Under the agreement, Netopia has agreed to exclusively use Brother facsimile machines and ink cartridges for all its branches for the duration of the contract.
Netopia is 40-percent owned by ePLDT, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. mandated to develop Internet and multimedia ventures for the PLDT group.
"Brother is one of the top manufacturers of quality fax machines and we are happy to enhance Netopia’s capabilities with the help of an international brand that has led innovation and efficiency. We would like to continue providing our customers with the best services," Netopia president Raymond Ricafort said.
Netopia boasts of the largest network of Internet cafés in the Philippines with 55 outlets and is known for providing the most efficient Internet and shared computer access services.
This new domestic and international fax service adds to Netopia’s arsenal of services that include computer rentals, Internet access, desktop publishing, discounted international calls and Web-conferencing.
"Because we are a very well-established entity in computer rentals and Internet access, we now want to provide our clients complementary services so they can have a one-stop business center," Ricafort said.
Takatoshi Kawakami, Brother director and general manager, said the agreement is also a good opportunity for the company to promote its products.
"Our partnership with Netopia will definitely make an impact on business people who use Netopia’s services. They will be able to see the efficiency and superiority of our products," he said.
Brother, one of the world’s most recognized brands for fax machines, hopes to enhance awareness and increase sales of its products through this agreement.
Netopia recently opened new Internet cafés in Laoag, Ilocos Norte; Baguio City; San Fernando City, La Union; Iloilo City and Bacolod City.
Additional branches are under construction in Urdaneta, Pangasinan; a fifth outlet in Cebu, two new outlets in Davao City, and a second outlet each in Baguio City and Lucena City.