There are several challenges that SME’s here in the Philippines has faced when it comes to growth and productivity. SMEs went through process innovation and product development to survive. However, over the years, SMEs has found a great muscle in the form of social media. The influence of Social media was absolutely patent, which is why SMEs maximizes it. Digital, social, and mobile users have become SMEs best friend.
The Philippines’ fast-growing digital, social and mobile users definitely created unprecedented opportunities for the 800,000 strong small and medium enterprise (SME) market segment. However, the challenge today is how SMEs can efficiently tap and engage this community. Today, there are over 34 million Facebook users, over 10 million Twitter followers and with over 44 million Filipino internet users and counting.
With this, PLDT SME Nation partners with Samsung & Microsoft Philippines to create innovative business solutions that will enable entrepreneurs to run their business better, grow faster, be more globally competitive and engage with the country’s digital, social and mobile population. In an event entitled “Growing your Business in the Digital Age”, these three industry leaders announced this partnership and also introduced groundbreaking technologies and tools that will enable SMEs to efficiently manage their businesses anytime, anywhere. PLDT SME Nation even showcased some of this technology’s capability during the event, inviting several bloggers from Cebu and Manila to virtually take part of the press conference from remote locations using Microsoft Office 365.
The Benefits of having PLDT SME Nation:
- Premium and faster fixed and wireless broadband solutions running on their latest fiber and LTE network. These broadband offerings provide unlimited access which give entrepreneurs the ability to continuously conduct online activities without the fear of bandwidth throttling.
- Services that feature committed information rates or CIR, which guarantee minimum bandwidth speeds for businesses and a static IP used to power up their websites and enable faster inter-office data transfers.
- Most robust network and nation-widest reach for its fixed, wireless and now satellite service, ensuring that entrepreneurs will have the best broadband service suited for their business wherever they are.
- These new broadband packages come with supercharged flexible freebies ranging from relevant and business enabling Cloud Solutions such as Microsoft Office 365 and PLDT Cloud apps for video monitoring, asset tracking, POS, infrastructure and more. SMEs will also be able to get for free and choose the latest array of smart devices from Samsung Philippines and High Definition (HD) TV content from Cignal.
PLDT Executive Vice President and ePLDT President and CEO Eric Alberto highlighted the significance of the partnership saying, “This collaboration and synergy among today’s leaders in the telecommunications industry ushers in a new era of enablement for the small and medium enterprise market segment.
Through this strategic partnership, SMEs will have access to game-changing business tools such as faster and nationwide fixed and wireless broadband solutions, latest gadgets and devices and relevant collaboration cloud applications which should ultimately lead to higher levels of operational efficiencies, expanded market reach, higher profit margin levels, and in the process create higher economic multiplier for our country” Alberto adds.
“PLDT SME Nation reaffirms its support for Filipino SMEs as it continues to innovate and form partnerships with industry leaders to provide our country’s aspiring entrepreneurs with only the best broadband solutions for their businesses.”
To signify the formalization of the partnership among the three companies Alberto was joined on stage by PLDT First Vice President and Head of SME Business Kat Luna-Abelarde, Samsung Philippines Managing Director Harry Lee, Samsung Philippines Business Manager James Kwon, Samsung Philippines Enterprise Director Irene Catane, Microsoft Philippines Director for Small, Midsize Solutions Partners Diana Tibbs and Microsoft Philippines Business Group Lead Tovia Va’aelua for the push-button inauguration.
