Germany’s Dermalog taps PT&T for LTO online portal

MANILA, Philippines — Germany’s largest biometrics company has tapped Philippine Telegraph and Telephone Corp. (PT&T) to provide connectivity for the new online portal of the Land Transportation Office (LTO).

PT&T said Dermalog Identification Systems GmbH has selected the local IT and telco firm as its connectivity partner in enabling LTO online transactions.

PT&T will ensure an optimized network and connectivity setup of LTO’s newly launched “portal.lto.gov.ph,” which allows the public to process their driver’s licenses, motor vehicle registration, payment of apprehensions with various payment channels and other transactions online.

The new portal, co-developed by LTO and Dermalog, seeks to lessen face-to-face transactions amid the rising COVID-19 cases in the country.

“Our partnership with PT&T on the connectivity component has been a crucial part of our service. It allows our team to focus on the other critical aspects of the system. We thank PT&T’s excellent support for that,” Dermalog CEO and founder Gunther Mull said.

PT&T launched its IT services division in mid-2019 in a bid to offer IT solutions to complement its connectivity offerings for private businesses and government institutions.

“We are one with Dermalog in supporting LTO’s mission of improving services to Filipinos through technology. This endeavor is consistent with PT&T’s mission to be a part of the country’s digital transformation,” PT&T president James Velasquez said.

“We will always strive to innovate within the telco industry as we continue to build on PT&T’s legacy of innovation that stretches back to 1962,” he said.

PT&T will also provide round the clock support and coordination with LTO.

LTO’s online services, initially available to 24 pilot sites across the country, will reduce in-person transactions, optimize operations,  and cover more areas in the country.

PT&T currently has a network reach of 13,500 fiber kilometers in high-growth areas and covers almost 40 percent of the total Philippine population.

The company holds a 25-year franchise which allows it to establish, maintain, and operate both wired and wireless telecommunications systems for domestic and international communication in the country.

PT&T also plans to test 5G fixed wireless broadband “on a proof of concept” basis soon to strengthen its digital push.