the american issue 2013

VOLUME
15
JULY
THE AMERICAN ISSUE
USA
Reborn in the
with PLDT US
Our man in AMERICA
PLDT US Ltd.'s Richard Ortega
NOW YOU SEE US
Your corporation on
video-as-a-service
Philippines:
data's destination
2013
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www.pldtalpha.com | Call: 88-ALPHA (25742)
LETTER from the
Editor
Jovy Hernandez
Editor
Mikey Smyth
Managing Editor
Gerrard Fabie
Editorial Adviser
Markus Jentes
Creative Director
Andrew Batiduan
Art Director
Rissa Golloso
Rose Abes
Ram Anciro
Irene Dungo
Emily Reyes
Check Trayfalgar
Cheska Villanueva
Editorial Coordinators
Michal Perez de Tagle
Enrique Estagle
Mei Abaya
Mac Lubaczewski
Paula Venturina
Kaye Pineda
pldt- the american
startup
Editorial Contributors
Vickie Perez de Tagle
Executive Producer
There is a special significance with
our American Issue and very name of
this magazine. “Hot Joe” is a derivative
American slang for coffee; and particularly
for us, synonymous with the “wake up call
of technology”. “Joe” is also the timeless
default term we use to describe any
American or foreign male, and hearkens
back to the special relationship between the
US and the Philippines. This issue marks
the historic moment PLDT and “Hot Joe”
go to America.
After decades of leadership in
Philippine telecommunications, it’s natural
that PLDT finds itself on the cusp of
entering the US market. Our people again
will lead the way. Filipinos are one of the
most widely dispersed ethnic groups in
the US. We have key PLDT teammates in
place covering the US mainland, laying the
groundwork for responsive service together
with our partners and affiliates who are
crucial in our overall global play.
Our Main Window on page 10 explains
more about the different aspects of PLDT’s
push into the international game, while Mr.
Richard Ortega in PLDT Insider on page
20, our Senior Advisor for PLDT US Ltd.
describes the unique position PLDT finds
itself in the USA, the most demanding
telco market in the world.
Back here at home, our success in
better relationships and unequaled service
continues with BPO leader SYKES and
their visions for a more mobile-enabled
workforce in Live Wire on page 14. Those
wishes may be fulfilled through the further
expansion of PLDT Cloud and our VITRO
Data Centers, as they are increasingly
applied to outsourcing operations as
explained in our Sleeper Hit on page 64.
As globalization becomes real and
significant, more organizations operate on
a multi-site topography, making solutions
such as video-conferencing even more
compelling imperatives. In our Solved
section on page 50, we show how PLDT
VaaS (Video-as-a-Service) integrates more
easily and seamlessly into your existing
operations.
Without question, the country is
riding a crest of incredible momentum
and optimism. With our continuing
commitments to customer relationships,
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise stands ready
with you, always more than ready for the
challenge.
Jovy hernandez
Editor
July 2013
5
VOLUME
15
14
20
05
Letter from the Editor
08
Client Calls
10
Main Window
14
20
Jovy Hernandez on keeping FilipinoAmericans connected to the homeland.
Letters from actual PLDT clients,
written to share their own unique
experiences with PLDT.
PLDT's launching into one of the most
competitive markets in the world - the
American market.
36
Were You There
50
Solved
54
Caught on Page
58
Coming Going
64
Sleeper Hit
68
The ALPHA Bits
70
The Last Say
live wire
SYKES Asia, a pioneer in Philippine
BPOs, on its strong partnership with
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise.
PLDT Insider
Richard A. Ortega, Senior Advisor
of PLDT US Ltd., on doing business
in the United States.
24
ALPHA EXTRA
30
Partner Peek
Mike Toledo on maintaining
a work-life balance.
Ciena’s Anthony McLachlan talks
about building the best network.
Rocking and racing – PLDT at the
ALPHA Track Day, the Aerosmith
concert, and more. Were you there?
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise gives you
face-to-face interaction with whomever
you want, wherever you are, with its
new Video-as-a-Service solution.
30
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise seals the
deal with Cemex, Asiaphil, Asia CEO
Awards, Autohub Group, Aerospace,
Batangas City, and TelTrends.
What’s rising, what’s dying, and what’s
dead among the technologies of today.
An end-to-end data center solution.
Bits of knowledge any ALPHA should
know about international relations
throughout history.
Eric R. Alberto talks about keeping
the essential Filipino character while
adapting to the challenges of the
American market.
24
Calls
CLIENT
In this issue of HOT JOE, we’re featuring the
thoughts and impressions of our guests during
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Track Day 2013.
It was a very unique driving
experience. We learned so much
today – driving techniques, new car
technology. I thought I knew a lot
already and I am so happy to learn
more. Congratulations to ALPHA
Enterprise. Everyone had fun.
The activities were all different
and unique in a certain way. Can’t
really say which one is my favorite
because I enjoyed all the rides/events.
Awesome!
Joseph C. Madrigal
Paircargo
All events were superb.
Awesome! Very well organized. Great
crowd, extremely well planned and
executed.
The Jeep 4WD Dirt Course was the
best, I think, although the rest of the
activities was also great. But the 4WD
experience for me is a merger of
human adrenaline and car technology!
Raymond Lacdao
IBPAP
My favorite thing during the Track Day
was spinning the Mercs - it fulfilled my
fantasy.
Jay Nebrao
STREAM
Loved it! Really enjoyed the day as
I thought it was filled with exciting
activities and enough time to meet
and get to know new people.
This was a great experience. ALPHA
continues to raise the bar every year.
The event was great, exciting and
was a lot of fun. This is a nice way to
pump up our adrenaline after all the
stress and pressure from work.
Great event! One of a kind.
Munish Mahajan
Aditya Birla Minacs
Another excellent PLDT ALPHA
event. Thoughtfully planned and
paced. It was an honor to be invited
and a blast to attend.
My favorite event was the Mercedes
Gymkhana – able to abuse the car in
way I wouldn’t do to my own car.
My favorite event was the driving
with the skidding tires. Nice way to
learn how to handle a car that doesn’t
act the way you expect. But then
again, also the swerving, 4x4 and the
time challenge were great.
My favorite event was the Gymkhana
event… we all love to compete.
Yunus M
Texas Instruments
Rien Hermans
AXA
Paul Birdseye
VXI Global
july 2013
My favorite was the off-track driving
because it was a very different
experience than regular driving.
Albert Villadolid
Amadeus IT Group
There are a lot of challenges, a lot of
“firsts” for me. The organizers are
fantastic, helpful and are motivated to
make us excited and satisfied.
we want to
hear from
you!
My favorite event is - all of them!
Bing Viera
Texas Instruments
Excellently fun and perfect
for the target market.
The slalom was fun –
exhilarating experience.
Roberto Cojuangco
SGV
8
Excellent event. Enjoyed it so much.
More power to PLDT ALPHA!
Very well organized, professionally done.
– Good fun, good camaraderie
My favorite was the flatout run because
they ran it at 280 kph – big fun!!
Randy Abello
HSBC
Send your
your thoughts,
comments, or
feedbacks and
receive premium
ALPHA items!
Email: info@pldtalpha.com
Call: 88-ALPHA (88-25742)
or visit
www.pldtalpha.com
July 2013
9
reborn in the
nowadays
10
july 2013
it’s an even smaller world after all, due perhaps to
the larger number of leading telcos vying to become
true international players. Today, PLDT finds itself
in “startup mode” all over again in perhaps the most
demanding market of all, the USA.
July 2013
11
ON
two counts at
least, PLDT
has the hallmarks of a
world player. First, it’s a
leader in its home country
connecting to one of
the largest expatriate
worker communities. And
second, it has already
started establishing its
international credibility
with industry alliances
such as in the BPO
industry here. These twin
credentials already bolster
its standing in a field
where most have to start
with relatively little or no
industry reputation and
brand recall.
More OFWs, More Markets
For the US market, PLDT US Ltd.
serves an ever-growing community of
global Filipinos. It is in the American
market which PLDT US Ltd. may perhaps
reshape a global strategy for the rest of
its markets as well as in emerging ones in
fresh territories such as Africa.
On the enterprise level, corporate
customers now enjoy quicker turnaround
times and resolutions for cross-continental
connections. As a global player, PLDT is
now a single point of contact for them to
deal with any and all provisions. In case
of outages and interruptions, for example,
service restoration now usually takes
minutes instead of hours or days —
12
july 2013
pldt's unique ict position
will be as an end-to-end
provider of solutions
combining network,
Cloud IaaS and SaaS,
data centers for
colocation and hosting,
managed it outsourcing
services, and others.
a clincher for more worldwide
organizations who are increasingly looking
to the Philippines as a prime business
location. This is especially welcome news
for BPO operators here in the Philippines
with head offices and a majority of their
services based in the USA.
A Strengthened
Enterprise Network
The Philippines is now even more
desirable as an international business
locator destination through the latest
enterprise network improvements
care of PLDT’s alliances with Ciena
Communications, Inc. and Cisco. A core
strengthened Domestic Fiber Optic
Network (DFON) as well as self-healing
international cable systems now ensure
that international businesses that operate
from the Philippines enjoy unprecedented
Business Continuity and overall quality
of connections.
The larger enterprise space
DTSI Group, PLDT’s sister company
in the NTT Group, has also partnered with
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise in deploying
Avaya cloud solutions that can serve
both local and international BPOs. The
solutions cover contact center operations,
unified communications and video
conferencing offered on a subscription and
pay-per-use model.
Being in league with these
international leaders adds muscle
to PLDT’s international credentials.
Specifically in the case of DTSI Group, it
complements PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s
telco and cloud offerings which are now
consolidated into an end-to-end solution
set that is more attractive to global
companies who are looking to set up shop
in the Philippines.
Indeed the larger “Enterprise Space”,
as PLDT Vice President and General
Manager for ABM Global Solutions or
AGS, Luigi Lopa describes it, presents a
whole new set of opportunities for PLDT
as it moves beyond mere access services.
According to Mr. Lopa, “PLDT’s
unique ICT position will be as an endto-end provider of solutions combining
network, Cloud IaaS and SaaS, Data
Centers for Colocation and Hosting,
Managed IT Outsourcing Services,
and others.”
The PLDT byword, “convergence”,
again comes up with different assets now
presenting a united front of solutions
for almost every aspect of enterprise
operations. It also integrates multi-region
competencies such as AGS’ presence in
Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
AGS is an ePLDT subsidiary
offering ERP application software and
implementation services in partnership
with SAP and Microsoft. Its exclusive
partnership with COUPA, a global
e-Procurement cloud-based software
provider, also covers the Pan-Asia region.
Becoming a US player has remained
a worthy goal for PLDT ever since it
assumed leadership status in Philippine
telecoms. As it reshapes old roles according
to rapidly changing and integrating
markets, it faces a larger global audience.
PLDT is now in the international spotlight,
ready to prove itself all over again in the
most competitive market in the world.
July 2013
13
the
habitual
pioneers
SYKES and PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
celebrate their "A Class" Partnership
Retrospection
SYKES Asia’s Mike Henderson
recounts and reflects upon SYKES’
sixteen-plus years here in the
Philippines.
14
july 2013
the
pioneering spirit is alive and well at SYKES, and it’s all the
better for Philippine BPOs. In fact it may well have been
SYKES’ original vision that contributed directly to making
us one of the most pre-eminent business destinations.
July 2013
15
we were
the first
here
says Mike Henderson, SYKES Asia’s SVP
Regional Operations, APAC, recalling
the humble beginnings of SYKES Asia.
They were one of the first international
outsourcing organizations in the
Philippines, launching in 1997 with a
small office in Pasig City. They were also
the first contact center in Cebu, with a
SYKES site at Mandaue City.
Today, SYKES Asia in the Philippines
serves as the entire organization’s regional
headquarters, with global clients ably
attended to by a 15,000+ strong workforce
distributed across multiple sites in Metro
Manila and Metro Cebu. In the works
this year is a new site located in Glorietta.
Clearly, the vision and optimism continues
at SYKES.
16
july 2013
"Can do Attitude" and
"Entrepreneurial Spirit"
On top of the usual workforce
qualities that BPO organizations usually
praise, Mr. Henderson also cited Filipinos
for their management and leadership
qualities. He noted that we stand out
with a certain “can-do attitude” and
“entrepreneurial spirit”, which is helpful
in truly understanding clients’ needs. In
fact, he noted that some of the remarkable
innovations that are now being used
within SYKES globally have actually been
developed here in the Philippines.
SYKES staff members are truly
empowered by deeply instilled values to
make crucial decisions. “Our managers
understand not only the client and the
operations perspectives, but also the
financial perspective. We give them broad
responsibilities in order to positively drive
both SYKES’ and our clients’ businesses,”
Mr. Henderson elaborates.
we connect
everything
using pldt
Mr. Fred King,
SYKES Asia’s Senior
Director, IT, APAC
Tripartite talent
As part of ePerformax' executive
team, Louis Meeks, Fernando
Abano, and Ricky Santiago, help
keep the BPO running at the high
levels of performance.
“Can-do Attitude” and
“Entrepreneurial Spirit”
Mr. Henderson talks about the Filipino
BPO workforce stand out by being
innovative and focused on clients’ needs.
July 2013
17
multiple SYKES sites around the Philippines,
as well as to international clients via PLDT’s
Metro Ethernet and International Private
Leased Circuit (IPLC) services. Mr. King
summarized it in one simple line: “We
connect everything using PLDT.”
Focus and Attention from
an A Class Partner
The true heart of the PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise - SYKES Asia partnership is
ALPHA’s emphasis on relationships first.
“Mitch Locsin (PLDT VP and Head of
Corporate Relationship Management)
personally calls at times to inform me on
what’s happening,” Mr. Henderson told
HOT JOE. “Obviously there are many
people working behind the scenes—with
our IT team and PLDT’s team—but his
call is a reassurance that they have that
focus and empathy from a supplier’s
perspective. PLDT ALPHA is an
A-Class Partner.”
A Pioneering Partnership
SYKES Asia’s Fred King and Mike
Henderson, joined by PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise Relationship Manager
Elenita Garcia.
SYKES and PLDT ALPHA Enterprise:
One "A Class" Partnership
Appreciative of pioneers and
innovation, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
has been a key partner to SYKES since
the beginning. The sixteen-plus year
relationship has enabled SYKES Asia
with world-class ICT solutions that
include: Voice Services, International TollFree Services (ITFS), Outbound Services,
DSL, Metro Ethernet, Blackberry Services
(via SMART Enterprise), iGate, and
many more.
18
july 2013
“Our partnership with PLDT ALPHA
is integral to our telecommunications
strategy success,” says Mr. Fred King,
SYKES Asia’s Senior Director, IT, APAC.
“PLDT provides products and services
that allow SYKES to focus on what we do
best. Our requirements can be as varied
as our clients and subject to change often.
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise keeps up with
our changing needs helping to position
SYKES for success with our clients.”
Pioneers in Colocation
During the interview, Mr. King
further illustrated how PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s solutions currently enable
SYKES Asia. The VITRO Data
Center provides our Global point of
presence for the APAC region, housing
IT infrastructure that is critical to our
business,” says Mr. King. SYKES Asia
managers, using PLDT DSL connections
from their homes, reliably connect to
servers in the VITRO colocation facility.
In turn, the servers have connectivity to
July 2013
19
Insider
PLDT
the doctor is in
america
PLDT Us Ltd.'s Richard A. Ortega on establishing
a presence in American enterprise
20
july 2013
July 2013
21
Biogenetics and
Telecommunications
While Mr. Richard Ortega does
possess a business degree in Business
Administration, his educational
background is in Biology and Molecular
Genetics from the University of
California, Irvine – a rather unusual
background in the telecommunications
industry. He devoted three and a half
years to medical research, working on two
congenital childhood diseases.
Eventually, Mr. Ortega found his
interest in lab work waning, and wanted
to find something to do that was – in his
words – “relevant”.
He found what he was looking for in
the telecommunications industry where,
due to his past career and analytic skills
he naturally earned the title “The Doc”.
It was 1983, and the telecommunications
world was young and vibrant in the
wake of the historic Bell breakup. New
possibilities were opening up in its
wake. “I saw a very exciting, innovative
industry,” Mr. Ortega said. “Telco is at
the heart of business: everyone needs
connectivity. That’s why I decided to
go into telco rather than continue on
in biogenetics - because it was more
exciting.”
Since then, Mr. Ortega has worked
with telecommunication firms from
all over the world, including NTT, BT,
Orange, and MCI. All told, Mr. Ortega
can claim a deep and extensive telco
experience across multiple continents,
spread out over 29 years.
Today, he serves as PLDT’s Senior
Advisor for PLDT US Ltd. As such, he
helps in overall management for PLDT
US Ltd., focusing on growing the business.
"We Have To Be Better."
He sees several challenges on the way
to establish PLDT US Ltd. as a recognized
global services provider. After all, the
United States is the “most competitive
22
july 2013
we are carefully building
our brand and developing
into an organization
that can truly be
called a global
services provider.
market space for enterprise connectivity
in the world.” While PLDT is known
in growing BPO circles, the larger US
enterprise market has little knowledge
of the brand. PLDT also doesn’t have as
much assets and infrastructure supporting
the enterprise side of the market.
Essentially, they’re at square one.
“I think of ourselves as a start-up,” he
says, “Where we are carefully building our
brand and developing into an organization
that can truly be called a global services
provider.”
Mr. Ortega has a simple strategy
for PLDT brand building in the US:
to offer services every bit as good, if
not better, than American providers.
Customer service is a high priority and
characteristically, a huge differentiator
in this market. US clients are very
demanding, and used to high levels of
service. “It’s different when you’re the
incumbent telco, because they’ll be willing
to work with you in exchange for the
strength of your brand,” Mr. Ortega
points out. “But when you're a challenger
in the US market, as we are, we have to be
better, more nimble; we want to make sure
we treat them better.”
In Mr. Ortega’s wide-ranging
experience of telecommunication firms,
he has found that Tier-1 telcos operate in
a generally similar fashion. He estimates
that 70-90% of their service portfolios
are essentially the same. That sameness is
technology-driven.
“Each region of the globe has
a different business community,” he
concedes, “But technology is not infinite,
technology is finite. The differences lie in
how clients are serviced and in the way
services are offered.”
Demand for premium enterprise-level
telecommunications rose in Asia as a result
of the general development of the region.
In turn, that prompted an evolution of
Asian telecommunications companies
in order to meet the growing demand.
Innovation and technical prowess are
increasingly demonstrated in an industry
that is ever more competitive.
Achieving an American Dream
It is in this kind of environment that
PLDT has embarked on a quest to become
an international-level telecom services
provider.
Again PLDT does have an advantage,
Mr. Ortega points out, in a US-based
client base that has previously worked with
PLDT in fields like BPOs. It is a distinct
qualification as most foreign providers come
into that market with no such client base.
Mr. Ortega and his US-based team, working
alongside the efforts of the rest of PLDT
US Ltd., hope to build on that foundation
to establish PLDT as a top-class global
services provider.
ACROSS THE OCEAN
As if to underscore the international
nature of Mr. Ortega's business,
this interview was conducted over
a transoceanic video-conference.
July 2013
23
Extra
ALPHA
WORk. Live.
ALPHA.
no time to waste
Mike Toledo on the important things in
life, and keeping everything in balance
24
july 2013
July 2013
25
michael
toledo
Senior Vice President of Philex and Head
of the MVP Group of Companies Media
Bureau, is a man of many and varied
interests – ranging from Mario Puzo to
gourmet food to fine wines to cigars (He
particularly likes Cuban cigars but also
recommends the local Don Juan Urquijo
series). A lawyer by profession, he also boxes,
races, and golfs – if time permits. Part of the
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise work lifestyle is
making sure executives like Mr. Toledo have
the flexible capability they need in order to
optimize their schedules.
Recently he’s taken up the gloves in
earnest – “I have higher respect for boxers
now - I have much more respect for Manny
Pacquiao, it’s a lot harder than he makes
it look on TV!” He explains that he finds
boxing more a sport than martial training:
“It provides me an escape from work. It’s a
fantastic stress buster because you can let out
all your pent-up frustrations. Not to mention
the cardiovascular benefits - it really tones
you!” Meanwhile, he finds golf a test in
mental and physical focus, as well as a good
opportunity to bond with his family – all of
whom also play golf.
26
july 2013
make sure you do the
best you can and be
results oriented.
His philosophy in work and in leisure is
the same: “Make sure you do the best you
can and be results-oriented. Any sport I go
into, I will take it as seriously as I can, get
the best mentors. When I started racing, I
never went into a race without meaning to
win. I made sure to get a teacher who was a
very experienced racer, and worked hard at
my lessons. I took my mentor aside and told
him I was training to win the race, not just
participate. No matter who I was up against,
even if they are more experienced. And I
also expect this from my people – either you
are able to do it or you’re not.”
In this, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise has
been a tremendous help, enabling him with
the flexibility he needs to get things done
and the ability to focus on whatever goal he’s
currently facing. Mobile phones, powered
by SMART’s nationwidest mobile network,
means he’s never out of touch with the
office, and able to work and communicate
with the necessary people no matter where
he is and what time he’s able to work. Fixedline telecommunications provides him with
the reliable, steady service he needs at the
July 2013
27
office, ensuring no time is squandered
on dropped calls or congested data
connections.
On a more macro level, PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise has advanced into
more sophisticated offerings, like their
fully-managed ICT (Information and
Communications Technology) solutions.
Such solutions, featuring not only PLDT’s
cutting-edge technology but also their
highly-trained expertise, free operations
like Mr. Toledo’s from worrying about
28
july 2013
their ICT needs and able to focus more on
their core business – and on their families
and friends.
In this way and more does PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise help him maintain
his ideal work-life balance. “To a large
measure,” he muses, “the reason I am able
to pursue these hobbies without in any way
jeopardizing my quality of work is due to
technology. Modern telecommunications
has made it possible for me to have fun
and work at the same time.”
Balancing work and fun is very
important to Mr. Toledo. “This balance
is very important - it’s primordial and
non-negotiable in my opinion. ‘Life is too
short, there is plenty of time to be dead!’
While we always have obligations to meet,
at the end of the day we have to remind
ourselves that everything is temporary. We
need to enjoy life - not only for ourselves
but for those we love.”
July 2013
29
a future proofed
network
PLDT and Ciena Communications, Inc. anticipate
client needs with milestone network upgrades
“There’s a saying, you know
– the best network wins. And
the one building that best
network in the Philippines
is PLDT,” says Anthony
McLachlan, President and
GM for Asia Pacific, Ciena
Communications, Inc.
30
july 2013
An affable Australian with a down-toearth charm, Mr. McLachlan visits almost
fifty countries each year. At the time of
this interview, Mr. McLachlan had arrived
in the Philippines only that morning, and
was due back in Australia that very evening.
This constant traveling lends a very personal
perspective on his work: as a user of modern
telecommunications to stay in touch with his
family, he understands the importance of
networks in everyday life.
July 2013
31
The Network Specialist
Ciena Communications, Inc., the
“network specialist”, laid claim to that title
with a single-minded focus on connectivity.
“Ciena is defined by three things: focus,
innovation, and deep relationships with our
customers,” said Mr. McLachlan.
Ciena’s business is building connectivity
for their customers – period. This focus
allows Ciena to invest all their resources and
mindshare into developing innovative and
groundbreaking network technology. But
technology and innovation can get you only
so far. It’s Ciena Communications, Inc.’s
deep relationship with their customers, from
analysis of traffic patterns to network usage
to company profiles that allows them to find
real-world applications for their technology.
This single-minded specialization in
network infrastructure is what led PLDT
to choose Ciena Communications, Inc. as a
partner in an ambitious network expansion.
PLDT recently invested Php 1.3 billion into
a major capacity expansion upgrade to their
Domestic Fiber Optic Network, enabling
it with 100G technology from Ciena
Communications, Inc. This makes PLDT the
first network operator in the Philippines to
deploy 100G, just as it was the first to deploy
10G technology and 40G technology. The
upgrade raises PLDT’s combined aggregate
capacity to 4.6 Tbps – an increase of 1.4
Tbps. PLDT’s upgraded domestic network,
the foundation of Metro Ethernet and other
high-bandwidth connectivity solutions,
brings greater resiliency, flexibility, and
security: which translates into maximum uptime and an enhanced customer experience.
This isn’t an end in itself, explains Mr.
McLachlan – rather, it’s the foundation of
an “evolution plan” that has the potential
for 400G and even 1000G speeds delivered
through PLDT’s existing infrastructure,
a definite boon to PLDT’s corporate
customers whose bandwidth requirements
have exponentially grown due to corporate
applications.
“Think about users, who are moving
from communicating in text to multimedia
and, eventually, will be demanding streaming,
real-time video communications,” he says,
describing the evolution. “Pressure on
networks is increasing, and you will need
actual physical connectivity to move those
bits around.”
32
july 2013
the cloud is about
speed about allowing
industries to make
decisions faster and
smarter and
in real time
And this is where Ciena
Communications, Inc. steps in. Their 100G
technology extracts more capacity out of
existing fiber, supporting the delivery of
high-bandwidth service and applications.
The network is not only bigger – it’s
smarter, adapting to how customers use a
network, enabling PLDT to stay ahead and
exceed customer needs.
Engines of Change
The key, according to Mr. McLachlan,
is creating a ubiquitous user experience
– utilizing resilient points-of-presence
(PoPs) in a flexible, highly scalable network
that can recover from network outages
much more quickly than the norm. He
notes that the rising importance of cloud
technology, in particular, makes a resilient,
top-tier network more necessary than ever
before. “The cloud is about speed – about
allowing industries to make decisions faster
and smarter and in real-time. This means
you need a network that can handle all
these new cloud-based applications.”
Ciena Communications, Inc. and
PLDT aren’t content with simply meeting
current customer requirements – their
eyes, as ever, are on the future demands of
hyper-connected markets. “Five years ago,
we couldn’t imagine many of the things
we now depend on for our day-to-day life.
So what’s going to change the world five
years from now?” Mr. McLachlan asked.
That next half-decade could likewise bring
tantalizing marvels of its own.
“What PLDT and Ciena are doing
is providing the engine for that sort of
change. We are building core connectivity,
unlocking bandwidth bottlenecks –
connecting companies totheir clients in
ways we haven’t even thought of yet.”
THE NETWORK SPECIALISTS
Mr. McLachlan and the rest of
his Ciena team travel all over the
region, helping their clients with their
expertise in network infrastructure.
July 2013
33
ASC Ref. Code: P057P032513P
In every great enterprise,
LEADERS depend on
PARTNERS
They choose an end-to-end
trusted expert ICT partner
Leading enterprises invariably choose ICT solutions and services from an expert they absolutely
trust. In an age when business has gone truly global, with a 24/7 pace, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
has become that expert partner. We understand the needs of “always on” business operations,
building the innovative features into each future-proof solution. We are in the business of trust,
acting as a true partner involved in your enterprise success — the kind of partner tomorrow’s
triumphs absolutely demand.
Time to Lead. Time to ALPHA.
www.pldtalpha.com
Call: 88-ALPHA (25742)
Y
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
Were OU
There
1
4
Don’t Want To
Miss A Thing
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
and Aerosmith rocks
out Manila in a night
to truly remember
36
july 2013
It was a night for the ages.
Rock and Roll Hall-of-Famers
Aerosmith performed their signature
best last May 8, 2013 at the palatial SM
Mall of Asia Arena for an unforgettable
evening of pure rock flavor. Steven Tyler
and the gang decked out a slew of their
greatest hits spanning forty years and
fifteen record-breaking albums. The set
list included the heart-pounding Jaded,
the melancholy yet ironic Cryin’, the
whimsical Dude (Looks Like a Lady), the
euphoric Walk this Way, soulful Dream
On, the epically amazing Sweet Emotion,
and (of course) the crowd favorite I
Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise treated
lucky clients to the time of their lives
on exclusive seats at the VIP Patron
Areas and the luxurious PLDT ALPHA
Corporate Suites. “It is fun to see the
PLDT ALPHA team and our clients
letting loose and enjoying the concert,”
says PLDT FVP and Head of PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise Mr. Jovy Hernandez.
“Being part of bringing the Aerosmith
experience to our clients is in line with
our Work. Live. ALPHA. philosophy.
Not only do we want them to get the
most out of their business, but also their
after hours as well.”
2
3
5
6
7
1.
PLDT VP and Head of Corporate Relationship
Management Jay Lagdameo, PLDT FVP and
Head of Enterprise, International and Carrier
Business Revenue and Operations Group Cesar
Enriquez, PLDT EVP and Head of Enterprise and
International & Carrier Business Eric Alberto, and
PLDT VP and Head of Corporate Relationship
Management Boy Castañeda
2.
PHILAM Life’s Romy Cambeliza joined
by his daughter, Carmela.
3.
IBPAP’s Raymond Lacdao with wife, Bea
a few minutes before the concert.
4.
Rina and John Baybay together with PLDT FVP
and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
Jovy Hernadez and his wife, Det.
5.
Teleserv’s Jun Yupitun poses for
the camera with wife, Eda.
6.
Deutsche Knowledge Services’
Richard dela Torre joined by his son.
7.
PLDT VP and Head of Corporate Relationship
Management Mitch Locsin with kids,
Pia and Paco
July 2013
37
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
1
2
4
5
3
Navigating
the New I.T.
Landscape
PLDT uses new advances
in I.T. to build the
enterprise of trust
38
july 2013
With the Cloud and Data Centers all
the buzz in Enterprise IT this 2013, CIOs
and other IT decision makers gathered
at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati for a
light breakfast spread and a series of very
insightful talks provided by leading IT
experts.
The morning started with Mr. Romain
Groleau, Accenture APAC’s Lead for
Technology Consulting Practice, discussing
how ICT outsourcing propels Fortune 500
companies into achieving business growth
and operational excellence, through bestin-class infrastructure and expertise. He
was followed by Mr. Richard Regalado, a
global expert in Risk, Information Security
and Business Continuity Management,
who thinks that the VITRO Data Center
is the perfect partner for an organization’s
Business Continuity needs. Later, Mr.
Urk Acapulco, Sales & Marketing Head
for ABM Global Solutions, spoke about
monumental changes in the enterprise
world as we further shift from the
industrial age to the information age. Mr.
Francis Arjonillo, Product Manager for
PLDT Cloud, capped off the morning
by discussing how PLDT’s groundbreaking Digital Infrastructure can truly
revolutionize Philippine businesses.
On top of these very informative
presentations, PLDT raffled off premium
prizes and tablet computers to certain
lucky members of the audience. Numerous
guests received a slew of premium gift
items, with Hilbert Menoso of Toshiba
winning the much-coveted Apple iPad
Mini.
6
1.
Gary Ignacio, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise IP &
Data Center Product Category Head with
the lucky prize winners.
2.
The team that made the forum possible:
(L-R) PLDT’s Nico Alcoseba, Francis Arjonillo,
Amy Ang, Gary Ignacio, and Miguel Gonzales
with their guest speakers Urk Acapulco (2nd),
Romain Groleau (3rd), and Richard Regalado
(4th).
3.
Romain Groleau, Accenture APAC Lead
for Technology Consulting Practice
4.
Urk Acapulco, ABM Global Solutions
Sales & Marketing Head
5.
Francis Arjonillo, PLDT Cloud
Product Manager
6.
Richard Regalado, global expert in Risk,
Information Security, and Business
Continuity Management
July 2013
39
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
2
1.
Guests at the International ICT Awards enjoying
their sumptuous dinner as they
watch the presentor on-stage.
2.
This year's awardees pose for a photo opportunity.
3.
PLDT AVP and Head of New Business Development
Precy Katigbak, Pointwest Technologies Human
Capital Management Head Chona Ahorra,
Pointwest Technologies President Beng Coronel,
OPTEL Ltd.’s Don Felbaum, and Merlin Information
Systems, Philippines, Inc. Global Corporate
Account Manager Rommel Sangalang
4.
PLDT’s Jay Lagdameo and Mitch Locsin
with Ieyo de Guzman (center)
1
Living Proof of
World Class
Talent
The 2013 International
ICT Awards showcases
a brighter Philippine IT
BPO industry
Leaders of the booming Philippine
IT and BPO sectors gathered at the
Makati Shangri-La for the prestigious
annual International ICT Awards, held at
the hotel’s luxurious Rizal Ballroom.
They were honored for making the
IT-BPO sector the region’s champion
industry. Among those who were
awarded that night were Sen. Edgardo
J. Angara and Cong. Sigfrido Tinga
(ICT Individual Contributor of the
Year), Manulife Business Processing
Services (Shared Services Excellence
of the Year), Maersk Global Service
Centres (Philippines) Ltd. (Emerging
Services Excellence of the Year), Hewlett
Packard Asia Pacific (Hong Kong)
Ltd. ROHQ (HPAP) (Most Innovative
IT-BPO Company of the Year), The
Results Companies (Fastest Growing
IT-BPO Company of the Year), Wipro
Philippines (ICT Quality Program of
the Year), Stream Global Services (BPO
Employer of the Year), and Convergys
(IT-BPO Company of the Year).
CHARLE Associates’ Richard Mills, who
was pivotal in the ICT Award’s history,
was awarded special recognition for his
role in the industry’s unprecedented
success.
Amidst the sumptuous dinner
and the free-flowing drinks, this year’s
International ICT Awards celebrates the
booming Philippine economy. PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise is proud to be part
of this venture, hoping that next year’s
awards will be more momentous and
more fabulous than ever.
5.
Dell Philippines President Richard Teo
and Chairman of CHARLE Associates
Richard Mills
6.
SMART Enterprise Product Marketing Head
Chet Alviz, PLDT VP and Head of Corporate
Relationship Management Mitch Locsin, PLDT
FVP and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and
SMART Enterprise Sales & Marketing Head Jovy
Hernandez, DTSI’s Miguel Garcia, and PLDT VP
and Head of Corporate Relationship Management
Jay Lagdameo
7.
Rain Tan, Convergys Philippines representative,
as he accepts the award from Jovy Hernandez.
3
4
5
6
7
40
july 2013
July 2013
41
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
2
3
4
5
6
7
1
Rolling
Through The
Good Times
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s
Track Day 2013 gives
clients a taste of
higher level driving
42
july 2013
Subic International Airport was
the place to be for PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s 3rd annual Track Day.
ALPHA Clients were treated to a
showcase of high-octane driving
activities, unlocking their inner
speedsters.
This year’s Track Day event stood
out from previous iterations due
mainly to the Mercedes-Benz Driving
Experience. Top drivers from Australia,
led by Peter Hackett, invited ALPHA
Clients to experience the finer points
of professional driving inside the latest
Mercedes-Benz cars, including special
unreleased models. The other events
were a “Skid Tire” activity, High Speed
driving experiences, a Gymkhana
through an obstacle course, Time Attack
Challenges, Hands-Off Braking and
Parking, 4WD Off-Road challenges,
and even a quick drag race over lunch
featuring guests’ personal automobiles.
The day was capped with a rollicking
dinner party at the Subic Bay Yacht Club.
Guests were treated with sumptuous
gastronomical delights created by
Chef Billy King. While free-flowing
drinks were served, event winners were
recognized and premium raffle prizes
were given away such as iPhone 5 units,
iPad Minis, LED TVs, and an all-expense
paid trip to Singapore to watch the
much-anticipated Singapore F1 night
race, among others.
“Every year, our goal is to give
our customers a better and more
unforgettable ALPHA Experience, and
today I believe we’ve achieved just that,”
says Jovy Hernandez, PLDT FVP and
Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise. As
each year’s Track Day becoming bigger
and better than its predecessor, ALPHA
clients are already looking forward for
whatever souped-up surprises PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise has in store.
8
9
1.
Driving their own cars, guests
get ready for a drag race.
2.
PLDT EVP and Head of Enterprise and
International & Carrier Business
Eric R. Alberto surveys the day with a smile.
3.
6.
Munish Manahan, Andrew Gascoigne,
Rajiv Raghanvan, Raffy David, Raymond
Lacdao, Jappy Pascual, and Jun Yupitun
7.
A Jeep Grand Cherokee kicks up
a cloud of dust during its off-road adventures.
Instructors discuss
the handling of the cars.
8.
Alan Chng, Cesar Enriquez, Boy Castañeda,
Eric Alberto, Willy Ang, and Emy Arcilla
4.
Jeff Pradhan and Romit Gupta
9.
5.
This Mercedes-Benz convertible presents
a feeling of speed even while sitting
completely still.
An instructor briefs participants
on the next exercise.
10. Eric Alberto and Mercedes-Benz Chief
Driving Instructor Peter Hackett
10
July 2013
43
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
20
21
11 12
13
14 15
19
11. Emy Arcilla, Eric Alberto, Cesar Enriquez,
Rommel Regino, Mike Toledo, Roberto
Cojuangco, Alan Chng, and Anthony Lao;
(In front) Jake Fouracre, Javi Toledo, and
Randy Abello
12. Jovy Hernandez and Phil Wheatley
getting ready for a ride.
13. Tim Diaz de Rivera, Don Felbaum, Frankie
Villanueva, Yunnus Mohammed, Edwin
Delos Trinos, and Norberto Viera
22
25
14. Jose Jose and Elaine Kunkle
15. Rene Nunez, Ben Porter, Quiel Delgado, Myin
Banzon, Albert Villadolid, Ken Hahn, Richard
Echon, Jay Nebrao and John Manaloto
19. More than 30 Mercedes-Benz cars were available
for guests to use for the numerous activities of
the day.
26
20. Mitch Locsin, Don Felbaum,
and Dennis Magbatoc
16. Mercedes-Benz’s team of professional
instructors flashes the ALPHA hand-sign.
21. Rien Hermans, Ed Doctolero, Gino Bonifacio,
Dennis Bancod, Arturo Manuel, Jovy Hernandez,
and Joey Flor
17. Two excited drivers pause before racing
off to their next event.
18. Rene Banzon, Ino Mandapat, Arturo Manuel,
Joey Flor, Dennis Bancod, Rien Hermans, Phil
Wheatley, Jovy Hernandez, Ed Doctolero, and
Gino Bonifacio
23 24
22. Subramanian K poses for a picture
in a Jeep before his 4WD event.
23. Boy Castañeda, Stephen Ly, and
Rolando del Rosario
16
17 18
27
24. A Jeep Wrangler Rubicon takes
on the slopes during the 4WD event.
28
25. A racer is reflected brightly in one observer’s eyes.
26. Ino Mandapat and Arnel Merilleno
27. Precy Katigbak, showing that cars aren’t just toys
for boys, with Dan Lachica.
28. Tires wrapped in bright rubber demonstrate
dramatic braking technology.
44
july 2013
July 2013
45
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
29 30
35 36
31 32
37 38
39 40
33
29. 4WD instructor with Jay Lagdameo
and Louie Ysmael
30.
Standing: George Ramirez, Jovy
Hernandez, Felix Ang, Eric Alberto,
Nathan Pretty, Jochen Carle, Emy
Arcilla, Louie Ramirez, and Biboy
Vargas Kneeling: Ben Porter, Kevin
Limjoco, and Josh Hunt
31. Jeff Mendoza, Emy Arcilla, Mike
Toledo, Cesar Enriquez, Alan Chng,
and Rommel Regino
34
32. These Jeeps proudly bear the marks
of their battles with the 4WD course.
33. Much like PLDT ALPHA Enterprise,
this Mercedes-Benz combines
capable speed with luxuriant handling.
34. Onald David, Myin Banzon, Rene
Nunez, Jay Nebrao, John Manaloto,
Joy Hilao, Quiel Delgado, Albert
Villadolid, Ken Hahn, Mark Galutera,
and Richard Echon
46
july 2013
35. Jeff Mendoza, Don Felbaum, Tim Diaz
de Rivera, Jose Jose, Jake Fouracre,
Norberto Viera, Frankie Villanueva,
Elaine Kunkle, Kent de la Calzada,
Yunnus Mohammed, Edwin Delos
Trinos, and Mitch Locsin
41
36. A Mercedes-Benz car presents
a striking profile.
37. Jovy Hernandez, Precy Katigbak,
Dan Lachica, Martin Guiron,
Romit Gupta, Dick Perez,
and Domingo Bonifacio
38. Standing: Jake Fouracre (instructor),
Stephen Ly, Boy Castañeda,
Paul Birdseye, Arnel Merilleno,
Subramanian K, Jay Lagdameo,
Steve Kaay, and Rolando del Rosario
Kneeling: Louie Ysmael, Robbie
Hermoso, Ben Porter, Elliott Barbour,
Josh Hunt, and Nathan Pretty
39. An instructor explaining the Skid
Tire Exercise to ALPHA clients.
42
40. Dick Perez, Joey Flor, Ino Mandapat,
Kent de la Calzada, Dennis Bancod,
Ed Doctolero, Gino Bonifacio,
Jovy Hernandez, Domingo
Bonifacio, Elliott Barbour, Martin
Guiron, and Arnel Merilleno
41. Ben Melasa, Anthony Alonzo,
Nico Alcoseba, and Jay Ramos
42. Mike Toledo flashes a
cheerful thumbs-up.
July 2013
47
WERE YOU THERE
WERE YOU THERE
2
1.
From L-R: SMART Enterprise Marketing
Manager Chet Alviz, PLDT VP and Corporate
Relationship Management Head Boy
Castañeda, PLDT Corporate Marketing Head
Mikey Smyth, PLDT FVP and Head of PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise and SMART Enterprise
Sales and Marketing Head Jovy Hernandez,
PLDT AVP and Head for Corporate
Relationship Management Precy Katigbak,
PLDT VP and Corporate Business Solutions
Head Vic Tria
2.
The PLDT Team and their four Anvil Awards:
PLDT ICT Group's "Illustrating Technology
through PLDT TechNotes", PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise's "PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Paves
a New Way to the Top", PLDT SME Nation's
"Bossing Ako" Campaign, and PLDT Home's
"Project Pagsulong - Building the Nation is
Our Business".
1
Born in Fire,
Shaped by
Excellence
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise:
2013 Anvil Award of Merit
winner for Corporate
Identity Program
48
july 2013
Representatives from leading
companies across a multitude of industries
gathered at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel to
recognize public relations excellence at the
48th annual Public Relations Society of the
Philippines (PRSP) Anvil Awards.
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise was one of
the night’s prestigious winners, receiving
the Anvil Award of Merit winner in the
Corporate Identity Program category for
the PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Rebranding
Project. “We gladly thank the PRSP for
recognizing the PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
brand as one of the premier trusted
brands in the country today,” says Jovy
Hernandez, PLDT FVP and Head of
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise. Mr. Hernandez
added that with this landmark recognition,
“we hope to continue to dedicate ourselves
to the business of trust, delivering worldclass products and solutions as the endto-end trusted expert ICT partner to the
Philippine enterprise.”
Other members of the PLDT Group
were awarded Anvils as well. SMART
Communications received a total of 31
merit and excellence Anvils for numerous
works such as the “Live More” television
commercial, “Project NOAH”, “Project
ZERO”, and the iPhone 4S launch among
others. PLDT SME Nation’s “Bossing
Ako” campaign and PLDT’s Technotes
were awarded Anvils as well.
July 2013
49
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise offers people
all the advantages of face-to-face
interaction with none of the downsides
with its new VaaS solution
a
50
july 2013
recent survey of more than 1,200 business professionals in
the United States, Japan, South Korea, and China revealed that
video conferencing is a worldwide trend on the rise. In the
United States, 40 percent of business professionals surveyed
indicated that their company will be deploying a video
communication solution within the next six to 24 months.
July 2013
51
and
it’s no surprise. Thanks to maturing
technology, the multiple benefits of
video conferencing are becoming
increasingly obvious and relevant to the
corporate sector. Essentially, real-time
video conferencing offers the benefits
of face-to-face interaction without
prohibitive travel and time costs. There’s
just something about being able to make
eye contact, sensing facial expressions
and body language that allows people to
connect and collaborate better than simple
voice-only conference calls or text-only
communications.
Through video conferencing,
companies can dramatically rack up huge
cost-savings and at the same time ease
the stress that frequent travel inflicts on
employees. Online meetings can also help
reduce a firm’s carbon footprint - a recent
study suggests that driving just one hour
for a meeting uses the same electrical power
as 1,000 hours of web conferencing.
Video conferencing gives companies
more options when it comes to staff
deployments. It used to be that an employee
who relocated or suddenly could no longer
commute to work was written off. This
presented quite a problem, especially in the
case of employees with valuable experience
and institutional knowledge. However,
with judicious use of video conferencing
technology, a company can retain
employees who relocate or for whatever
reason have to work from home.
Online meetings also provide savings
on office space, recruiting, and retraining
costs while keeping remote employees
on-track and available for day-to-day
operations.
52
july 2013
Introducing VaaS
It’s for those reasons that PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise, with partner DTSI
Group (an NTT Communications company
that provides cutting-edge technology and
facility solutions) brought Avaya’s Scopia
technology to the Philippines as a Video-asa-Service (VaaS) offering for the Philippine
enterprise sector.
A fully cloud-based video conferencing
solution, PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s
Scopia-based VaaS is an easy-to-deploy,
easy-to-maintain alternative to in-house
video conferencing solutions. It is designed
to enable business communications without
regard for physical distance, using any
3rd party video end points, computers,
or smart mobile devices - now users can
chat face-to-face with suppliers in Europe
or North America as easily as they could
with partners in Manila. Clients will be
charged on a pay-per-use or subscription
basis, keeping costs manageable and in line
with usage. The Scopia platform on which
PLDT ALPHA based its VaaS offering
integrates seamlessly with popular office
software like Microsoft Outlook.
Distance Learning
and Mobile Tellers
The possibilities for this technology
are nearly endless: imagine an executive
at company headquarters in New York,
charged with training employees at the new
Manila branch. His budget won’t cover
travel costs.
The company’s solution is to set up
a virtual course offering. Each employee
is given a virtual training center link and a
schedule of online sessions to join. Every
month, 10 employees gather on a virtual
call where they share documents, ask
questions of the teachers and collaborate
with their new colleagues. Employees are
also given their own virtual conference
room to continue bi-weekly discussions
with peers in their specialty from around
the world.
Or consider the case of call center
agents, who keep a schedule out of sync
with normal Manila business hours. Among
other typical problems, it’s very difficult for
them to simply visit a bank. What can they
do?
Banks can now roll out ‘mobile
teller’ services, catering to those irregular
schedules. A simple kiosk, deployed to
locations convenient to those markets,
allows them to interact and share relevant
documents with a live teller.
These are just two innovative and
helpful applications of the VaaS platform,
with many more tailored to specific
industry situations and needs.
The Advantages of
EnterpriseGrade
Video Conferencing
The popularity of video conferencing
means there are so-called “free” options
available to the public, but in many ways
these options are not viable for enterprise
users. Nor are they safe.
Security is always a nagging concern.
Free services have a number of inherent
security risks such as unauthorized
access, and are much more likely to be
compromised as compared to enterprisegrade Scopia. In many organizations,
allowing public instant messaging
application on user work stations may
conflict with corporate policy, which makes
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s VaaS a better
choice.
Free services, by their nature, cannot
offer SLAs or guarantee their performance.
They are single-user point-to-point services,
whereas PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s VaaS
can accommodate numerous participants
through its multi-point system. With
its system hosted in PLDT’s worldclass VITRO network of Data Centers,
maintained by the DTSI Group, and
using technology backed by Avaya - one
of the world’s foremost providers of
telecommunications solutions - PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise’s VaaS can promise
more stable connections and higher voice
quality, as well as a higher level of security.
Users can easily join video
conferences through the Scopia
application, which is free to download
on multiple platforms including iOS,
Android, Windows, and Mac OSX.
Holders of VaaS licenses are assigned a
Host ID number, which allows them to
set up video conferences. They can then
invite anyone they like, without having
to worry about their operating systems,
geographical location, etc. PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s VaaS features an array of
enterprise-friendly features, such as
document collaboration, high-definition
video calls, annotation sharing, content
sharing, device-agnostic presentation
functionalities, whiteboard meetings,
and multiple chat options including inconference private messaging.
Scalable and Worry Free
The chief advantage of PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise’s VaaS is its carrierbacked scalability. Instead of having
to purchase, set up, and maintain their
own extensive video-conferencing
infrastructure, companies can now simply
avail of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise’s
offerings and concentrate on their core
competencies. Maintaining in-house
systems would necessitate building
capacity over what is used, just for
redundancy – and if demand rose,
companies would have to go through
the whole thing again just to integrate
new components into existing systems.
Contrast that to VaaS, which allows users
to pay only for what they use, and is
extremely flexible and scalable.
The Scopia applications require
relatively less bandwidth to operate, having
been designed specifically to allow video
conferencing from anywhere, even if data
connections are less than ideal. Although
“ideal” connections would usually mean
LTE speeds, the Scopia application is
perfectly usable on 3G.
There’s a reason movies always show
video calling and video conferencing as
elements of their futuristic, science-fiction
scenes. People have recognized how useful
such an application could be for years;
we’ve all probably dreamt of it. Now,
finally, that dream could be turning into
a reality.
July 2013
53
Page
Caught on
CEMEX taps PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise for contact
center solutions
Leading cement manufacturer
CEMEX Philippines has tapped PLDT
ALPHA Enterprise to help modernize
its communications systems and enhance
the operability of its service center.
With PLDT’s Cosmocall contact center
solution, CEMEX enables its clients to
easily reach their customer service hotline
to inquire about the latest products or
report concerns. The Cosmocall solution
also lets customers communicate with
CEMEX through various channels beyond
a phone call, from fax and email to SMS
and chat, given its unified platform.
CEMEX is a global leader in the
building materials industry that provides
high-quality products, reliable services and
solutions to customers and communities
in more than 50 countries and maintains
trade relations with around 102 nations.
Photo shows (seated from left) Mitch Locsin, PLDT
VP and Corporate Relationship Management Head;
Jovy Hernandez, PLDT FVP and PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise Head; Pedro Palomino, CEMEX Country
President; Roberto Javier, CEMEX National Sales
Director; (standing from left) Kent de la Calzada, PLDT
Corporate Relationship Business Head; Manuel Gerald
M. Librojo, PLDT Relationship Manager; Ma. Virginia
Del Rosario, CEMEX Commercial Administration
Manager; Harthus Tuazon, CEMEX Service Center
Manager; Chito Maniago, CEMEX Corporate
Communications and Public Affairs Director; and
Vincent Paul Arcenas, CEMEX Vice President for
Strategic Planning.
forty years saying, “They [PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise and SMART Enterprise] made
complicated technology sound simple, a
big aid towards making quicker decisions
on our part. I cannot imagine working
with anyone else.”
Asiaphil is one of the nation’s leaders
in the electrical industry. The company
currently has numerous sites throughout
the Philippines and the Southeast Asia
Region. They are poised to celebrate their
fortieth year anniversary this July.
PLDT and SMART celebrate
Asiaphil’s Forty Years
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and
SMART Enterprise are proud to be
part of Asiaphil’s forty successful years.
Since its inception in 1973, PLDT has
been Asiaphil’s telecommunications
partner, constantly addressing their
communications and connectivity
54
july 2013
requirements as the company expands
in and across the region. Currently,
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and SMART
Enterprise provide Asiaphil world-class
ICT solutions such as iGate, mobile phone
plans, and direct lines, among others.
Asiaphil’s president, Mr. Victor T.
Batungbacal praised PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise and SMART Enterprise for
being integral factors throughout these
Joining Mr. Batungbacal (Center) are
PLDT AVP and Head of New Business
Development Ms. Precy Katigbak (Left)
and PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Relationship
Manager Mr. Rome Guangco (Right).
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
supports the upcoming
Asia CEO Awards
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise once
again extends its support to the Asia CEO
Awards slated for November 2013. Now
on its 4th year of honoring individuals
and business organizations, the Asia
CEO Awards will be feting 11 individuals
and businesses for their accomplished
leadership in the business community.
This reputable annual gala was
established as a natural off shoot of
the Asia CEO Forum which is copresented by PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
and is considered as the biggest regular
networking hub for the growing business
community in the Philippines.
Among the presenters will be Jovy
Hernandez , PLDT First Vice President
and Head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
(photo: 2nd from right) awarding the
Global Filipino Executive of the Year.
Photo shows from left: UA&P Board of
Trustees Dr. Bernie Villegas; Asia CEO
Awards Chairman Richard Mills; Ford
Philippines AVP Josie Carino; KPMG Partner
Joan Carino; Aseana City Managing Director
Buds Wenceslao; Shore Solutions Managing
Director Darcy Lalonde; Asia CEO Awards
President Rebecca Bustamante; Jones Lang
LaSalle Senior Director Sheila Lobien; The
King’s School Manila Head of Administration
Peter Lindsay; SPi Global CEO Maulik
Parekh; Jovy Hernandez and Optel CEO Don
Felbaum.
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise and the
Autohub Group strengthens
working relationship
The Autohub Group, representing
some of the Philippine’s most premiere
automobile dealerships, entrusted
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise with its
telecommunication needs during a recent
contract signing. PLDT ALPHA will now
be providing the Autohub Group with
i-Gate and IP-VPN solutions, furthering a
well- established working relationship.
The Autohub Group President Willy
Tee Ten lauded PLDT during the signing,
saying: “For better progress in our fields,
we embrace technology and that is where
PLDT comes in. We are proud partners of
PLDT, who supports companies whether
they are small or large.”
The Autohub Group aims for further
success by establishing new dealerships
in traditionally underserved regions like
General Santos, Bohol, and Zamboanga.
In order to enable this expansion, and
to improve their current day-to-day
operations, the Autohub Group turned
to PLDT ALPHA Enterprise. For the
foreseeable future, the Autohub Group
has stated that it will provide even more
convenient and helpful customer services
through innovative telecommunications.
PLDT EVP and Head of Enterprise and
International & Carrier Business Eric R.
Alberto and Autohub Group President
Willy Tee Ten clasp hands over the
contract-signing with beaming smiles.
July 2013
55
Batangas City LGU chooses
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise
A SMARTer switch
for B/E Aerospace
Citing the high levels of connectivity
assured by the nationwidest network,
B/E Aerospace has tapped SMART
Enterprise to provide for the mobile
communications needs of the company’s
top executives.
As the worldwide leading
manufacturer of aircraft passenger cabin
interior products for the commercial
and business jet aircraft markets, B/E
Aerospace has big plans to expand
its Philippine business unit. With
communications being an integral part
of their operations, B/E Aerospace
tapped SMART Enterprise to provide
their management with seamless voice
and data connectivity using the latest
mobile handsets.
In the formal contract signing held
at the PLDT head office, B/E Aerospace
Finance Director Irfan Mahomed related
how it was imperative for his company
56
july 2013
to find a business partner that can truly
deliver the connectivity they needed.
“We wanted to make sure that we had
a partnership that will flourish as B/E
Aerospace grows in the Philippines,”
shared Irfan. “We’ve been delighted
so far with the service that we’ve been
provided, and we’ve had good feedback
from our executives as well. As a result
of that, we are looking forward to a
good partnership moving forward.”
Aside from subscribing to SMART
Enterprise’s elite post-paid plans, B/E
Aerospace also acquired SMART wifi devices that will enable continuous
mobile connectivity. The expansion plans
will also entail providing B/E Aerospace
employees with SMART post-paid lines
as well.
Jovy Hernandez, PLDT FVP and
Head of SMART Enterprise Sales and
Marketing, looks forward to establishing
a mutually beneficial partnership with
B/E Aerospace. “Our focus has always
been Relationships First, and that is
the value that you will get as a PLDT
customer,” shared Hernandez. “While
we can learn best practices from you
being a global company, we are also
ready to impart our knowledge of new
technologies that could further enhance
your operations here in the Philippines.”
Photo shows (seated L-R) PLDT Corporate
Relationship Business Head Dick Perez,
PLDT FVP and SMART Enterprise Sales
& Marketing Head Jovy Hernandez, B/E
Aerospace Finance Director Irfan Mahomed,
B/E Aerospace IT Manager Antonio Quintos;
(standing L-R), SMART Enterprise Business
Manager Debbie Ledesma, SMART Enterprise
Product Marketing Head Chet Alviz, and
PLDT Relationship Manager Mike dela Cruz
The Batangas City local government
and PLDT ALPHA Enterprise recently
formalized a deal geared towards
improving the lives of constituents
through ICT-powered governance. The
partnership entails the enablement of the
province of Batangas’ largest city with
streamlined processes and communication
through PLDT’s Integrated Services
Digital Network (ISDN) and Internet
Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP
VPN) solutions.
“These solutions will seamlessly
interconnect all city government facilities,
giving residents faster document and
requirement processing,” according to
Dr. Dennis Reyes, IT Consultant for
the City Government of Batangas. “By
doing so, the City of Batangas can now
set up centrally-managed applications
such as enterprise applications and
enterprise databases easily accessed by any
department.”
In addition, constituents can now just
dial a single number to connect to any
of Batangas City’s various departments.
This is a dramatic improvement from
years past, when different numbers had
to be searched or remembered. Batangas
City is looking forward to the end of
dropped calls to City Hall and the arduous
manual processing of constituents’
requirements. “If communication is not
delayed, then our people’s concerns will
be better served,” says the Mayor’s Chiefof-Staff Atty. Atty. Victor Reginald “RD”
Dimacuha. He adds: “Ang nakikinig,
nakakatulong. Pero ang mas mabilis
sumagot, mas lalong makakatulong.”
Mayor Dimacuha summarized this
partnership as the “leveling up” of the
City Government. She also hopes that,
with this game-changing upgrade of the
City Government’s ICT infrastructure,
more investors – both foreign and local will be enticed to set up businesses within
the city.
The formal contract signing was attended by IT Consultant
for the City Government of Batangas Dr. Dennis Reyes
(standing 1st from left), PLDT Relationship Manager Alex
Quizon (standing 3rd from left), PLDT Business Head for
Corporate Relationship Business Dick Perez (standing 4th
from left), Mayor Dimacuha’s Chief-of-Staff Atty. Victor
Reginald “RD” Dimacuha (standing 5th from left), and other
esteemed city officials. Seated in front are PLDT Corporate
Relationship Management Head Boy Castañeda and the
Hon. Mayor Vilma Abaya-Dimacuha.
New PLDT partnerships to
deliver managed unified
communications
PLDT, through its corporate business
arm PLDT ALPHA Enterprise, recently
sealed its partnership with TelTrends and
International Corporation OneAccess.
The partnership enables the telecom giant
to deliver high grade communications
services to its enterprise customers, such
as new cost-efficient managed unified
communications packages with globally
recognized, feature-rich solutions.
TelTrends is a wholly owned Filipino
company that is engaged in the marketing
and distribution of telecommunication
carrier access and network products.
TelTrends actively provides engineering,
installation, and maintenance services for
end-to-end communications solutions, last
mile network access, PBX solutions and
telephone trading systems.
OneAccess is a leading manufacturer
of multi-service access routers and
carrier Ethernet access devices enabling
major telecoms service providers to
deliver business-grade managed services
profitably. OneAccess supplies routers to
over 140 service providers across
the globe.
Photo shows (from left) Vic Tria,
PLDT VP and Corporate Relationship
Management Head; Jovy Hernandez,
PLDT FVP and Head of PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise; Danilo de Jesus, Teltrends
President and General Manager; and
Franck Lespayandel, OneAccess
Regional Sales Director for Asia Pacific.
July 2013
57
oming
C
&
GOING
COMING
In this section, HOT JOE puts
on its Tech Forecaster hat and
takes a look at the future.
The technologies that
are about to make a big
splash in your world
Holographic Telepresence
People continue to be wowed by telepresence – the
showcase technology that allows anyone anywhere to interact
as if they were truly physically present in front of each other
even if they are hemispheres away. It is now an integral part of
how enterprise will do business in the future. Now Microsoft
has started development for what seems to be the next step in
telepresence evolution – holographic, 3D telepresence solutions.
Microsoft has begun advertising for a new software
development engineer who will be tasked with helping it develop
hardware and software capable of offering holographic meetings
for remote workers. The company says it is also looking to
extend the technology to Skype, allowing consumers to enjoy
"high-definition communication" in its voice and video calling
software. The text for their job posting states:
In the short term, we are developing the hardware and
software necessary to have a realistic physical “body-double” or
proxy in a remote meeting – one that gives the remote worker a
true seat at the table, the ability to look around the room, turn to
a colleague and have a side conversation. Longer-term, this same
platform will enable high-definition communication scenarios
for consumers over Skype.
This seems to be based off Microsoft’s Viewport research
project, unveiled in April 2012, which utilizes color and infrared
cameras and projectors to construct a 3D hologram of a remote
user to enable face-to-face meetings.
58
july 2013
Braille Smartphone
Although voice-activated functions
like Apple’s Siri and Google Now’s
Voice Actions help make smartphones
more accessible to the blind, the
majority of smartphone functions
remains out of their reach. To remedy
this situation, a new touch screen
smartphone is being created that uses a
familiar tactile solution.
The ‘Braille smartphone’ uses
shape-memory alloy technology.
Essentially it is a metal that can return to
its original shape after being deformed,
which allows it to expand and contract
to form bumps and ridges. The ‘screen’
for the phone will be made up of a grid
of movable pins that can create shapes
and Braille characters and return to its
original state afterwards. The phone can
send and receive text messages with a
Braille keypad, but also check everyday
tools like maps. The phone will also be
designed to scan other objects, including
text and photos, and then convert those
scans into readable Braille or other
recognizable shapes.
Currently being tested at the LV
Prasad Eye Institute, with a grant from
the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, the
phone is expected to be released by the
end of 2013.
July 2013
59
60
soccket
seeing green
Power shortages are a problem for many
communities in developing nations, where the
infrastructure for electric grids is far from modern or
complete. Some figures claim that 25% of children
worldwide literally live in the dark. To combat this
problem, Uncharted Play (UP) - which describes
itself as a “for-profit social enterprise dedicated
to improving lives through play” - developed the
SOCCKET.
The SOCCKET is a durable, energy-harnessing
soccer ball. A pendulum-like mechanism inside the
SOCCKET captures the kinetic energy generated
during normal play, and stores it in the ball for later
use as an off-grid power source. UP claims that 15
minutes of play can power a simple LED lamp for
3 hours.
The SOCCKET is constructed with custom
water-resistant EVA foam, weighing only slightly
more than a regulation soccer ball. Designed and
assembled in the USA, the SOCCKET is currently
being piloted in select resource-poor areas of North
America and South America. UP envisions children
playing with the SOCCKET in the day, and using
the ball to connect a LED lamp to read, study, or
illuminate the home once they return home in the
evening.
Several studies have shown that
proximity to plants has a positive effect
on morale, productivity, mental and
physical health, and stress-levels. Not
everyone has access or time to visit a park
or garden during their day, however.
Instead, interior greenery – plants
inside workplaces, homes and retail spaces
– are becoming increasingly popular.
Anthropologie’s Living Wall inside
their Regent Street store in London is a
spectacular example of interior greenery
implemented in a sustainable and stylish
fashion. The store has a three-storytall wall that’s filled with living plants,
july 2013
aligned with the store’s staircase to allow
shoppers to admire new plants on each
level. The Living Wall is irrigated by
rainwater collected from the roof.
Not everyone needs to have a threestory-tall hanging garden in order to reap
the benefits of indoor Eden – Milan’s
Design Week in 2013 featured a host of
options for the space-strapped gardener.
From hanging giant macramé planters to
plant-stands to stacks and stacks of plans
put together in mini-jungles, it’s clear that
indoor ‘green space’ is becoming more
and more a part of the global urban
landscape.
July 2013
61
GOING
GOING
What things are
on the way out
yubari kings
In Japan, with its refined and
subtle sense of aesthetics so deeply
embedded within all aspects of its
culture, the presentation of food is
as important as actual taste. From the
most accomplished professional chefs
to the most humble of housewives
preparing bento (food-boxes) for their
elementary-school children, hours
are spent on food arrangement and
decorative styling.
This remarkably high food
aesthetic is quite obvious in the way the
Japanese prize a type of melon called a
Yubari King - a melon that is perfectly
symmetrical and spherical. In previous
years, these round and smooth-rind
fruits have gone for eye-watering prices
such as a record 2.5 million yen, or
about $26,000 for the first Yubari fruits
of the 2010 season.
Nowadays however, such
Boston Massacre T shirts
and other inappropriate irony
Lakers
The LA Lakers seemed poised for
the championship as they entered the
2012-2013 season. With top-tier players
such as the Phoenix Suns' Steve Nash
and Defensive Player of the Year Dwight
Howard joining their already star-studded
line-up, anchored by the high-scoring
play of Kobe Bryant, the Lakers enjoyed
high odds of winning another NBA
championship to add to their already
impressive collection.
Yet somehow, that winning season
never seemed to quite come together
for them. The “Purple and Gold” began
the regular season by losing four of five
games. Then they began losing players to
injuries. Their coach Mike Brown, who
had joined them only in the last months
of 2012, was fired mid-season and they
brought in Mike D'Antoni to replace him
– to no effect, apparently, as they lost in
the very first round of the play-offs in a
4-0 blowout to the San Antonio Spurs,
and finished 7th in their conference.
Lakers fans are already referring to this as
the “Cursed Year”. Let’s hope the curse
isn’t a trend; we’ll see next year.
62
july 2013
In 1978, the Boston Red Sox
suffered a four-game sweep at the
hands of the New York Yankees part of an epic late-season collapse
for Boston. To commemorate the
rivalry between the two East Coast
cities, Nike produced a t-shirt with the
words “Boston Massacre”, referring to
the four-game sweep, emblazoned in
bold, impactful font on the fabric. The
T-shirts in question were printed in the
Yankee colors of Navy blue, white and
gray, with drops of blood splattered
over the lettering.
Following the tragic events at this
year's Boston Marathon, Nike quickly
pulled these shirts off their racks,
stopping production and ending sales.
In a crass exhibit of both callous
profiteering and the valuation of
anything of limited supply, some
shirts then began showing up on eBay,
commanding bids as high as $150,000.
The tragedy and the subsequent
stoppage had made the shirt a highlyvalued, if now macabre, collectible.
However, eBay declined to allow
the shirt's owner to profit from the
catastrophe at the Boston marathon,
and disabled the auction as soon as
they learned about it.
astronomical pricing is a thing of the
past, and Yubari Kings command only
a fraction of their previous prestige
- something that actually comes as a
relief to growers. Yubari official Kaoru
Hirano, from the town where the
melons are grown, says the dramatic
drop is actually good for the financially
strapped city, which needs its melon
industry to buck the recession. "I think
[those prices] were highly unusual,"
Hirano said. "Such a high price gave
the melons a bit of an image problem.
Everyone began to think that they were
just too expensive, and this hurt the
average retailer."
However, 'cheaper' is still a relative
thing – Yubari Kings still sell for
thousands of dollars for 'first of the
season' fruits, and up to $100 for a
single fruit in grocery stores.
Youth europa
The “Greying of Europe” is a name
given to the European demographic
phenomenon characterized by a decrease
in fertility, in mortality rate, and a higher
life expectancy among ethnic Europeans.
This means that, increasingly, European
populations are made up of older
demographics, with fewer and fewer
young people in their make-up.
This effect is particularly
pronounced in Italy, with its Total
Fertility Rate (TFR) of 1.4 children being
born per woman. This is almost three
times less than the Philippines's TFR of
3.1 children per woman, and almost half
the 'replacement rate' necessary for a
stable, non-decreasing population.
The Italian region of Liguria now
has the highest ratio of elderly to youth
in the world. Ten percent of Liguria's
schools have closed since 2000, and its
capital city Genoa, one of Italy's largest
cities, has a death rate of 13.7 deaths per
1,000 people – which is almost twice the
birth rate of 7.7 births per 1,000 people,
as of recent census figures – a steeper
decline than most other European cities.
Immigration has helped maintain
the workforce, but unless drastic
changes occur, the population of Italy
will continue to age with fewer and
fewer children born to replace them.
People over the age of 60 will make
up a whopping 40 percent of Italy’s
population by 2040 compared to over 25
percent in 2007, according to the GAP
Index. Other European countries with
rapidly aging populations include Latvia,
which is expected to lose more than a
tenth of its 2.3 million people between
2000 and 2025 according to the World
Bank, and Germany, where Eurostat
predicts there will be less than two
people of working age for every
retired person by 2040.
July 2013
63
Sleeper HIT
destination
vitro
PLDT ALPHA Enterprise takes
Offshoring to the Next Level with
an end to end Data Center solution
IN
64
july 2013
less than a decade, the Outsourcing
and Offshoring (O&O) industry has
literally redefined global business.
Outsourcing business processes to
an organization in-country, or clear
across oceans is now second nature
for most enterprises.
July 2013
65
beyond
the usual voice, financial, and human
resources support, companies all around
the world are now also outsourcing data
management as well. Infiniti Research has
forecasted that the Global Data Center
Outsourcing Market will reach $163
Billion by 2014. This forecast indicates a
burgeoning need for data center services,
with many outsourcing their data center
services with providers abroad.
Disaster Recovery is the primary
reason behind the outsourcing wave.
Ensuring data backups outside company
walls as well as beyond national borders
consolidates a business’ capability to
continue operations day or night, and
through unforeseen catastrophes. But
there are other reasons for redundant
and multinational data hosting. A wellknown issue is latency, a critical one for
the video game industry. With gaming data
hosted geographically nearer to worldwide
customers, lags are much less compared
to accessing a server in another country.
And every couch warrior or race car driver
knows that less “game-lag” results in a
better overall gaming experience.
Today the Philippines is ready to
become a real player in the offshore data
center industry as well thanks in part to
the PLDT ALPHA Enterprise end-to-end
Data Center solution.
The Secure and Reliable WorldClass PLDT VITRO Data Center
At the core of PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise’s premier data offshoring
solution is the world-class PLDT VITRO
Data Center. It is the first purposebuilt Internet Data Center (IDC) in the
Philippines with server farms located in
Pasig, Subic, and Cebu. These facilities
are the product of the PLDT Group’s
multi-billion peso investments in acquiring
only the top-of-the-line components from
world leaders in the data center industry.
66
july 2013
Ethernet International Private Leased Circuit
(M/EIPLC). This self-healing international
private leased circuit gives PLDT
unprecedented resiliency through autoswitching from primary to secondary cables
in microseconds in case of any international
cable system breakdown.
Pasig
PLDT’s VITRO Pasig is also certified
world-class with leading
capabilities:
Taking the Philippines
to the Next Level
VITRO Pasig is the first Internet Data
Center in the Country to receive the ISO
9001:2008 Quality Management System
standard. It also certified for the following
world-class standards: ISO 27001:2005
Information Security Management System
standard, ISO 14001:2004 Environmental
Management System standard, and the
ISO 22301: 2012 Business Continuity
Management System.
Again, a company may choose to
host data on home soil and in an overseas
server, making doubly sure that it is safe
and secure. The facilities behind the
PLDT VITRO Data Center are built in
accordance with the National Structure
Code of the Philippines, using the highest
consideration for building construction.
They are Seismic Zone 4-compliant, able
to withstand the toughest earthquakes.
The facilities are also located in known
flood-free areas, protecting precious
servers from any deluge. On top of that,
each essential component has a minimum
N+1 redundancy, which means that on
rare instances that a part goes down, a
replacement kicks in at a moment’s notice.
Assuring both local and international
clients that their data is protected from
malicious individuals are VITRO Data
Center’s unprecedented multi-level security
systems. Each facility employs stringent
physical security measures: perimeter
security, 24/7 monitoring, access cards,
and biometric access. And working in
symbiosis with these efforts are VITRO’s
multi-layered virtual security measures:
multiple firewalls, SSL Encryption, and
role-based access.
The PLDT Domestic and
International Data Network:
Resilient from End to End
What makes PLDT ALPHA
Enterprise stand out from other data
center providers is its end-to-end service
and capabilities. Connecting PLDT
VITRO Data Centers to the world is
PLDT’s unmatched resilient domestic
and international network. Clients get to
experience a better Quality of Service
as compared to non-telecom based Data
Center providers.
The VITRO Data Centers in Pasig,
Subic, and Cebu are directly connected
to the 100G-enabled PLDT Digital Fiber
Optic Network (DFON), powered by
the future-proof PLDT IP Backbone
(IPBB). Enterprise connections to the
VITRO Data Center are stronger and
more stable worldwide by the Managed
Through PLDT ALPHA Enterprise, the
Philippines is poised to elevate an already
premier O&O locator position to the next
level. We are fast becoming the perfect
destination for traditional outsourcing,
and soon for data center outsourcing as
well. Whether signing up for a data hosting
or disaster recovery service, clients are
assured with absolutely safe and secure
data, accessible anytime and anywhere their
operations may be.
Subic
VITRO clients, wherever in the
world they may be, are assured
that their data are secured in
more ways than one as seen with
VITRO's biometric access system.
Cebu
July 2013
67
crossing borders
How nations have interacted over the years
International relations have been going on as long as there have
been nations to interact with. Here are a few particularly memorable
highlights of that history:
WAR
On D-Day, the British
troops landed on Sword
Beach and promptly started
to make themselves some
tea– blithely disregarding
the fact that they were
under German fire at that
moment. Later that same
day, the American forces
were astonished by reports
that the British had stopped
advancing to – again – make
some tea.
peace
68
july 2013
When North Koreans
and South Koreans want to
discuss things, they can do
so in the MAC Conference
Room, located on the border
between the two nations.
The room is half in North
Korean territory and half in
South Korean, with a table
neatly bisected down the
middle by the border. They
can hold talks with delegates
never leaving their respective
homelands.
trade
“Tulip mania,” a period
in 17th century Holland
during which prices for
tulip bulbs rocketed up
to stratospheric levels, is
commonly considered the
first speculative or economic
bubble. At the height of tulip
mania, it is reported that a
single tulip bulb could go for
10 times the annual income
of a skilled craftsman.
The tomato is native to
Mexico, and was introduced
in the Philippines through
the galleon trade before any
other country. From there,
it spread to India, China, the
Middle East, and Europe,
where it now features
prominently in several
national cuisines.
Coffee is the secondmost traded commodity on
earth. (Seems like everyone
really values a good cup of
hot joe.)
culture
The American term
“boondocks”, referring
to areas at the back of
beyond, is derived from the
Philippine word “bundok.”
All four of the world’s
most major religions –
Christianity, Hinduism,
Islam, and Buddhism – come
from the Asian continent.
According to some
estimates, there are more
Chinese restaurants in
the US than there are
McDonald's outlets.
During the course of
his conquests, Alexander the
Great laid siege to the island
city of Tyre. He defeated
it by having his army handbuild a kilometer-long land
bridge from the shore to
Tyre, turning it from an
island into a peninsula.
To this day, the bridgeway
remains.
Switzerland and Liechtenstein have such a good relationship
that ambassadors to one country are usually accredited to
both. In 2007, a company of Swiss soldiers mistakenly entered
Liechtenstein, crossing the border and travelling 2 kilometers
into the country before realizing their mistake and returning to
Swiss territory. The Liechtenstein authorities did not discover the
incident until they were informed by the Swiss, and the incident
was then disregarded by both sides. A Liechtenstein spokesman
only said, "It's not like they invaded with attack helicopters."
July 2013
69
Say
Last
You deserve World - Class
Digital Infrastructure.
good morning
Entrust it to Us.
america
One cannot overstate the case for
adaptation to an ever-flattening world,
specifically what organizations must do to
win in a global economy. We at PLDT have
long prepared for this day, where we find
ourselves proving ourselves all over again in
the US market.
If the global stratagem is to now think
and act both globally and locally — the
logical core of what many call “the global
mindset”— it is even more significant in
America. This is a market that absolutely
demands excellent customer service
and professional competence, critical
requirements that PLDT is always expected
to deliver to all customers. In effect, we
must endeavor to marry the foundation of
what had made us PLDT back home in the
Philippines with the exacting impositions on
a formidable and integral US brand.
We at PLDT face the same challenges
that globalizing organizations tackle everyday.
In our mission to become an end-to-end
enterprise connectivity and solutions
provider, where the elements of time and
distance should not matter, we have to realign our human resources and branding
assets accordingly. The wide ocean that
separates our geographies must not come
in the way of our ability to enable our
customers with consistent quality, network
access connectivity, and service excellence.
In the end, our dictum is that there
must be an organic symmetry between
what PLDT means as a leading Filipino
corporation back in the Philippines, and
what it should become as a veritable and
competitive US player.
Experience leading Digital Infrastructure
with PLDT Cloud and VITRO Data Center
Together we can build the Enterprise of Trust with the PLDT
Cloud and VITRO Data Center. There’s no better time for
the next chapter of your business transformation.
Eric Alberto
EVP and Head of Enterprise and
International & Carrier Business
PLDT / SMART
PLDT’s digital infrastructure assets are truly carrier-grade:
the cutting-edge PLDT Cloud, the proven reliability of
VITRO Data Centers, as well as the expansive reach of our
nationwidest network. This is the winning combination that
delivers world-class performance and security your business
can absolutely count on.
www.pldtalpha.com | Call: 88-ALPHA (25742)
ASC Ref. Code P113P032113P
70
july 2013
Building the ENTERPRISE OF TRUST
Multi-Level Security
For Your Peace of Mind
Your data and applications are protected
on PLDT Cloud and VITRO Data Center
Security is a critical issue we address everyday on the PLDT
Cloud and VITRO Data Center. Our facilities have multiple
levels of physical security including toughened perimeter
defenses, biometric access, and 24/7 monitoring. Inside,
your data and applications are protected by multiple
firewalls, SSL encryption, and role-based access.
www.pldtalpha.com | Call: 88-ALPHA (25742)
Our mission is to build enterprises to be more secure,
ready, reliable, and agile. Leading the way are PLDT
Cloud and VITRO Data Center, the heart of the revolution
in digital infrastructure.
Building the ENTERPRISE OF TRUST
ASC Ref Code No. P041P062713A