The Loop: Vol.2 Issue 1

The Loop I Q1 2008
Copyright 2008 by IP-Converge Data Center, Inc
www.ip-converge.com
IP-Converge Data Center, Inc.
Official Quarterly Newsletter
IP-Converge
launches its
new
corporate
tagline
what’s inside?
headlines
IP-Converge opens Singapore IDC�
IP-Converge is Prolexic’s Global Support Center
customer win: Pacific Internet
product feature: IP-Converge Internet Data Center
centerspread: Hataw ’08 Boracay
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF IP-CONVERGE
HEADLINES
IP-Converge Opens Singapore IDC
IP Converge Data Center Inc. launches its Singapore Internet
data center operations this month after parent company, publicly
listed IPVG Corp. (PSE: IP), granted it a USD 2 million increase in
capitalization in order to acquire 100 percent or 300,000 shares of
Singapore-based IP-Converge Pte. Ltd (IP-CPL) held by IPVG Corp.
Pte. Ltd in September of 2007.
IP-Converge President and COO Reynaldo R. Huergas believes
the launch of the Singapore internet data center comes at an
opportune time as the market for managed data services and IT
solutions this year is expected to increase further from 2007.
“The Singapore facility is the only overseas Internet data center
fully-owned and operated by a Filipino company. It mirrors our
Makati data center as it provides the same co-location, bandwidth
and disaster-recovery services using a robust and telco-grade
infrastructure,” says Huergas. “This allows us to penetrate South
East Asia’s fast growing internet data center market dominated by
regional and multinational companies and where demand currently
outpaces supply. This gives IP-Converge a strong presence in one
of Asia’s main communications and IT hubs which no other Filipino
telco company has.”
The acquisition is IP-Converge’s first outside of the Philippines
and is the second point of presence (PoP) after establishing one
in Hong Kong mid-last year – completing the initial stages in IPConverge’s region wide expansion plans. IPVG Deputy Chairman
Roger Stone is optimistic the new IDC will generate additional
revenue right away.
“We expect to achieve operating profitability in our Singapore IDC
within six months from the date of this acquisition, so it will soon
add to IP-Converge’s bottom line”, says IPVG Deputy Chairman
Roger Stone. “However the reasons for the acquisition are strategic
too, in assisting both our E-games business and our BPO ventures”
he added, “With the Singapore link and our network security project
with Prolexic of the US, we will have one of the most secure network
rings in Asia, and we believe a very interesting proposition for our
banking, on-line games, and aviation customers.”
(continued on page 10)
IP-Converge Internet Data Center
in New Tech Park, Singapore: An Ideal
Disaster Recovery Site.
IP-Converge: Supporting growth in the BPO Sector
The BPO sector: Economic Growth Driver
Our economy is currently highlighted by a 7.3% growth rate,
highest in the last three decades, according to the National Economic
Development Authority (NEDA). During the recently held CEO Forum
of E-Services’ Global Sourcing Conference and Exhibition at the SMX
Convention Center, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
actively pushed the BPO sector to further boost the economy and build
on the gains of 2007 challenging its players to achieve a
growth target of 40% in 2008.
The BPO sector is forecasted to earn US$11 billion
and employ 900,000 people by the year 2010. Driven
by the Call Center industry, which surpassed the
$4 billion mark in income last year, IT-enabled
services and ICT support services have been
identified as part of the Preferred Activities
under the current administration’s Investments
Priorities Plan.
IP-Converge:
Optimizing productivity for BPOs
Studies indicate that U.S companies are drawn to
the Philippines for BPO services primarily because of
our high level of productivity. Given the rate of expansion and
pace of growth anticipated, effectiveness and efficiency of operations
amongst BPO’s is imperative to ensure productivity does not wane.
Cognizant of this challenge, IP-Converge aims to optimize
productivity for BPO players by offering nothing less than best of
breed, globally renowned solutions. “It is the mission of IP-Converge
to equip BPO companies with the right tools so they are empowered
to thrive and seize opportunities in today’s global market,” says IPConverge President and COO Reynaldo Huergas. “Being proponents
of the “Platform as a Service (PaaS)” concept, IP-Converge believes
that embracing such is the key for both small players and major
players to achieve their productivity targets and ultimately a better
bottom-line, especially in this time of US dollar depreciation.”
THE LOOP
The “Platform as a Service (PaaS)” Concept:
Invaluable for BPOs
IP-Converge’s banner product which allows BPOs to experience
the power of PaaS is Salesforce.com, proven leader in on-demand
customer relationship management solutions (CRM). “The beauty of
the Salesforce.com platform is that it is on-demand and web-based. It
provides the flexibility for customers to subscribe to the service only
when it is required – making it extremely cost-effective,” says
Raymond Remoquillo, IP-Converge Vice President for IT
Sales and Services.
Salesforce.com
delivers
business
process
innovations that allow customers to attain workplace
productivity and efficiency through simple yet
accurate management of business information.
Salesforce.com combines functionality, proven
integration, point-and-click customization, global
capabilities, and the best user experience, resulting
in CRM success.
Leveraging on the success of their Software as
a Service (SaaS) delivery model, Salesforce.com
consequently introduced Force.com, the world’s first
Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution which enables
developers to create and deliver any kind of business application
entirely on-demand without software. It is a breakthrough conceptthat
helps companies translate ideas into deployed applications in record
time. (continued on page 10)
staffbox
For comments and/or suggestions,
email theloop@ip-converge.com
Rene Huergas
Managing Editor
Niño Valmonte
Editor in Chief / Writer
Butch de los Reyes
Associate Editor
Sheila Rada
Associate Editor
Voltaire Wycoco
Associate Editor / Writer
Aldelm John Ferriols
PAGE DESIGN
IPVG Completes Prolexic Technologies Acquisition
Publicly-listed IT company IPVG Corp. (PSE: IP) today announced
it had completed the acquisition of Prolexic Technologies Inc.
(Prolexic), a United States-based managed security service provider
of distributed denial of service (DDoS) mitigation solutions. The
acquisition represents IPVG’s roadmap of growing the company
in key areas in the IP domain and
global market. IPVG now offers
a unique DDoS protection value
proposition for customers of all
industries, worldwide.
Our investment in Prolexic gives
IPVG ownership of a propriety
platform for DDoS mitigation which
has a global application. Prolexic
has established itself as a clear
leader in DDoS mitigation; when
combined with IPVG’s network
infrastructure and market reach we will offer a unique proposition
to our target customers around the world.
DDoS attacks have increased in size and frequency by more than
200% over the last 12-months. The continued growth of the internet
translates to sustained demand for secure hosting environments
and internet security services. With Prolexic, we can make the
internet a safer place,” said Enrique Y. Gonzalez, CEO of IPVG
Corp.
“Prolexic has led the DDoS mitigation sector for many years,”
said Keith Laslop, Prolexic President. “We were the first to offer
DDoS scrubbing centers in all major global regions. We have
combined the industry’s most advanced and sophisticated,
mitigation technology with the world’s largest dedicated DDoS
mitigation network. Joining forces with an aggressive company
such as IPVG will allow Prolexic to extend its market leadership
worldwide in the continuing arms race against DDoS attackers.”
IP-Converge is Prolexic’s Global Support Center
Following the completion of its
acquisition of leading DDoS Mitigation
Solutions provider Prolexic Technologies,
IP-Converge announces that it will
implement the management and operation
of the company’s Global Support Center.
Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS
is the world’s most costly cyber crime and
ranks 3rd on the FBI’s priority list behind
terrorism and espionage.
Attackers use DDoS to cripple
a network for several hours
causing victims to go offline.
This translates to millions
of dollars lost depending on
how dependent a company is
on their online applications
for their revenues.
“Malicious threats are
becoming more frequent and
cyber terrorists are finding
ways to disguise these
attacks better,” says Edgar
Gutierrez AVP for Technical
Operations.
“Increasing
bandwidth subscription does
not address this problem.
Constant monitoring and
immediate attention are the
tried and tested methods for
averting a potential attack.”
As the demand for Prolexic
services grows worldwide,
a Global Support Center to
provide customer service and
support to Prolexic’s existing
and growing customer base
has become necessary.
“IP-Converge has long been a partner
and user of Prolexic Technologies. They
have a team of network engineers that
has a good understanding of how DDoS
works and how to address it,” says Gus
Cunningham, Vice President of Sales,
EMEA and Asia Pacific. “Prolexic can
leverage on IP-Converge’s facilities and
expertise to provide Level 1 support to all
our customers.”
Prolexic gained entrance into Asia
through a partnership forged in October
2006 with IP-Converge. IP-Converge has
since referred their customers to Prolexic
for DDoS Mitigation services and provided
Level 1 support.
IP-Converge employs a dedicated team
of engineers that constantly monitor
customers’ networks looking for unusual
spikes in traffic which signal an impending
attack. The team then reroutes it away
from the network and prevents over
congestion that can cause it to go offline.
In cases where there are massive attacks,
IP-Converge sends the large amount of
bogus traffic to Prolexic’s networks for
mitigation.
Beginning March 2008, IP-Converge will
begin operating the Global Support Center
with sister company IP Contact Center
Outsourcing (IPCCO) as back up. Under
this partnership, IP-Converge Engineers
will serve as the primary
interface of Prolexic customers
and will be responsible for
providing regular and timely
feedback to the end-user.
As a next step, IP-Converge
Engineers
will
interface
directly with Prolexic’s network
engineers and escalate any
technical issue that requires
the immediate attention of
their technical team.
IP-Converge will be handling
Prolexic Customer requests
via Phone Call or the Customer
Service Portal on Salesforce.
com’s platform. IP-Converge
will configure its existing
Telecommunication facilities
composed of CISCO VOICE
Gateways and Call Manager to
accept calls thru PROLEXIC’s
existing
telecommunication
services.
“IP-Converge has always
had the Voice and IP-PBX
equipment as well as the
personnel
necessary
to
operate and manage Prolexic’s
Global Support Center,” says IP-Converge
President Rene Huergas. “Prolexic
customers all over the world can be
assured that IP-Converge is perfectly
capable of meeting their needs in terms of
customer support and protection of their
networks.”
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF IP-CONVERGE
CUSTOMER WIN
Pacific Internet Connects with IP-Converge
Pacific Internet (PacNet) links up with
IP-Converge to increase their IP transit
capacity and minimize downtime.
Starting February 2008, IP-Converge
will provide a DS3 line or 45mbps to
augment PacNet’s existing bandwidth
capacity.
Through this engagement, IPConverge will help PacNet maintain
its high service level standards by
providing fast and reliable access to
existing network infrastructure and
multiple routes to major internet hubs
in Asia. The upgrade will ensure PacNet
clients continuous service even in times
of natural or man-made disasters.
“It gives us pride to be selected as a
premier technology partner of PacNet,
one of the leading independent and
telco providers in the region,” says
IP-Converge
President
Reynaldo
Huergas. “This partnership will form
the foundation of a long-lasting
partnership for both companies that
contribute to nation-building by helping
businesses grow through Internet-based
applications and services.”
Established in 1996, during the infancy
stage of the internet in the Philippines,
PacNet is one of the pioneer ISPs in the
country. It is considered as an innovator
in communications technologies as
well, leading in the development of the wireless
data infrastructure. PacNet offers a wide array
of high bandwidth internet products for homes,
SMEs and large scale enterprises. PacNet is
also the only multinational ISP in the country
with offices in Australia, Hong Kong, India,
Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
Photo Caption standing from Left: IP-Converge Senior
Account Manager Vanessa Beldia, Marketing Manager Nino
Valmonte and Pacific Internet VP Marketing Rose Pineda.
Seated from left: IP-Converge SVP Sales Butch De los Reyes,
President Reynaldo Huergas, Pacific Internet President Jojie
Yap and CFO and VP Operations Jojo Ong.
IP-Converge Partner Feature
APC-MGE Receives 2007 Global Data Center
Solutions Company of the Year Award
Exceptional Customer Solutions and Undisputed Leadership in the Worldwide Data
Center Critical Power and Precision Cooling Marketplace Cited as Key Factors
APC-MGE, part of the critical power and cooling services business unit
of Schneider Electric, recently announced that it received the 2007 Global
Data Center Solutions Company of the Year Award from global growth
consulting company Frost & Sullivan. This honor is based on a number
of criteria, including market share growth, quality product performance,
manufacturing capabilities, technological skills and the effectiveness of
distribution channel partners.
APC-MGE’s uncompromising research and development efforts have
produced highly-efficient end-to-end solutions for data centers that
address back-up power, cooling and infrastructure issues. The award
honors APC-MGE’s unparalleled excellence in the data center solutions
market by addressing the most fundamental and evolving needs of
customers.
“For the past seven years, APC-MGE has consistently increased its
revenue share and mindshare within the data center market. Their success
is a combination of customer-centric power and cooling solutions and the
execution of successful strategic industry alliances,” said Farah Saeed,
senior consultant with Frost & Sullivan. “By advancing the progress of
data center solutions in efficiency, design and scalability, while continuing
to exceed the latest application requirements, they are a true leader and
a worthy recipient of the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Data Center Solutions
Company of the Year Award.”
THE LOOP
Another factor cited in APC’s selection was the company’s exceptional
customer service and customer loyalty levels. The company has the
exceptional expertise to identify market needs and changes while executing
innovative strategies within the existing competitive landscape.
“We are delighted that Frost & Sullivan chose to recognize APCMGE’s success in both data center product innovation and company
performance,” said Laurent Vernerey, APC-MGE’s president and chief
executive officer. “With the investments we are making today, we are
positioning APC-MGE for long-term success in our traditional markets, as
well as within the data center and enterprise space.”
In order to select the award recipient, analysts quantify several market
factors for each market participant according to predetermined criteria,
paying close attention to their combined operations. This process includes
interviews with all market participants, customers, and suppliers, along
with extensive secondary and technology research. The companies’
efforts are then analyzed based on the number of new customers, new
segments, and commitment to business expansion together with market
growth. Industry participants are then ranked based on predetermined
measurement criteria.
For more information about APC-MGE offerings, please visit www.apc.
com or call 800-877-4080.
PRODUCT UPDATE
IP-Converge: Ensuring Availability
of Mission-Critical Data
IP-Converge Internet Data Center recognizes that data is
a business’ most valuable asset. Along with its applications,
businesses cannot operate when these two components are either
unavailable or not secure. This is why most companies running on
mission-critical data invest heavily on IT infrastructure to ensure the
availability, security and redundancy of its data and applications.
“We are in the information age, and this information is broken
down to data which runs on applications and solutions. These
make up the core of a modern business enterprise,” says Edgar
Gutierrez, AVP for Technical Operations and Customer Support.
“Businesses contract the services of Internet data centers either as
the primary storage facility for their data or as a backup. Either way,
they demand that their data be always available and secure.”
IP-Converge understands that the availability of a business’
applications and information affect end-user productivity and
ultimately customer loyalty. A study conducted by Applied Research
in 2006 revealed that 76% of IT Managers polled in the United States
confirmed persistent delays directly influenced customer loyalty
to their organizations. To stay ahead of the issues that hit data
centers, IP-Converge adopts the latest technologies and practices
and meticulously complies with international standards on data
center operations.
“The crucial components that make up an internet data center
are space, power and cooling. However, Internet data centers face
many threats in its daily operations such as terrorist acts, natural
disasters, network security, power outages and systems loss due
to poor ventilation or air-conditioning,” says Roberto Suarez,
VP – Infrastructure Development. “IP-Converge makes sure that
contingencies are in place to mitigate these issues should they
arise – and they’re sure to arise. IP-Converge then stresses the
importance of disaster recovery over disaster prevention.”
Outpacing Supply
In late 2007 IP-Converge began expanding its Makati Internet Data
Center in anticipation of an increase in demand as the Philippines
pushes the ICT products and services sector. The IDC now has an
area of more than 500 square meters and can accommodate up to
300 racks. At the same time, IP-Converge acquired and installed
additional chillers to establish redundancy in its ventilation and
air-conditioning system. The RCBC Plaza-based IDC is a Tier III
compliant data center. It is housed in a seismic-zone 4 compliant
building structure equipped with a fire suppressant system, dual
UPS with battery bank and seven generators with 45,000 liters of
diesel fuel on standby acting as backup. IP-Converge is on top of
security issues as well. The data center has man traps secured by
multiple security layers while entrances are secured by electronic
access cards and biometric devices. The whole office is monitored
with continuous closed-circuit video surveillance and recording,
and 24 x 7 escorted access for all personnel. For network security,
IP-Converge employs a team of experienced IT professionals that
provide 24 x 7 maintenance and technical support as a first line
of defense and a Network Operations Center for corrective action,
customer service and network monitoring.
IP-Converge also has a presence in Hong Kong that offers colocation space for regional-based enterprises as well as Disaster
Recovery services for Philippine and Singapore-based clients.
IP-Converge and parent company IPVG made two major
acquisitions in the last 6 months that pushed the company way
ahead of all other data centers in the Philippines and made them a
strong player in one of Asia’s major IT hubs. The acquisition of the
Singapore Internet Data Center was made to target regional-based
MNCs, expand the storage capacity of IP-Converge and at the same
time provide a disaster recovery site to complement the two other
data centers in South Asia. It is also a Tier III facility.
The other major acquisition was Prolexic Technologies – the
world leader in Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS Mitigation.
DDoS is the world’s most costly cyber crime and is third on the
FBI’s priority list. DDoS attacks are frequent on enterprises that
have customers relying heavily on their internet applications for
their transactions.
“We now have 3 Internet Data Centers that all have secure
network infrastructure that protects mission-critical data, and linked
together by high speed and high capacity bandwidth with diverse
routes. This guarantee business continuity and disaster recovery,”
says IP-Converge President Reynaldo Huergas. “IP-Converge can
minimize downtime – which translates to thousands even millions
of dollars of lost revenue and help preserve a company’s reputation,
success and competitive advantage. “
Evolving with Emerging Technologies
Aside from the prerequisites of space, power and cooling, Internet
Data Centers must be able to evolve in tandem with emerging
technologies and the needs of customers. The IP-Converge Data
Center is a carrier-neutral Data Center which allows connectivity
with all telecommunications companies and relationships with all
providers. It is vendor-neutral as well since it is compatible with
major hardware and applications vendors so customers can bring
in their own equipment or IP-Converge can recommend any brand.
The relationships formed with all major vendors allow access to
adhoc hardware support and maintenance. IP-Converge also
focuses a lot of attention to cabling systems to prevent downtime
and provide customers with high-quality service highlighted by
high bandwidth, reliability and redundancy important for their IPbased applications and business critical data.
IP-Converge understands that organizations that rely heavily on
online systems have the most to lose in terms of revenue if there
is downtime. Hence, IP-Converge strives to continually evolve and
innovate to ensure those organizations sustain application and
data availability and speed up disaster recovery when needed.
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF IP-CONVERGE
!
a
r
o
B
in
m
a
e
t
e
g
r
e
the IP-Conv
THE LOOP
IP-Converge took their annual sales Kick-off to another level by
holding it in Boracay – a significant leap from the previous year’s
kickoff which was held at the Mimosa Resort and Casino in Clark
Field, Pampanga.
The yearly dialogue is dubbed H.A.T.A.W. or Harnessing Abilities
Together to Achieve Wonders. The department heads converged at
The Tides from January 16-18 to exchange ideas and commit their
efforts to ensure that the sales team will pull off their targets.
IP-Converge President Reynaldo Huergas believes that the sales
kickoff is one of the most crucial activities the company has to begin
the year since this would align each department’s objectives and
resources towards achieving the overall goal.
“In 2007, IP-Converge showed tremendous growth in sales so it was
just right to bring the team over to Boracay, but it can’t all be fun and
games because this is serious stuff,” says Huergas. “Top management
and shareholders have even greater expectations from us in 2008 so
we really need to start out strong and set the tone for the rest of the
year.”
No one ever predicted that Boracay would be such a fitting venue
for serious dialogue. After all, Boracay has always been the destination
for people looking for a serious party or a serious vacation.
Moreover, the resort that hosted H.A.T.A.W. ’08 is also owned by
Embassy and Temple Bar owner Eric Cua – a perceived authority when
it comes to parties.
Nevertheless, once The Tides’ main dining area, the Sun Deck Bar
& Café, was converted into a full function conference room, the team
buckled down to work and the paradise otherwise known as Boracay
became an afterthought – at least during the day.
The first order of business was to update and orient the newer
employees on the developments in IP-Converge products and services.
With the acquisition of the Singapore Data Center, IP-Converge added
another point-of-presence in the region aside from Hong Kong thereby
expanding the company’s capabilities.
“A better understanding of the nuances and range of our products
and services will help the members of the sales team become more
effective sales persons,” says IP-Converge Director for Product
Development Hernand Hermida. “Now they can be very creative when
pitching solutions to clients, they just have to make sure that the
technical operations group can deliver what they promise.”
Newly promoted Assistant Vice-President for Technical Operations
and Customer Support, Edgar Gutierrez, for his part committed all out
support from the network engineers and the customer service staff.
“We have to maintain a service level standard that exceeds customer
expectations,” says Gutierrez. “This involves a prompt response to
customer requests and a single-minded approach to keeping their
networks secure and continuously running – that’s our commitment.”
SVP for Sales Butch de los Reyes believes that with the concerted
efforts of all departments supporting sales, the task of reaching their
group as well as individual quotas has become somewhat easier.
“I know that the target given by management is a bit high and can
be quite nerve-racking for the Account Managers,” shares de los
Reyes. “But a generous incentive package cooked up by the finance
department and the consistent support of the marketing team should
provide the passion to get the job done.”
Come nightfall, the IP-Converge team made sure to make up for the
grueling hours spent discussing sales quotas and commitments. Each
night, the organizers made sure to prepare a special dinner outside the
hotel. After which, the H.A.T.A.W. attendees “soaked-in” the Boracay
night life experiencing the different themes of Hey Jude, Bom Bom
and The Tides Sun Deck.
“We had great food and lots of drinks,” says a smiling Eric Racpan,
Senior Account Manager. “What transpires in the after-hours is a
necessary component of sales kickoffs because that is when we get to
bond and truly become a team.
The success of the sales kickoff and the effectiveness of H.A.T.A.W.
will only be known when the numbers come in 12 months after. It is a
long road between H.A.T.A.W ’08 and H.A.T.A.W. ’09 and during that
time there will be a lot of hard work.
“All in all it was a good mix of work and fun. We accomplished what
we went to Boracay for,” adds Huergas. “If we achieve what we set out
to do this year, the team can expect that we’ll definitely top this one in
the next kick-off.”
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF IP-CONVERGE
COVER STORY
IP-Converge:
Empowering Business in the IP World
IP-Converge, a leader in Managed Data Services and IT
Solutions announces its new corporate tagline – “Empowering
Business in the IP world.” – to illustrate the attitude and values
the company adopts with every client engagement.
The new corporate tagline matches IP-Converge’s vision of
Shaping the IP landscape for the communities we serve.
their technological investment but also play a relevant role in the
achievement of their goals.”
The new corporate tagline is part of IP-Converge’s new
branding initiative that positions the organization as a business
enabler – a partner that provides the tools to help clients succeed
in the highly competitive business landscape. This message tells
clients that IP (or Internet Protocol) is IP-Converge’s business
– their core competency – and the IP world is the medium where
the company delivers their services and solutions.
“We view every client engagement as a potential partnership so
it always goes beyond mere provision of products and services,”
says Huergas. “We demonstrate our commitment to our clients
by making our success contingent on theirs.”
All of IP-Converge’s marketing materials, its website and print
advertising will feature the new tagline.
“We not only want them to have a positive return
on their technological investment but also play a
relevant role in the achievement of their goals.”
“This corporate tagline emphasizes our commitment to
help our clients build their business through the services and
solutions that we offer,” says IP-Converge President Reynaldo
Huergas. “We not only want them to have a positive return on
2
1
The IP-Converge company logo is comprised of two significant components.
The Blue Sphere, and the Steel Arms that wrap around it.
The two objects combine to form a symbol that speaks of the company’s
key attributes and ideals.
1.
The Blue Sphere represents the IP world – our core competency, and the medium by which we deliver our
solutions and services. The blue color is universally associated with depth and stability. It symbolizes trust,
loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, and truth. Furthermore, the color blue suggests precision when
promoting technological products. The spherical shape often has geographical or scientific significance and
speaks of the bearer’s achievements in either of these fields. We believe this to be apt for our logo as our global
presence in the field of technology continually increases.
2
The Steel Arms represent our business strength, the stability, durability and reliability of our solutions, and its
premium value as well. Nonetheless, these Steel Arms take a curved form to show the Company’s flexibility in
providing its solutions, and moves in a circular motion to connote the Company’s dynamism. These Steel Arms
embrace the Blue Sphere to convey the Company’s concept of “owning the IP World”.
THE LOOP
IP-Converge Corporate Guide
Vision
Shaping the IP landscape for the
Communities we serve
Our Strategic Partners
Mission
Shareholder Community:
Ensure maximum value on shareholders’ investments
Internal Community:
Ensure career fulfillment for employees
Partner Community:
Promote mutual growth among partners
Customer Community:
Enable better business practices for our customers
Corporate Social Responsibility
(Marginalized Youth Community)
Provide opportunities to develop ICT expertise
for qualified individuals
Our Approach
Information Technology & Telecommunications “Boutique”
• Catering to niche markets with specific needs
• Consultative approach for better understanding
• Tailor-fit solutions that promote growth
Our Winning Proposition
Our Customers’ Growth is Our Growth.
Our Quality Policy
Our Quality Commitment is to ensure Customer Satisfaction,
and develop long-term Partnerships through our distinct
“boutique” approach.
This “boutique” method is exemplified through:
•Keen understanding of customer needs through a
consultative mindset;
• Alignment of business resources and adoption of best-ofbreed IT&T solutions to suit Customer requirements.
By adhering to these, we are able to provide customer-centric
solutions that promote cost-efficiency, maximum productivity
and growth, thus empowering our Customers to achieve their
business goals.
Our Services
Managed Data Services
A. Internet Data Center Services
1 Server Co-location
2 Remote Hands
B. IP Transport and Connectivity
1 Global Internet Access
2 IPLC Services
C. Network Security
1 Prolexic DDoS Mitigation
2 Managed Firewall
D. VOIP Services
1 Wholesale VOIP Termination Services
2 Hosted IP-PBX
E. IT Solutions
1 Contact Center Solutions
2 CRM Solutions
3 Financial Systems
Speedy implementation
Cost-effective solutions
Access to leading-edge IT/Telco capabilities
and infrastructure
Access to experienced IT professionals
Free up valuable time to focus on YOUR core business
Generate revenues higher, quicker, and for less cost!
Proven business solutions – from a single provider.
Major Accomplishments 2005-PRESENT
Jun 2005
Acquisition of IDC from
Reach Networks
Oct 2006
DDoS Mitigation services with Prolexic
Dec 2006
Granted NTC VAS license as a
VOIP Provider
Jan 2007
Completion of IPC HK point-of-presence
(PoP)
Feb 2007
Established direct peering with HKIX;
(only Philippine provider)
Mar 2007
Completion of STM1 fiber link from
RCBC to CEZA (Cagayan Economic
Zone Authority
May 2007
Signed Consulting Partner Agreement
with Salesforce.com
Jun 2007
Signed Preferred Partner Agreement
with Altitude Software
Jan 2008
First Cagayan Converge Data
Center Inc. Joint Venture
Jan 2008
Acquisition of Singapore
Data Center
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF IP-CONVERGE
IPVG, IPC Introduce New Offices
The offices of IPVG Corp and IP-Converge at the
RCBC plaza went through a major facelift from
December 2007 to February 2008. The offices from
the reception area to the small meeting rooms,
all the way to the Facilities Department no longer
resemble the offices that the clients, partners,
suppliers or even some of the employees were used
to.
The main goal of the renovation was to
increase the capacity of the internet data center
to accommodate additional demand for managed
data services. The data center was stretched out
taking over the sales department to accommodate
75 more racks on an additional 55 square meters.
The sales and marketing team moved into the area
IPVG occupied ever since the company moved to
RCBC in 2005. The Facilities section now occupies
a small section behind the small meeting rooms in
the area that used to be the office of IP-Converge
President Rene Huergas.
The IPVG Corp offices consisting of I-Pay, SoftAir,
mobile services and Human resources were
transferred to the new office located on the 4th floor.
There they are joined by First Cagayan Converge
Data Center Inc., a JV between IP-Converge and First
Cagayan Leisure & Resorts Corp. The Corporate
Communications,
Marketing,
Business Development and Total
Quality Management offices of
IPVG are located at the 4th floor
as well.
The renovations that the
IPVG and IP-Converge offices
underwent culminated in an
office blessing on Wednesday,
February 20, 2008.
The office blessing was
attended by no less than IPVG
Chairman Jaime C. Gonzalez and
his wife Marie Constance, Deputy
Chairman Roger Stone, IPVG
Chief Executive Officer, Enrique
Y. Gonzalez, Chief Financial
Officer Emmanuel Jalandoni,
VP Organizational Development
Oleen Miranda and IP-Converge
President Rene Huergas.
The office blessing started on
the 34th Floor of RCBC Plaza in
IP-Converge and ended on the 4th
floor where a small celebration
followed. The blessing was
officiated by Fr. Armand Tangi of
the Society of St. Paul.
Fr. Armand Tangi, SSP with IPVG Corp
Chairman Jaime C. Gonzalez (center), IPConverge President Reynaldo Huergas and
I-Pay President Alejandro James Chiongbian
IP-Converge: Supporting growth in the BPO Sector
IP-Converge Opens Singapore IDC,
( continued from page 2)
( continued from page 2)
“Companies all over the world recognize the significant role
Salesforce.com has played in driving businesses reach prime
performance levels. Global players are now gearing up for the next
level, transitioning from Software as a Service to Platform as a
Service, allowing users to run any application directly from the web,
doing away with the high cost of setup and hardware management,
significantly improving Total Cost of Ownership. ”
To complete its PaaS proposition, IP-Converge also offers V.O.I.C.E.S.
(Voice Over Internet Call Exchange Suite), a platform hosted in its
telco-grade Internet Data Center. The V.O.I.C.E.S. portfolio leverages
on the company’s high speed network connectivity and robust
IDC infrastructure that provides high quality VOIP termination with
superb latency to North America and the Asia Pacific region. It
delivers excellent call quality and creates the ideal environment best
suited for call center operations. V.O.I.C.E.S. ensures efficient VOIP
communications and call center operations, on-demand.
“V.O.I.C.E.S is a comprehensive package which integrates system
and bandwidth requirements, simplifying set-up and operations for
contact centers. With V.O.I.C.E.S., the only thing left for start up call
centers to do is find and manage its agents,” says Remoquillo.
The Singapore facility also known as the New Tech Park (NTP) Data
Center has superior back-up power, air-conditioning and security systems.
The data center provides an additional 700 square meters (approximately
300 co-location racks) to its current IDC space located at the RCBC Plaza
in Makati City. The new IDC also gives IP-Converge an additional Internet
connectivity PoP in Singapore as the company is peered with international
carriers PCCW, SingTel, and Starhub. This expands IP-Converge’s IP
transit capacity for customers and provides customers redundancy.
10
THE LOOP
IP-Converge Senior Vice President for Sales Percival C. de los Reyes
believes the data center increases IP-Converge’s capacity to consistently
provide a high level of service for all of its customers throughout the
region and guarantee business continuity in the event of a disaster or any
terrorist activity since it now has points-of-presence in different parts of
Asia.
“With the Singapore IDC in full operation, we are capable of providing
server co-location services, internet connectivity and 24x7 managed
services to Singapore-based clients as well as others in the Philippines
and the rest of the region,” says de los Reyes. “In addition, the new facility
is also an ideal disaster recovery site for these markets.”
inter face
IP-Converge recruits New VP to lead
Financial Systems Group
IP-Converge brought in Daniel de Venecia
Viray to head the Financial Systems group.
Dan Viray has had highly productive stints
in several companies during his career with
notable stops as country manager as well
as sales director in multinational firms like
Sun Microsystems and Hewlett Packard.
Prior to joining IP-Converge, Viray was
the Regional Sales Director of AurionPro
Solutions Pte Ltd. Viray brings with him
over 26 years of management and sales
experience in banking and information
technology.
Viray joins fellow IP-Converge Financial
Systems newcomers Ana Cinco, Director
for Sales and Reynaldo Bas, Senior Project
Manager to form a new division with
current Director for Business Development,
Visitacion Racpan. He aims to provide the
direction needed to make IP-Converge
Financial Systems an even stronger player
in the banking and financial market place.
“We are pushing the number one
Financial Systems product line in India,
which is also one of the highest ranking
in the world,” says Viray. “Our goal for
this year is to stamp Credence Analytics’
presence in the Philippines and in so doing
gain a significant share of the market and
perhaps, in the future, expand our cache of
financial solutions and services to meet the
needs of companies across industries.”
Maricar Burgos
Sales Director
Maricar Burgos was
promoted to Sales Director
effective January 1, 2008. The
announcement of her promotion
was made during the HATAW’08
Sales Kickoff held at The Tides
in Boracay.
A pioneer at IP-Converge,
Maricar started as an Account
Manager and has been
consistently the company’s
top performer for sales for two
consecutive years. Maricar has
been responsible for managing,
motivating and monitoring
the team handling industryspecific projects—particularly
First Cagayan locators—that
significantly contribute to the
company’s revenue.
“Maricar has been playing a significant role managing First
Cagayan locators, a major business for IP-Converge,” said Rene
Huergas, IPC president. “She has been a consistent asset in the
company and I am confident that she will continue to do well as
our Sales Director in-charge of FC locators. IP-Converge has surely
benefitted from utilizing her ideas and skills that help IPC and its
various businesses meet its bottom line.”
Maricar took up her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at
the University of the Philippines, and later on was conferred a
Masters Degree in Business Administration from the Ateneo de
Manila University.
On being a Pioneer….
My favorite part of the job is the challenge!
During my last vacation I had a great time with my family though
my blackberry kept on ringing which made me spend more time
answering calls from clients.
This job becomes rewarding when we meet our targets and even
exceed that every year.
My favorite sports or hobbies include reading, watching DVDs,
chatting with high school and college friends, and just stay at
home…
My most memorable experience so far was my first date
when I was 21!
My ideal date is to have lunch eating barbecue with someone
special on top of a mountain.
The biggest turn off is dishonest people!
In five years I see myself still single!
Financial Systems Group: from left
Director for Sales, Ana Cinco, Director
for Business Development Cion
Racpan, Vice-President Dan Viray and
Senior Project Manager Rey Bas
Edgar Gutierrez
Assistant Vice President Technical Operations
and Customer Support
Edgar Gutierrez was promoted
to Assistant Vice President
for Technical Operations and
Customer Support effective
January 1, 2008.
Egie was initially hired to
head up the MIS group of IPVG
in November 2004 before IPConverge was set up. During
that time, IPVG had a team of
approximately 8 engineers. Egie
related that his job description
then was “to follow whatever the CTO asks us to do.” When IPConverge was set up in 2005, his role in the company expanded
to include assisting in the business development and sales
initiatives. He served as Business Development Manager until
his promotion to Director for Product Planning in January 2006. A
year later, he left the sales group to head the Technical Operations
group as their Director.
“Egie has grown tremendously in the field of technical
operations over the last couple of years and has been a strong
component in maintaining the high degree of service standards
for our customers,” shares IP-Converge President Reynaldo
Huergas. “He has provided consistent support to our sales group
and his promotion is truly well-deserved.”
Egie has had numerous roles after more than three years with
the organization. He relishes the opportunity to interact with the
best people in the company and he believes that is what allowed
him to improve and become a better IPVG family member.
Egie went to the Ateneo de Manila University where he
graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer
Science in 1996.
ALL IN A DAY’S WORK….
My favorite part of the job is EVERYTHING ABOUT IT
- the projects, the people I work with.
When I’m not at work I’m at SAKE SAN!
This job becomes rewarding when the value of my work and
accomplishments become an inspiration for me and for others to
achieve more and greater things for this company.
My most memorable experience so far would be when I won the
Best in Stunt Coordination award last year! I almost broke into
tears! I would like to dedicate that to the Technical Operations
and Customer Support Team who have been working really hard
….You guys are just excellent!
In five years I see myself….doing the same thing, perhaps with a
different title…AVP II?? and with more white hair.
THE OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF IP-CONVERGE
11
12
THE LOOP