Many research studies have shown that digital transformation remains to be a fundamental strategy for businesses to stay relevant. Harvard Business Review predicts game-changing technologies like 5G, AI, and the cloud to be front-runners for mass adoption in the next few years while global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company reports that 71% of the 79 largest consumer firms globally have already put down stakes in the metaverse. And as businesses today are faced with challenges on sustainability, it is achievable through data-driven insights and innovative solutions.    

These were the trending topics during the Philippine Digital Convention 2022 (PH Digicon). PLDT Enterprise, the business arm of the largest fully integrated telco services provider PLDT, discussed how innovations are expected to change the business landscape after the pandemic during the panel discussion, “Going Beyond the Future of Tech.”     

The panel, moderated by PLDT and Smart FVP and Group Head of Corporate Communications, Catherine Yap-Yang, was joined by ePLDT President and CEO, Victor Genuino, Nokia Vice President and Head of Southeast Asia, Daniel Jaeger, and Cisco IOT APJC Senior Sales Director, Simon Rizkallah.     

“Enterprises have realized that in order to remain relevant to their customers, they have to digitally transform, disrupt themselves and the way they conduct business,” says ePLDT President and CEO, Victor Genuino.       

When it comes to disruption, global tech giant Nokia is a pioneer. Operating in various industries for over 155 years, it wasn’t until the 1990s that Nokia focused its operations on large-scale telecommunications infrastructure, technology development, and licensing. Since then, Nokia has been operating in 130 countries, won nine Nobel prizes, and has been a trusted partner for critical networks, committed to innovation and technology leadership across mobile, fixed, and cloud networks. They have gone from ‘connecting people’ to now ‘helping the world act together’.     

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“Indeed, the tagline that we are carrying now is much bigger than the previous one,” shares Daniel Jaeger, Nokia Vice President and Head of Southeast Asia.  “It has not completely changed, but…became a bit bigger. Yes, we are still connecting people with technology that we provide with the networks that we build and partners like Smart and PLDT, but it goes way beyond that.”    

Just like the theme for the 2022 conference, Nokia continues to embody what it means to be ‘boundless’ going above and beyond for its partners and customers and expanding their technology portfolio to help build the capabilities needed for a more productive, sustainable, and inclusive post-pandemic world.     

Adding to Nokia’s commitment and capabilities is their pledge towards an environmentally friendly and sustainable future. As they said at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference or COP26 climate summit in November 2021: “There is no green without digital.” Nokia wants to lead the way on the global stage in making the case for digitalization as central to addressing the climate challenge.    

Jaeger echoed this commitment when he said, “Of course, we start at home, and the first question is how do we make the networks that we build as efficient and as green as possible?”    

“It’s not just a job that we have to do,” he explains further. “But it’s really a contribution that we as the communications industry, in a broader sense, need to do.”        

Nokia has made the call for accelerated digitalization and green energy uptake and has committed to use 100% renewable electricity in its own operations by 2025.    

ePLDT, on the other hand, has been an advocate of sustainability by pushing for greener data centers in the country. Genuino believes that sustainability starts with the customers. “They’ve been asking us difficult questions that push us to reassess how we run our business,” he says. “It’s our customers that drive us to be innovative in the way we build [our] data centers, source power and manage our operations.”    

More than servicing its customers, it has been one of the PLDT Group’s core values to champion a sustainable future as it continues to build infrastructures to improve the country’s digital ecosystem.      

From helping the world connect to ensuring that it does so in as green as possible, Nokia and the PLDT Group are paving the way for the future– in building a sustainable and transformative tomorrow.     

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Fully committed to strengthening its support to the Philippine startup community and aiming to collaborate with the next tech unicorn—the country’s largest fully integrated telecommunications company, PLDT, through Innovation Laboratory (Innolab), signed a partnership with IdeaSpace Foundation, a non-profit organization that runs founder-focused programs for early-stage tech startup founders solving emerging market issues.

Since 2003, PLDT and its wireless unit, Smart Communications, Inc., have been supporting the local startups with Innolab– a world-class facility established to create opportunities with startup partners focusing on research, new generation product development, and innovation.

“We recognize the limitless potential our startup communities have in shaping the next generation technologies,” shares Melvin Jeffrey Chan, Vice President and Head of PLDT Enterprise Innovations, Business Development, Consulting and Presales. “That is why we continue to support startup communities from co-marketing, co-innovating, mentoring, prototyping, sandboxing, to other forms of technology support like cloud, API or the connectivity they need to scale up.”

Through this partnership, PLDT and IdeaSpace can support and collaborate with local startups through accelerator programs, as well as specialized workshops, networking events and awareness roadshows on innovation, and technopreneurship.

“Partnering with local startups allows us to empower more Filipino entrepreneurs,” says Kristine Dara Ever Juan, Head at PLDT Innolab. “Our goal is simple and that is to inspire them to be fearless in taking risks and turn ideas into innovative solutions through collaboration.”  

Empowering Micro, Small, and Medium-Enterprises (MSMEs), including local startups, has been one of the key drivers of PLDT’s enterprise business group. PLDT has long supported MSMEs enable them with solutions and innovations to meet their business needs and help them grow and thrive in this challenging landscape. Together, PLDT Enterprise and MSMEs aim to create a positive impact and experience breakthroughs as they move further with their businesses.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to cement the partnership between these two sister entities. PLDT and IdeaSpace Foundation in fact share common goals, that of enabling businesses, specifically startups, so they can help generate jobs and wealth,” says Rene “Butch” Meily, President, IdeaSpace Foundation. “Our motto is ‘Startups Changing the World’ and if we work together, we can do that.”

Enabling local startups to transform 

In 2022, PLDT Enterprise partnered with Twala, a blockchain technology startup introduced through IdeaSpace. It has been among the startups that the Group has been collaborating with over the years, to expand its influence in the community. Twala aims to reduce document fraud with blockchain smart contracts, further strengthening PLDT’s information and communications technology portfolio and building digital trust, security, and compliance for its several ecosystems.

Since 2012, IdeaSpace has been helping technology entrepreneurs develop and scale tech or tech-enabled innovations, and transform these into stable, scalable, and sustainable businesses. To date, the foundation has supported 107 startups, mentored more than 300 entrepreneurs, and deployed P180M for community and ecosystem support activities.

“We are thankful for our growing partnership with PLDT, and are confident that through this, we will be able to empower more founders and unlock opportunities that will continue to shape the future of the industry, community, and our society,” says Katrina Rausa Chan, Executive Director at IdeaSpace.  

For more information, visit https://pldtenterprise.com/

PLDT Enterprise, the business arm of PLDT, and BOUNDLESS: Philippine Digital Convention 2022 (PH Digicon) highlighted emerging technologies and practices to help leaders and consumers adapt to the ever-changing business landscape during the panel discussion “Going Beyond the Future of Tech,” moderated by PLDT-Smart FVP and Group Head of Corporate Communications, Catherine Yap-Yang. The panel was joined by global tech leaders such as ePLDT President and CEO, Victor S. Genuino, Nokia Vice President and Head of Southeast Asia, Daniel Jaeger, and Cisco Head of AppDynamics, APJC, Simon Rizkallah.

ePLDT President and CEO, Victor S. Genuino on adapting to the ‘new normal’ for consumers and businesses 

“With today’s ever changing business landscape, enterprises are seeing the need to adapt because consumers are changing the way they consume products and services: they want goods and services delivered in a convenient, timely, and secure manner,” explains Victor S. Genuino, ePLDT President and CEO. “Businesses are realizing that if they are to adapt to this new normal, their businesses have to transform as well.”

Cisco, the worldwide leader in technology, and one of this year’s keystone sponsors for PH Digicon 2022, shared insights on how the company embodies what it means to be boundless–in terms of always putting customers first and helping build a resilient and flexible enterprise as companies bounce back into their new normal.

“From Cisco’s perspective, the end user is always in mind,” says Simon Rizkallah, Head of AppDynamics, APJC, Cisco. “We also understand that digital transformation really occurs with the service provider. [And so, we congratulate] service providers like PLDT who have managed, during COVID, to live up to the level that customers were looking for and enable people to operate their businesses, for people to work from home, and for kids to continue their education through e-learning.”

Simon Rizkallah, Head of AppDynamics, APJC, Cisco talked about how digital transformation is a continuous evolution 

Rizkallah goes on to explain that from a digital transformation perspective, it is still occurring, that it is a continuous task and evolution. Cisco also continues to take steps into adapting to this evolution, from insight and automation to sustainability in smart infrastructure, and data security.

“For us at Cisco, the Environmental, Social, and Governance requirement is top of mind. So, everything that’s going to come out from Cisco moving forward is going to be focused on power and how we can become greener for the environment,” Rizkallah shares. “Security is also top of mind for everyone. We’ve seen hacks across the globe and power utilities, so, [for us and service providers] how do we protect this critical infrastructure as it becomes digital?”

PH Digicon remains to be the Philippines’ most prestigious and one of the most sought-after digital thought leadership events in APAC that brings together global thought leaders and technology experts from across all industries. 

For more information, visit https://pldtenterprise.com/.