ABCED opens second iShop in Cebu

CEBU, Philippines – While Cebu's market is becoming more sophisticated in terms of purchasing IT gadgets and solutions, the ABCED System Corporation opened up its second iShop store in Cebu.

Located at the Cebu Parklane International Hotel, the opening of ABCED's second iShop store, which offers total solutions and products by Apple, signifies Cebu's maturing market for IT products and services.

With increasing number of information technology users now preferred to apply Mac, demand for Apple products have significantly improved specifically in Cebu, said iShop operations manager Michel B. Velasquez.

According to Velasquez, the iShop chain is also planning to open one more stores in Lapu-Lapu City within the next three years, this is in anticipation of the robust demand for Apple products in the province.

The company's first iShop store, located in the southern part of Cebu in Mambaling has been opened a year ago, and it already strengthened marketing grip specifically in the corporate, educational institution, and the retail market.

Cebu's position as the center for animation BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) companies, has also helped increased the demand for Apple products here, while increasing awareness of the IT-savvy professionals, and artists who are into photo and graphics businesses.

ABCED's iShop also offers crash course and quick trainings for interesting Apple users, this is to heighten awareness of the technology especially in the mainstream market.

Velasquez said that the interest of schools to offer animation courses to students, also improved the demand for Apple products, and increased the MAC community of users in Cebu.

Regarded as an expensive gadget in the past, especially for its well-known iPod and and iPhone products, Velasquez said that market has now realized the "beauty" of using MAC as an operating system (OS), aside from its guaranteed virus-free attraction, it also develop the strong awareness of "open source" technology.

Apple's most affordable laptop product is the MacBook Pro, which is pegged in within the P50 thousand range for the entry level product.

Managed by the Cebu iShop Computer Service, the IT arm of ABCED System Corporation, the chain of iShop store provides specialized IT solutions in hardware, software, computer peripherals and accessories, maintenance services, and technical consultation to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), including its growing clientele in the academe sector.

A certified Apple authorized reseller, Velasquez said they hope that the company will hit its vision to open one more store before 2013 within the Lapu-Lapu area.

Meanwhile, in an earlier interview with Philip Chua, Apple South Asia managing director he said that the Philippines has slowly becoming the one of the most active markets for Apple products in the region, especially with the introduction of iPod and iPhone.

"Philippines is a music country. The entry of iPod here has strengthened our brand to the mainstream market," Chua said.

The Apple brand although it has a high cost-related impression of the market, has slowly taken off in the Philippine market, because of the fast growing highly educated IT savvy market. (FREEMAN)