DataOne sees more local SMEs acquiring secure cloud services

CEBU, Philippines - Cloud computing and IT services provider DataOne Asia sees a tremendous growth of Cebuano small and medium enterprises (SMEs) moving into the professional cloud services in a bid to compete in the global business landscape.

DataOne Asia president and chief executive officer Cyril Rocke said in an interview that although most Cebuano SMEs are still largely using unsecured cloud services, such as free email portals, and other communication channels that offer free services, business owners are now starting to realize that efficiency, productivity and competitiveness should be managed in the most secured way.

The partnership between the DataOne and Microsoft Philippines to offer hosted productivity packages for small and medium businesses (SMBs) has cemented this interest of business owners, making their businesses world-class especially in technology adoption.

Rocke said despite the entry of several secured cloud computing services in the Philippines, SMBs still have to understand their benefits and the factors that will contribute to the businesses’ profitability, security and efficiency.

Rocke, together with executives from Microsoft Philippines, was in Cebu recently to introduce the companies’ joint effort to help businesses here thrive amid the intense competition and the importance of maintaining secured technology.

He said most, if not all businesses are now in the cloud; what needs to be explained is businesses should not “throw” their important information over the “un-secured” cloud portals.

Specifically tailored fit for Filipino SMBs, DataOne Asia offers Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Lync and Microsoft SharePoint through their latest Cloud product, CloudSecureâ„¢.

CloudSecureâ„¢ provides reliable and secure packages that SMBs can easily subscribe to through a very simple ordering process.

Rocke also said SMB owners usually face problems when it comes to using free email hosting for their operations because despite being free and easily acquired, personal email addresses do not exude a professional business image.

“For one, using a personal email account reduces the credibility of a business. Since people nowadays are wary of scammers and fly-by-night operations, many customers hesitate to transact with someone using a personal email,” he explained.

“When they sign up for Microsoft Exchange through CloudSecureâ„¢, business owners and their employees are provided with a professional email domain of their choice, which adds up to the credibility and professionalism of any business,” he added. 

CloudSecureâ„¢ is available for an affordable fee of  P200 per month, per user, starting at 5 PCs. Package options include a Start-Up Communication Package for basic email, a Level-Up Package for additional collaboration features, and an Ultimate Package with instant messaging, video calls, and online meeting capabilities.

Meanwhile, Karrie Ilagan, managing director of Microsoft Philippines, expressed her excitement for the CloudSecureâ„¢ offer, as it makes the Microsoft innovations used by enterprises more accessible to smaller businesses.

“Microsoft Philippines aims to provide affordable solutions that will enable our local SMBs to become more competitive.  CloudSecureâ„¢ offer with DataOne is a breakthrough hosting solution that will allow them to professionalize their work and increase productivity in order to improve operations,” said Ilagan.

DataOne Asia, created in 2000 by the multi-billion company Keppel Corporation has both the world-class equipment and personnel, capable of supporting a wide range of businesses in managing their IT and data infrastructure. /JMD (FREEMAN)