MANILA – PLDT, Inc. has signed a $300-million agreement with Amdocs for the management of the telecommunications giant’s business technology systems for seven years.
In a statement, PLDT said the software and services provider will upgrade and manage business technology systems of the company and its wireless subsidiary, “with the integration of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other advanced technologies.”
“Our strategic collaboration with Amdocs is a key component of our digital transformation to enhance customer experience, engagement and product delivery. With this agreement in place, we can focus on our core mission of serving our customers in the best possible way through powerful, pervasive connectivity, and relevant cutting-edge digital products and services created by ourselves or with partners like Amdocs and others who are leaders in their fields,” PLDT Chairman, President and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said in a statement.
Under the deal, PLDT and Smart will embark on a “business-led, technology enabled transformative program” with Amdocs.
The program aims to modernize business information technology (IT) systems serving customers through the introduction and adoption of advanced digital technologies and solutions; improve business processes and service levels aimed at enhancing customer experience; accelerate revenue growth by introducing new digital tools for faster delivery of services; and introduce intelligent operations to bring efficiencies which will result in operational expenditure savings during the term of the engagement.
PLDT’s deal with Amdocs also includes the development of state-of-the-art, digital capabilities for convergent sales operations, and digital customer experience across multiple channels, among others.
Earlier this month, PLDT sealed a $28.5-million (P1.5-billion) partnership with China’s Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. to overhaul its wireless service delivery platforms.
PLDT was in talks last year with IBM Philippines to outsource the bulk of its back-office operations, in a bid to slash costs as part of its turnaround strategy. Pangilinan previously said the company can realize savings of as much as P7 billion over the next few years by outsourcing some of its IT operations.
The PLDT Group has also been implementing other cost-cutting measures including reduction in travel to attendance to seminars, especially abroad.
Hastings Holdings, Inc., a unit of PLDT Beneficial Trust Fund subsidiary MediaQuest Holdings, Inc., has a stake in BusinessWorld through the Philippine Star Group, which it controls.
