledesma, PLDT VP and Head of
Corporate Relationship Management Precy
Katigbak, PLDT FVP and Head of PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise and Smart Enterprise Jovy
Hernandez, AirAsia Philippines CEO Atty. Joy
Cañeba, AirAsia Philippines Finance Head
Franz Lopez, AirAsia Philippines Commercial
Head Gibby Penaflor, and PLDT Product
Management Team Vener Mendoza
OCT 2015
89
LUZON DEVELOPMENT
BANK TAPS PLDT
ALPHA ENTERPRISE
FOR EFFECTIVE
INTERBRANCH
COMMUNICATION
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
was recently selected by the Luzon
Development Bank as its trusted
expert end-to-end ICT partner. The
corporate business group of leading
telecommunications services provider
PLDT is set to strengthen the bank’s
interbranch communications by
provisioning connectivity solutions.
Previously known as the Laguna
Development Bank, Luzon Development
Bank has forty branches covering
Laguna, Batangas, Cavite, Metro Manila,
to Nueva Ecija. The bank, which
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OCT 2015
traditionally focused on serving small-tomedium enterprises (SMEs), is currently
expanding its operations to include
consumer-level banking services.
With this latest partnership, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise provides Luzon
Development Bank with top-notch
connectivity solutions such as PLDT’s
Premium Internet Access Service
(iGate) and Shops.Work. These solutions
enable the bank to enjoy more reliable
interbranch communication, resulting to
a more enhanced quality of service.
“We used to have different
connectivity solutions for our different
branches but we have plenty of
challenges in establishing high availability
connections of our core banking
services. Now we are assured of a
stable, always-on connection for all our
branches with a guaranteed minimum
speed,” said Norman V.C. Aycocho,
SVP/Chief Operating Officer of Luzon
Development Bank.
PLDT Executive Vice President
and ePLDT President and CEO Eric
Alberto spoke about the importance of
smaller, agile banks especially in the rural
space. “Thrift banks can ably compete
against larger banks by leveraging on
technology as a great leveler,” he noted,
“And it’s truly encouraging to see how
LDB is among the first to utilize ICT to
expand their market scope and service.
They provide an essential service to our
countryside and it is PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s honor and privilege to
support them in their endeavors.”
PLDT Head of Corporate Relationship
Business Benedicto Perez, PLDT FVP
and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
and Smart Enterprise Jovy Hernandez,
Luzon Development Bank SVP/Chief
Operating Officer Norman V.C. Aycocho,
and Luzon Development Bank Chief
Technology Officer Jeff Tantiado
EPICUREAN PARTNERS
EXCHANGE CHOOSE
PLDT ALPHA
ENTERPRISE SAP AND
IAAS SOLUTIONS
Epicurean Partners Exchange,
Inc. recently selected PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise as their end-to-end ICT
partner for SAP and PLDT Cloud
Infrastructure as a Service.
Epicurean Partners Exchange, Inc.
or EPEI is the local franchisee of the
world-famous Kenny Rogers Roasters
restaurants. The chain has expanded
from serving roast chicken dishes to a
considerably wider array of menu choices
including sandwiches, grilled entrees,
and even frozen yogurt. In addition,
EPEI also operates the local franchise of
Seattle’s Best Coffee.
With the partnership, EPEI will use
the SAP-powered solutions of ePLDT
subsidiary ABM Global Solutions (AGS)
to bolster their enterprise resource
planning (ERP) system, which is founded
on PLDT Cloud’s Infrastructure as a
Service (IaaS) solution. With this system
in place, EPEI is poised to better manage
the group’s growing chain of restaurants
and establishments across the country.
“We thank PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise and ABM Global Solutions
for providing us the SAP and IaaS
solutions that will support our ERP
system. We look forward to further
collaborating with them in creating
solutions that will help us better serve
our growing customer base nationwide,”
says EPEI CFO Norman Raquel.
“We at PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
express our sincere gratitude to
Epicurean Partners Exchange for
entrusting us with their latest ICT
requirements. The new age of digital
business heralds more integration,
transformation, and even disruption
across these enterprises. We continue
our commitment to be the trusted expert
end-to-end ICT partner for EPEI and
the rest of the F&B industry, pushing
even further as a technology leader
that is focused on Enabling the Digital
Enterprise,” said PLDT FVP and Head
of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Jovy
Hernandez.
OCT 2015
91
COMING
COMING
In this section, HOT JOE puts
on its Tech Forecaster hat
and takes a look at the future
DRONE DELIVERY
MICRO BIT
In the 1980s, the BBC launched
their “BBC Computer Literacy Project”,
designed to promote programming
skills and familiarity with the
microcomputer. It was inspired by a
documentary series that the BBC aired
where experts forecast the coming
microcomputer revolution. They
foresaw that this early step towards
the digital era would profoundly affect
economies, industries, and lifestyles.
As part of their project, the BBC
worked with Acorn Computers to build
the so-called BBC Micro, a rugged
microcomputer designed with an
emphasis on education and distributed
to UK schools.
Today, the BBC is launching a
modern successor to the BBC Micro,
called the BBC Micro Bit, as part of
their 2015 Make it Digital initiative.
Like the “Computer Literacy Project”
of the 1980s, this project aims to
better prepare the UK population for
a world after the digital revolution, by
encouraging app-development and
programming skills at a basic level and
a young age.
As small as “half a credit card”,
the ARM-based Micro Bit will have
a processor, accelerometer and
magnetometer sensors, Bluetooth and
USB connectivity, two programmable
buttons, and a 5x5 LED display.
Designed to teach children basic
programming, the BBC plans to give
their Micro Bit system free to every 1112 year old child in Britain starting in
October 2015.
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OCT 2015
A web-based tool, created with
the help of Microsoft, will allow users
to easily program and simulate tasks
from any web-capable device, before
transferring the data to the Micro Bit.
Children, as well as interested adults,
can use the Micro Bit as the core of
creations like light-up name badges and
key chains, motion-activated alarms or
musical instruments, and much more.
With the Micro Bit, anyone and
everyone can build their own
low voltage computers for things
like DLNA Media Servers or
cloud-based Network Attached
Storage servers.
Multiple organizations are looking into
the possibility of the use of Unmanned
Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), also called drones,
in making deliveries. Drone deliveries
are better able to serve hard-to-reach
areas because of their smaller size and
independence from roads, and could prove
more efficient and less manpower-intensive
than traditional delivery services.
Already some preliminary tests
and experiments have been carried out,
showcasing the capabilities of delivery
drones. A British franchise of Domino's
Pizza tested a remote-controlled drone,
called DomiCopter, to deliver pizzas in
2013, while Swiss WorldCargo (the air
freight division of Swiss International
Air Lines) ran test deliveries over Spring
2015. Amazon has announced plans for
rapid delivery of lightweight commercial
products using UAVs, while Google
revealed in August 2014 it had been testing
UAVs in Australia for two years.
HACKATHONS
With the rise of programmers
has come the rise of the so-called
hackathon. Also known as a hack day,
hackfest, or codefest, a hackathon
is a deliberately intense and timecompressed event. Programmers,
software and hardware developers,
graphic designers, and more, all work
together to complete a software
project. Usually there will be a
specific focus, theme, or guidelines
such as a programming language to
use, or a type of app to develop.
While hackathons may not
always result in a viable product
or software, they have become
increasingly popular as social/
networking events and as places for
venture capitalists to find new talent
and opportunities. There are even
so-called “destination” hackathons,
where the hackathon can take place
on a bus, or a yacht, combining
hackathon intensity with the vacation
feel of a tourist destination.
OCT 2015
93
COMING
COMING
WHAT3WORDS
TASKRABBIT
Need a plumber to fix some
pipes, a cleaning lady to spruce up
the apartment before a big dinner
party, or even some extra manpower
to help you move some boxes? One
San Francisco-based company now
matches users to the right worker for
any menial task. It offers the same
convenience and reliability as Uber
and AirBnB.
TaskRabbit is an online and
mobile marketplace that essentially
connects people who need certain
small tasks done with part-time
MUSIC AND VIDEO STREAMING
Jump back in time to about five
years ago: chances are most media
consumed on digital devices (phones,
laptops, and the like) are downloaded
through not-so-legal means. Yes, media
piracy was out of control back then.
But it wasn’t because consumers were
set to steal from the movie, television,
and music industries, although there
were a few who wanted to “stick it to
The Man.” Rather, it was because it
was simply convenient (no more
buying physical discs, ripping, and
transferring on a mobile phone or
portable media device). All hope was
nearly lost, until the advent of
on-demand streaming services.
On-demand streaming flipped
the media model. What was once the
norm of paying up per song, album,
or movie, on-demand streaming
evolved into an inexpensive monthly
fee arrangement for instant access to
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OCT 2015
contractors (or “Taskers”) within the
vicinity. This service allows users to
outsource some of their chores—
laundry, grocery shopping, even
hanging Christmas decors—to skilled
taskers in need for some cash.
It has been wildly successful on
all fronts. The company itself has
received venture funding amounting
to tens of millions of dollars, and
some Taskers are reported to be able
to earn as much as USD2,000 a week.
It may seem hard to believe, but
millions of people around the globe
don’t have the advantage of addresses,
or at least anything recognizable as
an address. Much like the so-called
“unbanked,” who do not have bank
accounts, these people live without
the benefit of social and physical
infrastructure that many of us take for
granted. Zip codes can be confusing,
there are no consistencies between
address systems between regions, much
less countries, street names, and the like
are constantly changing.
So the team at “what3words,” which
won a Cannes Lions award, came up
with a new global addressing system.
According to them, “75% of the world
is poorly or not addressed at all.” They
seek to rectify this with their what3words
algorithm, which sections the world
into a global grid of 57 trillion 3m x 3m
squares. Each square is assigned a 3-word
address that can be communicated
quickly, easily and with no ambiguity.
For example, the very center of Rizal
Park is assigned the easy-to-remember
string of “flux.stuns.town.” Malacañang
Palace is “nimbly.masters.juniors” and
its American counterpart, the White
House, is “sulk.held.raves.” Ironies may
be incidental.
what3words claims their system is
far more accurate than a postal address,
and much easier to remember, use and
share than a set of coordinates. Better
addressing, they point out, improves
customer experience, delivers business
efficiencies, drives growth and helps the
social and economic development of
countries.
a universe of songs, movies, or TV
shows. The old ritual of purchasing
a song or video and then manually
transferring it from desktop to devices
has pleasantly faded into memory.
Today on-demand streaming has apps
for almost every device, allowing users
to instantly listen or watch any song
or show they want when they want
it. If that isn’t enticing enough, these
services offer free access with very
minor caveats. And these services
work—for artists, media companies,
and audiences. According to a report
by an international research firm The
NPD Group, there is a correlation
between the increase of on-demand
music streaming subscribers and the
decrease of online music pirates.
The PLDT Group also offers
some on-demand streaming services
for its numerous customers: Spinnr and
Deezer for music and iflix for video.
OCT 2015
95
COMING
What things are
on the way out
Just in time for the pre-Christmas
season, Tim Cook and the team from
Apple once again hosted a SRO keynote
event to unveil a new lineup that will
surely dictate what we’ll be spending for
in the upcoming holiday season.
The newest iterations of the iPad
Air, iPad Mini, and iPhone (in rose gold,
anyone?) did not disappoint. But what
took away the breath of assembled
geekdom was the unveiling of a new iPad
line, dubbed the iPad Pro.
The iPad Pro has a 12.9-inch HD
screen, making it immensely larger than
previous iPads, but only weighs around
1.5 pounds. It sports Apple’ latest 64bit processor with up to 128 gigabytes
in storage. And by connecting Apple’s
Smart Keyboard accessory, the iPad Pro
becomes the essential portable yet fully
functional computer, rivaling laptops in
the same price range.
What sets it apart is another new
Apple accessory that proves to be a game
changer: the Apple Pencil stylus.
Photo credit: apple.com
IPAD PRO + APPLE PENCIL
Yes, the late Steve Jobs detested the
idea of his devices controlled by a stylus
(famously saying “yuck!” during the
original iPhone’s unveiling keynote). But
the Apple Pencil is no ordinary stylus; in
true Apple fashion, it’s in a league of its
own.
The Apple Pencil detects pressure
and angle, translating strokes into darker
or broader lines. Of course it has a
built in lightning connector, which can
be plugged in the iPad Pro’s port for
charging.
While the applications for the artistic
and creative industry is obvious, the iPad
Pro with the Apple Pencil has uses for
the enterprise market as well. During
the announcement, Microsoft’s (yes, you
read that right) Kirk Konigsbauer went
on stage to demo how this new device
plays well with Microsoft Office 365. The
Apple Pencil can annotate and highlight
word documents with ease. In addition,
users can “draw” line art like arrows and
graphs on a Powerpoint Presentation and
the iPad Pro instantly transforms it into
a Smart Object. Who ever thought using
Office could be that much fun?
GOING
FEATURE PHONES
It was almost ten short years ago
when Apple released the original iPhone.
This event signified a historic tidal
shift where the smartphone became
“consumerized,” giving regular joes and
janes a hip, powerful, and functional
smart device previously exclusive to the
Palm Pilot / PocketPC trotting executive
elite. In addition, Google’s Android
OS and its cabal of device partners
fueled the smartphone revolution by
providing much needed feature and
price competition. In a span of a
decade almost everyone we know has
a smartphone thanks to easy to pay
postpaid plans as well as affordablypriced units, which can be purchased
outright for under Php 4000. According
to IDC, smartphone shipments has
grown 76% year-on-year.
With the smartphone’s rise, the
feature phone (jokingly called within
the industry as “dumb phones”)
market share has significantly dwindled.
Number-pad-wielding mobile phones
that do not run on Windows Phone, iOS,
Android, or the Blackberry OS cannot
keep up with low-cost, touchscreen based
smartphones that let users play Clash
of Clans and Criminal Case during their
daily commute.
In that same IDC report, feature
phone shipments are projected to
decelerate by 20% with manufacturers
pushing for production of sub
Php2000 phones.
APPLE TV
On top of that groundbreaking iPad
Pro and Apple Pencil announcement,
Apple also announced a much awaited
update of the Apple TV.
The first-gen Apple TV was
launched in 2006 with the sole purpose
of streaming and playing videos and
music files (such as content purchased
at the iTunes store) from compatible
computers to a TV. Its second and third
iterations were considered as vanilla
upgrades; the only notable additions
were the ability to view content from
on-demand streaming services such as
Netflix and mirroring the screen of an
iOS or Mac OS-based device to the TV
wirelessly.
However, its latest version is
an exponential upgrade to say the
96
OCT 2015
least. Because Apple CEO Tim Cook
proclaimed “the future of TV is apps,”
Apple TV uses a new operating system,
called tvOS with a host of new apps.
Each on-demand streaming service
comes as an app, allowing easier access
to your favorite episodes of Game of
Thrones (via the HBO app) and House
of Cards (via the Netflix app). Oh, there
are some games available as well.
Another notable feature is its
smarter, touchpad-based Apple remote
with more intelligent Siri integration. So
now, you can command your TV: “Siri,
show me something funny,” and the
Apple TV will display the latest episodes
of the today’s highest-rated comedies—
such as The Big Bang Theory.
OCT 2015
97
GOING
GOING
MAINSTREAM CINEMA
Gone are the days where “movie nights”
meant driving to the nearest Cineplex to
watch a feature or two (with the obligatory
popcorn and soda on hand).
Throughout the decades,
mainstream cinema has lost
its dominant grip on the
entertainment industry as
younger audiences have
moved to other forms
of media. In the United
States, weekly movie
attendance shrank
from 80 million in the
1930s to 30 million
in the present time. This can be attributed
to the proliferation of technologies such as
television, video games, the Internet, and
mobile.
Nowadays, we only line up at the box
office once a month (if we’re lucky) for
the 3D super blockbuster usually derived
from successful comic book/sci-fi/fantasy
franchises. In terms of experiencing the
fullest thrills and effects, cinemas still hold
the sensory edge. Movies of the more vanilla
variety (dramas, comedies, and independent
works) are now destined for home viewing
via DVD/Blu-Ray discs or on-demand
media streaming.
COMMUNIST CUBA
Ever since the Cuban Missile Crisis
during the ‘60s, the Kennedy-led United
States Government has imposed an
economic embargo on the island country
of Cuba, led by communist revolutionary
leader Fidel Castro. Ever since, Cubans
were stuck in time in a separate but
defiant little world—with American
classic cars plying the streets of Havana
to this very day.
However, when Fidel stepped down
as the head of the Cuban government
and replaced by his brother Raul,
things started to turn for the better. In
2014, the Raul Castro and the Obama
administrations held the first direct talks
98
OCT 2015
in a half-century. This led to a mutual
release and return of political prisoners
as well as the relaxing of the unpopular
embargo. Cuba could now trade--in a
limited fashion--with the US for the first
time in five decades. Travel limitations
were also relaxed, allowing Americans to
travel to Cuba. In fact, Conan ‘O Brien
dedicated an entire show to his own
Cuban exploits.
We’re all looking forward to a time
where more of us can have a night
enjoying the world’s finest cigars, while
drinking an authentic Cuba Libre in the
backseat of a timeless Cadillac.
Photo credit:"Fidel Castro", 1971 © The Estate of Yousuf Karsh
BANK ROBERRIES
The array of anti-theft technologies
for banks has never been greater than
it is today. Surveillance networks with
real-time cloud uploads, comprehensive
camera coverage, GPS trackers, advanced
communications and information-sharing
programs, and the use of analytics for
a more holistic view of threats across
banking channels. With today’s vast antirobbery expertise, bank robbery has now
turned into a high-risk, low-gain venture.
Unlike the early days of the 19th
and 20th centuries, when bank robbers
were hard to track, reaped huge rewards,
and even became part of folklore, bank
robberies today are unappealing as
compared to lucrative criminal alternatives
like online fraud. And the numbers back
this up: total robberies at US financial
institutions—commercial banks, mutual
savings banks, savings and loans, credit
unions and armored
carrier companies—
fell to 3,961 in 2014,
down from 6,062 in
2009 and 6,822 in 2004,
according to the FBI.
Similarly, the number of
robberies at UK High Street
branches fell to 66 in 2011,
down from 847 in 1992, according
to a report by the
British Bankers Association (BBA).
Of course the game of cat
and mouse never ends. An
important factor in the trend is
the migration of banking
transactions to ATMs and
online resources, with
recent figures suggesting
that savvy criminals are, of
course, following suit.
OCT 2015
99
PHILIPPI NE
ENTERP RISES,
START YOUR
BIG DATA
ENGINES
100
OCT 2015
PLDT ALPHA ENTERPRISE JUMPSTARTS
YOUR DIGITAL ENABLEMENT JOURNEY
WITH BIG DATA EXPERT CONSULTING
D
igital transformation begins with data—entire mountains of
data. Used properly and expertly, it can answer almost any
operational question, provide more business insights, and enlighten
armies of managers. It’s no surprise then, that more enterprise
organizations are using Big Data as the pivotal tool for their
digital transformation. In a recent survey conducted by worldwide
IT research organization Gartner, 73 percent of respondent
organizations have already invested on Big Data or plan to do so
within two years. The technology has indeed left the wings and
marched straight in the spotlight.
OCT 2015
101
FOR
the enterprise Big Data journey, the first
step is truly the hardest. There are a host
of issues to settle. How will one address its
colossal volume? How will an organization
deal with faster decision cycles? How will
those decision makers sift through the
various structured and unstructured data
sets to determine what exactly to analyze?
Most of all, can they trust the data?
An ill-planned Big Data strategy will
certainly reap more risks than rewards.
Fortunately, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
now offers enterprise organizations a better
way to jumpstart their Big Data journey on
the right path through the Big Data Expert
Consulting solution.
Part of the PLDT’s three-prong Big
Data solutions portfolio, Expert Consulting
allows enterprise organizations coming from
any industry to harness PLDT Group’s pool
of world-class data experts who are battletested in implementing Big Data strategies
for some of the biggest companies in the
region. These are the right partners to guide
you on the right path towards digital-driven
enlightenment.
From Zero to Full Speed in 45 Days
Through the Expert Consulting
solution, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
essentially guides organizations in creating
and implementing a comprehensive Big
Data strategy aimed to achieved their
desired results, accomplished within a 45day time period.
First, these experts collaborate with
customers to defining business values.
This means the PLDT team can help
them discover fresh perspectives uplifting
customer experiences and engagement,
optimizing operations, monetizing data,
identifying new revenue generation
opportunities, making smarter decisions,
and effectively delivering targeted marketing
efforts. And that’s just for starters.
The PLDT team can then draw up a
ready-to-implement Big Data technology
roadmap with the right data source,
framework, architecture, and infrastructure.
Once the roadmap is finalized, the
PLDT team then helps the organization
in its implementation. This second step
involves a high-level strategy for technology
transfer. It first identifies individuals within
the company with the capability to work
with Big Data. Teams are organized and
taken through the proper procedures in
fulfilling the roadmap. On top of that,
PLDT aligns the optimum technology
involved to foster an organizational
environment that is now Big Data-capable.
Finally, the Expert Consulting solution
gives organizations a quick peek of things
to come through the ePLDT Analytics
Computing Engine or ACE Explorer kit.
Co-developed with technology partner
NEC of Japan, the ePLDT ACE Explorer
kit is a pre-configured real time analytics
platform that provides a preview of
full-scale Big Data implementation with
minimum risks or cost. It can be deployed
on-site or hosted at the nearest ePLDT
facility (e.g. the VITRO Data Center).
The First Step in the Right Direction
With today’s global economy becoming
more conducive to disruptors, enterprises
large and small must adapt with the times,
adopting the same digital mindset, strategies,
and technologies to compete.
Through the Big Data Expert
Consulting solution, enterprises are quickly
directed towards full digital enablement.
The roadmap, technologies, and trained
manpower can effectively guarantee that
big data can be turned into big insights, and
eventually into bigger business results.
THE EXPERT CONS ULTING GAME PLAN
HERE’S A SAMPLE TIMELINE ON A TYPICAL CONSULTING SCHEDULE
DAYS
ACTIVITIES
15 DAYS PRIOR
TO KICKOFF
DAY 1
Pre-kickoff Planning
102
OCT 2015
DAY 15
Strategic Intent
•Identification of
consulting resources
and project
stakeholders
•Scheduling of
meetings with
stakeholders
•Infrastructure
Preparation
•Submission of
requirements to client
•Completion of
all commercial
documentation and
processing
DAYS 2 TO 14
•Data gathering,
Kickoff Meeting
interviews, analysis,
and documentation
of key stakeholders,
focusing on strategic
intent and identifying
business objectives
•PLDT data analysts to
start engaging with
client’s data
Checkpoint
Meeting 1
•Review initial
analysis to validate
the project’s
direction
DAYS 16 TO 30
IT Feasibility
Validation, Business
Unit Engagement,
and Organization
Injection
•Data gathering,
interviews,
analysis, and
documentation of
key stakeholders,
focusing on
data usage,
implementation
and change
management
DAY 31
DAYS 32 TO 40
DAYS 41 TO 44
Final Presentation
to Stakeholders
Finalized
Assessments
Checkpoint
Meeting 2
•Review current
analysis
•Finalize data
analysis based
on feedback
generated from
checkpoint
meetings
DAY 45
Checkpoint
Meeting 3
•Final validation
with stakeholders
OCT 2015
103
OPTIMUM
PRODUC TIVITY
GO
ON
THE
104
OCT 2015
SMART ENTERPRISE LEVERAGES LEADING LTE WITH
NEW MOBILITY SOLUTIONS ON MICROSOFT OFFICE 365
AND SAMSUNG’S SMART DEVICES
obility is a major
pillar of today’s
digital enterprise.
With the world
moving at a much
quicker pace, the
ability to work
anywhere at any
time has already become a pressing need.
It’s therefore no surprise that
telecommuting, or working outside the
office, is rapidly becoming the new normal.
According to a study conducted by Gallup,
telecommuting in the US has risen to 37%
of the workforce this 2015 as compared
to 9% two decades ago. That same study
points out that the perception towards
telecommuting is now very positive with
58% of the respondents stating that those
working outside the office is as productive
as those staying within physical boundaries.
To equip Philippine enterprises with
better ways of working on the go, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise and Smart Enterprise
teamed up with Samsung and Microsoft
to provide a truly end-to-end solution: the
“cloud productivity suite” bundle.
Connectivity and Collaboration
on a Device Like No Other
The triple play solution consists of
SmartBro Enterprise’s reliable Internet
connectivity service, coupled with
Samsung’s tablets running cloud-based
Microsoft Office 365.
SmartBro Enterprise provides users with
a fast and truly reliable data connection. It
runs on LTE speeds of up to 42Mbps. With
extensive coverage across the Philippines,
enterprise users can download files in mere
seconds and experience uninterrupted
collaboration with coworkers through
video conferencing apps.
This Smart data connection will power
Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Tab A. With
available 8 or 9-inch versions, the Galaxy
Tab A is the perfect mobile productivity
device for enterprises. Its multi-window
feature allows simultaneous running
of multiple apps (e.g. viewing an Excel
spreadsheet while encoding statistics on a
PowerPoint presentation.) It also has the
same S-Pen stylus made famous by the
Galaxy Note line of phablets for easy input
such as annotations or quick notes.
Inside the Smart-supplied Galaxy Tab
A are fully capable mobile versions of
Microsoft Office 365 applications such
as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. The old
mobile compromise is gone. Users now
enjoy the same level of productivity that
desktops or laptops provide, but with the
convenience of portability. In addition,
they can access and use Skype for Business,
SharePoint, and Microsoft Exchange
for total enterprise collaboration and
communication on their mobile device.
As the digital enterprise landscape
shifts with every moment, organizations
must seize on new end-to-end mobile
solutions for 24-hour round the clock
productivity and decision-making. With
the PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and Smart
Enterprise “cloud productivity suite,” this
becomes possible for Philippine enterprise
organizations at a very manageable cost.
OCT 2015
105
THE WORLD IS
GOING
DIGI TAL
THE WORLD IS EVOLVING RAPIDLY ON
THE HEELS OF A DIGITAL EVOLUTION.
#PopeFrancis
HERE’S A QUICK
LOOK AT
SOME OF ITS
REMARKABLE
DEVELOPMENTS:
Schools are increasingly turning to
digitally based tests and textbooks
over their old pen-and-paper,
print-based analogues.
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OCT 2015
Video game companies are realizing
more revenue from digital modes
of distribution, rather than from
physical media. For example,
French giant Ubisoft reported in
Q1 2015 that their digital business
is now leading their revenue stream,
totaling €54.1 million (which was 56
percent of total sales versus only 23
percent in the prior year).
The UK’s NHS, as well as
Teladoc and US-based Walmart,
are facilitating virtual “doc in a
box” solutions that allow users to
consult doctors through videoconferencing rather than having to
wait for in-person appointments.
Though they are some of
mankind’s most ancient written
materials, many manuscripts,
codexes, books, and other such
materials are getting a digital
makeover and preserved on hard
drives or on the cloud. This allows
greater access to scholars and
researchers while securing these
original materials for perpetuity.
Encyclicals and papal
proclamations are now no longer
confined to parchment and quill, as
they were in days of yore; indeed,
the Holy Father, Pope Francis,
is officially the most influential
Twitter user in the planet, with
more than 14 million followers.
Each of his Tweets is retweeted
about 17,000 times. (The US
President has more followers, but
his tweets are less retweeted.)
OCT 2015
107
DISRU PTION,
ANYONE?
OLD ORDERS AND POWER STRUCTURES
HAVE BEEN SHAKEN BY INNOVATIVE
PLATFORMS THAT NOW SHAPE THE
DIGITAL WORLD
THE REVOLUTIONARY
SHIFT TO APP-ENABLED
RIDESHARING SERVICES
Inspired by the hapless transport
experience of two friends on a
wintry night in Paris, a germ of an
idea eventually grew into one of the
leading global disruptive start-ups.
After the LeWeb Conference in
2008, Travis Kalanick and Garrett
Camp slogged through cold weather
with heavy luggage. No cab was
available or willing to serve them
within the area (Paris taxis!). It seems
that adversity is the other mother of
invention, because soon they came
up with the perfect way to address
108
OCT 2015
a global urban transportation issue.
Back then, they were only certain of
two things: the solution should be
mobile, and cars should use former
Tonight Show Host Jay Leno’s
garage as the parking area.
In 2009, Kalanick and Camp
founded UberCab, later shortening
the brand to just Uber. By 2010 Uber
was testing three black cars on the
streets of San Francisco, with help
from prototype developer Oscar
Salazar. And the rest, we can say, is
history. Today, Uber’s presence is
established in 58 countries, with an
estimated net worth of US$50 billion
as of mid-2015.
TRIVIA:
• Uber’s presence is established in over
300 cities across 58 countries.
• At present, Uber is the world’s highest
valued start-up at $50 billion.
• There are over 8 million Uber users and
160,000 Uber drivers all over the world.
• Uber’s personalized ride-sharing
services are tailor-fit to every
consumer’s budget and style:
• UberX: low-cost, everyday cars
• UberTaxi: instant, hassle-free cab rides
• UberBlack: high-end sedans
• UberXL: 6-seater SUV or mini-van
• UberLUX: luxury vehicles
UPENDING THE HOSPITALITY men and a woman responded six
INDUSTRY WITH ONLINE
days later, each paying $80. Pretty
HOME RENTALS
soon Gebbia and Chesky thought
In 2007, Joe Gebbia and Brian
Chesky found themselves short of
their monthly rent in one of the
most expensive cities in the US, San
Francisco. With a design conference
scheduled in the city and hordes of
professionals soon jockeying for
hotel rooms, the two pals coined the
concept of “AirBed and Breakfast.”
They rented out three air-beds on
their living room floor, and even
served breakfast to their “renters.”
The very next day, they decided to
create a simple website for their
fledgling service, to which two
of scaling up, approaching brilliant
programmer Nathan Blecharczyk,
who eventually became a co-founder,
to further develop their website.
It was in 2009 when Airbnb
started receiving venture capital
from the likes of Y Combinator,
Greylock Partners, and Sequoia
Capital. This allowed them to expand
their services from their 3 airbeds
to the collective shared spaces and
real estate listings of the entire
world. Today, Airbnb’s listings have
massively grown to 1.5 million and
counting in 190 countries.
• In 2009, Airbnb received its first funding of $20,000 from Paul
Graham’s Y Combinator.
• In 2015, Airbnb placed the company
at a $25 billion valuation.
• Part of Airbnb’s unique travel
experience is their listings of castles,
geodesic domes, tree houses, cars,
villas, boats, and igloos.
• As of February 2015, Paris is
considered the world’s largest home-sharing city with more than
40,000 active listings.
OCT 2015
109
TRIVIA:
• Based on a report from Deloitte
commissioned by Facebook, the social
media site contributed $227 billion as
well as 4.5 million jobs to the global
economy in 2014.
• As of mid-2015, Facebook’s market
value amounts to nearly $245.
• On August 24, 2015, Facebook set a
new record as it had one billion people
use its service in just one day. That
is equivalent to 1 out of 7 people on
Earth.
THE NEW ECONOMY’S
BEDROCK OF CONTENT
GENERATION AND SHARING
In 2004, 23-year old Harvard
student Mark Zuckerberg launched
a social networking site named
“The Facebook,” not knowing
that it would soon transform the
global social media landscape.
From its 1,200 sign ups in just a
day, The Facebook’s profile records
reached over half of Harvard’s
undergraduate population. Soon, its
network had grown to universities
A PIONEERING TAKE ON
INFORMATION CROWDSOURCING
in the US. It was in 2006 when The
Facebook’s reach crossed over the
borders of academic institutions
to mainstream America— basically
anyone who had a registered email
address. Eventually paring the site’s
name to just “Facebook,” the most
popular social media platform has
now over 1.5 billion active monthly
users.
Founders Jimmy Wales and
Lawrence Sanger’s vision for the
originally penned “Nupedia” in 2000
was to produce expertly crafted,
peer-reviewed content for this free,
online encyclopedia. In the first six
months since its launching, only two
articles were released. From there,
they identified a problem: the lack of
publishing speed. As an alternative
solution, they experimented on the
idea of giving everyone the power
to contribute without having to go
through the exhaustive editorial
process. They decided to empower
users as editors. A year later, a
reinvented Nupedia in the form of
“Wikipedia.com” went live, producing
20,000 articles in 18 languages in
just the span of a year. Wikipedia
is a coinage of the terms “wiki,” an
application that allows collaborative
content and structure editing, and
“pedia,” from the Southern end
of “encyclopedia”.
TRIVIA:
• Wikipedia is the world’s tenth largest
website. (Source: SimilarWeb)
• In comparison to the 40,000 articles
published on Encyclopaedia Britannica
2013, the total number of Wikipedia
articles in 2015 already reached
4,962,860.
• The number of worldwide Wikipedia
contributors with more than ten
contributions exponentially grew from
421 in 2002 to 1.97 million in January
of 2015.
110
OCT 2015
OCT 2015
111
C
Say
THAT
Last
WORD
the wake of
the monstrous
traffic snarl last
September 8 —
so far this year’s
best candidate for
that infamous title of “Carmaggedon”—
several old ideas were promptly floated.
Carpooling, more buses, less buses, more
trains, and even no trains (in their place
a dedicated central bus lane) — all were
resurrected, and all were just as swiftly
discarded or ridiculed in the glaring heat
of social media discussions.
However, there is one suggestion
that has resurfaced to less hostility, at
least from the employee perspective. That
suggestion is to limit the workweek to
4 or even 3 days, and a way to do that is
by telecommuting. We would reduce the
need to commute, a daily chore generating
inhuman traffic conditions projected to
last 15 years, continue to sap more than a
2.4 billion pesos in lost productivity per
day, as well as degrade the collective will
and energy of a disgruntled workforce.
Almost instantly the expected howls
from managers and employers went up
in protest – perhaps a bit hastily, because
telecommuting technology has vastly
improved over the decades. This isn’t 1996
anymore. Digital technology today makes
working out of the office more reliable,
secure, and feasible than ever.
The physical infrastructure gap in
the Philippines will remain longer than
we want it to. We would propose that this
historic gap can be addressed by new ICT
infrastructure, which the PLDT Group has
112
OCT 2015
championed and invested in at unmatched
levels ever since. In place of roads or
more conveyances, we’ve built the fiber
connections that enable swifter commerce
and more secure transactions.
What this issue of Hot Joe has
hopefully made clear is that the most
important factor in digital transformation
isn’t just about technology, it’s about
humanity. The Social, Mobile, Analytics,
and Cloud Computing (SMAC) pillars of
the new digitally enabled enterprise free
us from old constricting processes. At the
same time, they could improve managerial
oversight and controls. New technology
dictates the need for a new attitude
towards it, at the very least.
Clearly, it’s our old perceptions that
have to change. Our management practices
must reflect present realities. Going back
to our example, telecommuting may not
be for everybody; it isn’t even supposed
to be the new normal. Experts advise that
some mix of telecommuting and time at
the office is best. It saves on hours and
money (to the tune of $2,000 saved yearly
per telecommuting employee for some US
companies).
The enabled digital enterprise is
being transformed at every level and
through every process, and that includes
the management of human resources and
operational aspects through ICT. Control
is not necessarily ceded. Instead, thanks
to advances in ICT, control can be more
intelligently and just as rigorously applied
to solve festering problems like traffic’s
lost productivity and wasted opportunities.
Always ready to support you through our innovative solutions and expertise
A true digital enterprise goes beyond mere websites or social media accounts.
Every organization must now use transformative technologies at every part of their value
chain. Now more than ever, they need a reliable ICT partner that provides innovative solutions
leveraged on social, mobile, analytics, and cloud. PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is more than ready
to lead Philippine enterprises through a transformative, digitally powered journey towards
continued success.
Let’s get to it. Let’s dive into the digital economy with utmost confidence.
Eric r. Alberto
PLDT Executive Vice President
and ePLDT President and CEO
PLDT ALPHA: Enabling the Digital Enterprise
Learn more at www.pldtalpha.com
88-ALPHA (25742)
ASC Ref. Code: P019P082615P
MEET THE FACE OF
DIGITAL
Equipping enterprises to become
leaders of the digital economy
This is the age where digital is all coming
together for enterprise organizations. It
is uncovering new ways to operate, to
communicate, and to engage or transact
with customers. That is why organizations
across industries need a reliable ICT partner
that provides innovative solutions leveraged
on social, mobile, analytics, and cloud.
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is more than ready
to lead Philippine enterprises through a
transformative, digitally powered journey
towards continued growth.
Let’s get to it.
Together, let’s be the face
of the digital enterprise.
PLDT ALPHA: Enabling
the Digital Enterprise
Learn more at www.pldtalpha.com
88-ALPHA (25742)
ASC Ref. Code: P044P092315P