MANILA, Philippines — Businesses need to be agile across their operations and participate in digital ecosystemsto succeed in the post-pandemic world, the top official of country’s largest integrated telecommunications provider said.
Duringthe recent Franchise Asia Philippines Virtual International Conference, PLDT Inc. and Smart Communications president and CEO Alfredo Panlilio stressedthat Filipinos need to embrace resilience and adaptability to overcome the difficulties brought by the pandemic.
“It has become imperative to adapt and act fast — pivoting processes and operations to survive, and build resilience for a sustainable future ahead,” he said.
The PLDT executive said that the past year had presented the significance of digital transformation in every industry, which now redefines how businesses operate. Panlilio said companies strived to digitize their core processes by putting digital transformation on the top of their priority list as a long-term investment.
“It is the incubation of technology, purpose, and balance that drives people growth, business strategies, and sustainability. At the center of it all is still the customer. Hence, it is imperative to go beyond the hype of new technologies and discover how they can shape our future,” he said.
Given this scenario, PLDT and Smart have been leveraging digital technology and a robust network to deliver a world-class customer experience at the forefront of breakthrough innovations in the telco industry.
“PLDT and Smart are establishing programs that can effectively identify, evaluate, and incubate digitization to transform ourselves. By doing so, we are also creating new opportunities and harnessing advanced technologies to chart a path to the next horizon, mindful of our civic duty to help with economic recovery and overall nation-building,” Panlilio said.
Likewise, he mentioned PLDT’s continuous investment in network bandwidth capacity and fast-tracking of its fiber rollout, which has already reached over 524,000 km as of June 2021, a 22 percent increase compared to last year.
The group, through its B2B arm PLDT Enterprise, also continues to upgrade its network of 10 globally certified data center facilities to serve the hyperscaler market. PLDT is optimistic that making the Philippines a strategic hyperscaler hub in the Asia Pacific will propel the country to be the region’s next digital destination of choice by hyperscalers.
“PLDT and Smart continuously support Filipino enterprises by providing them with the best solutions available, exemplifying the most innovative digital transformation, enabling e-Industries, and empowering businesses in all shapes and sizes to evolve and thrive in this new operating condition,” he said.