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ePLDT launches 'Simply ERP' for streamlined business operations  

Digital transformation for many industries globally – whether for small or medium business, or large corporations, have compelled the need for not just strong and reliable connectivity, but simplified solutions as well. As more and more organizations look at transforming their legacy systems to cloud-based solutions especially amid the COVID-19 pandemic, ePLDT introduces Simply ERP—a simple, affordable, and accessible system to address the challenges that industries face. ‘Simply ERP’ is an ERP solution for SAP Business One, established by ePLDT and powered by its subsidiary, AGS.  “The effect of business operations and strategies brought about by COVID-19 has forced significant restructuring of small and medium-sized organizations. The supply chain requirements, dynamic customer needs, allowing remote work, upskilling of workers, and managing cash flow and liquidity are but some challenges of SMEs. Simply ERP addresses all these with features and services that are simple, reliable,

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ISG Paragon Awards APAC Recognize Unisys and the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) for Civil Registry System Modernization

The award recognizes the modernized PSA Civil Registry System’s success in fulfilling citizens’ needs for official documents in minutes with advanced digitization and records management. Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm, has recognized Unisys’ work on behalf of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in the 2020 ISG Paragon Awards™ APAC. The ISG Paragon Awards APAC, awarded in August 2020, recognizes the year’s most innovative and impactful sourcing partnerships. Unisys and the PSA’s work to modernize the Civil Registry System (CRS) won the Impact category, which recognizes the impact of a client/service provider(s) relationship on a community. “We selected Unisys and the Philippine Statistics Authority because the digital transformation of the government’s Civil Registry Service tangibly improved Philippine citizens’ ability to access critical documents, such

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Holcim highlights reliability, partnership in digital campaign for flagship brand Excel

Holcim Philippines has started a social media campaign highlighting its flagship general-purpose cement brand Excel, which has established itself as a preferred choice among local contractors for reliability in building quality structures in its nearly two decades in the country. Leading cement manufacturer Holcim Philippines, Inc. has rolled out a new digital campaign for its flagship general-purpose cement brand Excel that highlights the product’s reliability in building durable and quality structures that supports user’s aspiration for progress. The company has started a series of posts on Facebook and Instagram focused on how its Excel brand is trusted by contractors having established itself as among the preferred cement brands in the market for building important structures from homes to infrastructures. The campaign features Filipino words “kasangga” at “pag-angat” in reference to the attributes Excel is associated with as well as images of builders and homeowners. Holcim Phi

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Fortinet Acquires Cloud Security and Networking Innovator OPAQ Networks

SASE (Secure Access Service Edge) has become a topic of increased industry discussion and interest for enterprises and partners alike. That is because today’s organizations require immediate, uninterrupted, and secure access to the network and cloud-based resources and data – especially business-critical applications – no matter where their users are located. Digital innovation creates new challenges for organizations, including dynamically changing network configurations and the rapid expansion of the attack surface. This has resulted in new and incremental opportunities to provide additional levels of protection and access control that these organizations and users require. These are challenges that a SASE solution is designed to address. However, there are two critical things to remember about the selection and implementation of any SASE solution. The first is that it must be easily integrated into your larger security strategy. If not, you are simply creating yet another set of s

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Pru Life UK establishes AI and Data Analytics Center to accelerate digital transformation

Leading life insurer Pru Life UK has established the AI and Data Analytics Center to accelerate its digital transformation with the use of cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics. The virtual center is designed to drive the integration of advanced technology solutions within Pru Life UK’s business to enhance its delivery of value-added products and services to customers and the public. It also helps facilitate collaboration among its internal functions and external stakeholders, such as the regulators and business partners. Pru Life UK President and CEO Antonio “Jumbing” De Rosas believes harnessing technologies such as AI and data analytics not only prepares the company and its growing workforce to be future-ready but also helps advance digital health in the Philippines. “In addition to enhancing the efficiency of our operations and building a smart business, the AI and Data Analytics Center will help deepen public understanding of how new

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Experts see pandemic accelerating adoption of AI solutions in customer service

Experts see the pandemic accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence solutions in customer service as consumer behaviors change in response to the global crisis. “I think everyone will be pushed to go online. E-commerce will be pushed, even services will be pushed online. So AI will have to handle that volume to aid the agents in handling each of those calls,” said PLDT Enterprise Innovation Center head Andy Santos at the Voix Live! 2020 webinar. Telus International Vice President for Digital Solutions Nalakumar RS said the pandemic has fast-tracked the adoption of AI chatbots as people begin to move away from accessing customer services through voice calls. “There is that push from our customers to transform the way we used to do things to fit our current lifestyle and work style that is needed right now,” said TeamAsia Managing Director Bea Lim. Roadblocks in AI adoption However, Google Cloud Customer Engineer Graeme Merrall pointed out that there are roadblocks in the

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How Filipino SMEs ‘Reset for the Rebound’ Post-COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has clearly affected many industries since the implementation of the community quarantines.  But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens, as many businesses, especially the small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs), still found a way to remain resilient in the “new normal.” A survey by SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) and Oxford Economics, called “Digital Resilient, and Experience-driven: How Small and Midsize Organisations Can Prepare for the New Economy,” revealed that 88 percent of SMEs in the Philippines remain confident that they will continue to grow over the next three years. The survey also said that 89 percent of SMEs in the country adjusted their employees to work remotely amid the pandemic. SAP recognizes that Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, continues to be one of the fastest-growing markets in the world amid the pandemic. According to the SAP survey, 69 percent of SMEs in the Asia Pacific has invested in IT and digital solutions to b

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Data drives COVID-19 recovery for Asia Pacific businesses and global travel bounces back with a more local focus

Deep data insights are driving COVID-19 recovery strategies across all industries, including the travel and entertainment sectors where promising signs of improvement are starting to emerge, according to two reports by Mastercard that analyze how companies and consumers are weathering the pandemic and preparing for the future. Sailing Against the Wind features case studies on six sectors in the Asia Pacific – restaurants, finance, mass retail, health & beauty, travel, and government – that highlight effective tactics to harness the power of analytics, including performance clustering, phased benchmarking, and consumer segmentation. The specific examples also connect to broader themes for each industry on how to use the right data, tools, and expertise to understand the impact of a crisis and drive response strategies. “Businesses in the Asia Pacific have been dealing with the pandemic longer than anywhere else. In the midst of continued uncertainty in the operating environment and th

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UBX’s online shop builder Sentro now with over 13,000 sign-ups

Online shop builder Sentro of UBX, the fintech arm of Union Bank of the Philippines (UnionBank), has gained significant traction from entrepreneurs with now over 13,000 platform users, barely four months since its launch. Sentro provides an outlet for people looking to showcase their products online or have their own website. The platform is particularly relevant as businesses pivot to digital to survive amid the public health crisis. Entrepreneurs can create their online shop that accepts payments in minutes, for free with no set-up fee nor commission from sales. For casual sellers or small businesses who are interested to go online, sell and grow their business, just log on to sentro.ph. Sentro is one of four ventures of UBX that aim to provide clients with the much-needed access to technology and create marketplaces that have otherwise been impossible for other companies to offer during the pandemic. For its notable contributions in leading the Filipino finance market’s digita

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Singlife and GCash now offering no-fuss protection to Filipinos

Entering the market, mobile-first life insurer Singlife Philippines officially launched its partnership with the country’s leading mobile wallet GCash, showcasing an innovative customer experience that will be available on the GCash app. Life insurance has been present in the Philippines for more than a century, but only 5% to 6% of the insurable population owns at least one policy. Market research indicates that another 15% to 20% of Filipinos are attracted by the value of life insurance. While some still haven’t purchased a policy as they feel intimidated to speak with sales representatives, others who have purchased found the overall value and customer service lacking. These often lead to discontinuation of contributions – and in most cases, waiving of benefits. Singlife identified several hurdles that prevent people from getting insured: limited access, complex products, and high premiums. Limited access to buy through financial advisors lead to doubt if the customer’s needs are

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