PLDT unit, VMware tie up for cloud-based solutions

MANILA, Philippines - A unit of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) has tied up with virtualization and cloud infrastructure solutions leader VMware to introduce a cloud-based enterprise-grade virtual desktop solution to benefit enterprises.

PLDT ALPHA Enterprise is introducing the product under the PLDT Cloud, “Desktop as a Service” or DaaS to enable enterprise personnel to virtually access their desktop applications and data over the Internet or a private network.

PLDT first vice president and head of PLDT ALPHA Enterprise Jovy Hernandez said the solution would give clients full use of their respective desktop over any device leveraging from the technologies from VMware.

“We’ve seen notable reception of Cloud technology among local enterprises, and we are constantly partnering with key IT leaders, such as VMware, to ensure our PLDT Cloud continues to be relevant and aligned to our market’s strategic thrusts,” Hernandez said.

In line with the growing adoption of the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) concept among enterprises, PLDT Cloud Desktop as a Service (DaaS) would provide businesses easy access to their desktops over any device, cutting down costs of deploying and managing complex information technology requirements over traditional personal computers.

An offline mode also lets users save any changes and updates on their virtual desktops that eventually sync their progress once they connect online.

 “The PLDT DaaS solution addresses the increasing adoption of the BYOD trend among enterprises, lowering the cost of ownership with the use of less expensive thin clients, and greater IT security compliance within their organization,” he added.

With companies often undergoing technology refresh or company-wide updates every three to five years, this necessity to stay updated often entails high costs.

DaaS addresses costly IT operational costs by saving on time and expenses of setting up new hardware by outsourcing the infrastructure and maintenance to a trusted service provider.

 “With the benefits of lowering operational costs and better security management among users, DaaS has increasingly gained more traction globally, including businesses in the Philippines. The inclusion of VMware-based virtual desktops in our enterprise solutions portfolio fits our aim of truly becoming the end-to-end expert ICT partner of our corporate customers,” he said.

It is the newest offering under the PLDT Cloud solutions portfolio which already includes Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), Software as a Service (SaaS), Microsoft Office 365, Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS), and the Oracle Suite.

VMware country manager Emmanuel Portugal said businesses in the Philippines are looking to leverage the power of the Cloud to enable their employees to get faster and easier access to applications and data, allowing for smarter decision making and delivery of customer support.