MANILA – The business arm of PLDT, the country’s leading telecommunications and digital solutions provider, is looking at 2018 as a year of more business ventures and brave investments in information and communication technologies and infrastructure expansions.
Dedicated to developing and providing an array of fixed-line, wireless, and ICT solutions that enable companies and organizations to adapt to evolving technologies, PLDT Enterprise said it looks forward to more sustainable partnerships with industry leaders to provide better innovations for consumers and businesses alike.
“2017 was a strong and productive year for the PLDT Enterprise group. Strategic alliances were successfully formed with various local and global industry leaders to deliver the most advanced innovative solutions built to help Filipino businesses become better equipped and more competitive,” Jovy Hernandez, SVP and Head of PLDT and Smart Enterprise Groups, said in a press statement.
In 2017 PLDT introduced numerous innovations in various industries and cutting across the dynamic and diverse markets under its umbrella. These include the implementation of cashless transactions via its card payment facility PayMaya in select establishments from AFFI (Association of Filipino Franchisers, Inc.), PFA (Philippine Franchising Association), and most recently McDonald’s Philippines, the SM Store and Mercury Drug; and enhanced wide-area network connectivity powered by Meraki cloud-managed solutions in partnership with CISCO.
It was also a productive year for ICT infrastructure expansions for the group as ePLDT, the industry leading enabler of digital business solutions and ICT arm of PLDT, opened two new VITRO Data Centers in Clark and Davao. This is part of the company’s target of opening operations for 10 new data centers in the key areas around the country for upgraded and more secured digital data centers that meet international standards for businesses and government agencies.
“We are extremely proud of our work at ePLDT and our vision in introducing more disruptive innovations to Filipino enterprises for more secure and improved connectivity and performance,” said Nico Alcoseba, VP and Head of Disruptive Business Group at PLDT.
Through these technological breakthroughs, the telco giant reaped awards from some of their most formidable partners and fellow industry leaders. These include the 2017 Partner of the Year and Cloud Solutions Provider for SMEs from Microsoft, and the 2017 Tier-2 Partner of the Year from CISCO.
“Great businesses are brought by great partnerships. We at PLDT ALPHA lives this by heart, and we look forward to a year of strengthening these alliances through braving more challenges and investments from a victorious year in 2017,” is how FVP and Head of PLDT ALPHA Vic Tria out it.
FVP and Head of PLDT SME Nation Mitch Locsin noted, meanwhile, the growing importance of this movement to MSMEs in the Philippines: “There is huge potential in our Filipino entrepreneurs, and we acknowledge their continuous need for technological education and empowerment. The past few years prove fruitful for PLDT and its trusted business partners, and with a courageous heart, iron will and sound investments as our ammunition, 2018 is set to be even a greater milestone for all our stakeholders.”
PLDT has lined up business ventures this year, with $1 billion committed for continuous network expansion. Highlights to watch out for in the include the launch of PLDT Clarktel Disaster Recovery Facility, and VITRO Data Center in Cebu. The VITRO Network of Data Centers boasts the only three Data Centers in the country with TIA942 Tier 3 Certifications. Investments in capability and expertise across Cloud, Cyber Security, and Managed IT Services to establish more internationally competitive technology systems in the country will also serve as bulk of such investments.
“Fearlessness in introducing more innovations and synergies is PLDT’s mantra for 2018. We remain firm in our commitment to build and sustain a more digitally-empowered, connected and smarter Philippines through solutions tailor-fit to address the needs of business and industry,” said Jojo Gendrano, VP and Head of PLDT Enterprise Core Business Solutions.
