Empowering SMEs with Internet access

Internet service provider Asiagate Networks Inc. is offering various Internet access products for small and medium-scale businesses geared toward performance and backed by service guarantees at costs set to ease the economic burden.

The products range from multi-user, dedicated line and leased line accounts, website programming and hosting, to outsourced technical support services, mostly at rates 30 to 50 percent lower than industry averages.

A small business owner can start with a single or multi-user account, and later move up to a dedicated dial-up line and finally to a dedicated leased line, all done seamlessly as his business requires.

Asiagate’s COO, Liza de los Reyes, says, "Our thrust in the Philippine business market is to empower as many small and medium-scale businesses with Internet access. The Philippine business community will be able to compete more in the world market and operate more efficiently in the local market with access to Internet-based communications. To achieve this, we have to look at pricing in the context of the Philippine economy and not be influenced by competing services. This approach makes us unique in the market."

De los Reyes is confident that the market for dial-up services will continue to expand due to the technology’s widespread availability, cost-effectiveness and scalability.

"While other technologies such as cable Internet, digital subscriber lines (DSL) and broadband connections have their niche, only a small segment can afford the monthly costs at this current economic situation. The long-established dial-up services will still continue to hold the lion’s share of the market," she says.

Asiagate’s business solutions are bundled with technical service support, such that larger Internet-enabled systems would not entail an IT staff to take advantage of the Internet.

"Our technical staff will make all the necessary initial configuration to their systems and even monitor them remotely when needed. We are also capable of networking computer systems if required," Asiagate general manager Alan Gruenberg says.

Gruenberg adds: "It is not enough to offer affordable prices, that is only one component of the service. The service must achieve a level of performance that will have a utility value to our business clients. And just as we do with our personal accounts, all business accounts are backed by performance guarantees embodied in our Service Level Agreement."

Asiagate offers dedicated dial-up accounts for only P7,700 per month, almost 50 percent lower than other ISPs’. Larger leased line requirements bundled with comprehensive customer support are also provided at better than market rates.

Asiagate is a well-established Internet company with a steadily growing subscriber base in both the retail and corporate markets. It has also provided pioneering Internet solutions in the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) and SMS platforms, hosting and networking services, and Internet consulting.