Visibility on the go

Communication is a must.

Every day in the modern world people are looking for – and techies are creating ways – to make communication faster, clearer, and more accurate.

Look at the developments in the telecom industry. No longer are these businesses considered simply phone companies, they have become service industries that have ventured into all forms of communication. Of course, the phone will always be the first mode that the hand reaches for when it wants to talk, but the computer, PDAs and even pocket PCs have become the communication way of the present.

Everyone has a need to stay connected. But it is the working people who seem to have the greatest need to stay connected – with work, that is. And when it comes to connection it is no longer just for the need to send a document – there are all sorts of information that we send. Pictures, graphs, letters, presentations and even inventory lists. And many times there can be no time for delay. In a world where decisions are made on the go, getting data across in the fastest way has become a necessity.

WiFi, GPRS, EDGE and dial-up. Current waves of communication. With WiFi, short for wireless fidelity, the communication is much like a cell phone. What it does is enable computers that are WiFi-ready to receive information whether indoor or outdoors, so long as they are within the reach of the base station. General Packet Radio Service, commonly known as GPRS, allows information to be carried through a mobile network with speeds up to 24 kbps. EDGE, which stands for Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution, is a 3G technology that brings broadband-like data speeds to mobile devices. EDGE is about four times faster than the regular GPRS. And, of course, there is dial-up. You know that one where you lift the phone and dial the number with your computer’s modem.

Ahhh, to be visible.

As we sat at the Tin Hau Restaurant in Mandarin Oriental during the launch of Visibility by GlobeSolutions and GlobeQuest we were amazed at how quickly the connection was made.

"There are several ways by which we can connect you to the Intenet," said Martin Lopez, GlobeQuest senior product manager, as he assisted Philippine STAR Lifestyle editor Millet Mananquil and myself in getting a connection using a laptop. With a PC card, which he inserted into the laptop that gave us the Universal Access SIM, connection was made. Simple.

"The important thing here is that communication promotes collaboration, which is very important for many people," said Harvey Libarnes, GlobeSolutions business development-industry solutions & segments management head at the launching of the Visibility. "What we are trying to do here is to put communication gadgets (mobile phones, PDAs, laptops) and communications facilities (GPRS, WiFi, EDGE, dial-up) together to make it easier for people to stay connected."

The Enterprise Business Group (EBG) of Globe Telecom and Innove Communications conceptualized a project that makes the process simpler. This they term as Visibility, a new convergence service that provides all their clients with the ability to communicate whenever they want, and wherever they may be – seamlessly. And all this with the use of the device of their choice.

EBG is composed of GlobeSolutions, the corporate wireless group of Globe, and GlobeQuest, the corporate division of Innove. With the convergence of these groups, a Globe customer now has the power to be connected effectively – through a fixed line or wireless service.

Staying visible when one needs to be seen (through wireless communication connection, that is) is what the EBG has turned to reality. Gone are the days when an employee or a writer can "disappear" because Globe’s Visibility products assure the boss that employees and co-workers can be seen – no matter where they are.

"There are many times when the boss needs to gain access to his e-mail asap," said Lery Briones, GlobeSolutions senior product manager. "And this is what we have addressed – seamless points of access to any desired destination or any business information anywhere."

Convergence, that point where everything gets connected, and EBG has made sure that all points are covered. First, they have made sure that customers are provided multiple access under one account. And then there are the devices used. This means that whether a PDA, laptop or desktop computer is used these must all be connected in one go. And there is the application components which will allow users to connect to the network.

EBG, because of its desire to make its clients visible at all times, has bundled all these important components together.

"This is the first set of products we are offering, but soon we will be offering more," added Harvey. "This is what we want, not just unlimited access, but keeping people in touch in the best way possible."

With its integrated fixed and mobile solutions, Visibility makes keeping track with everyone at work and those in the field much simpler. And, Globe has four plans to address the needs of each consumer.

There is the Universal Access Plan 2500 where one has unlimited GPRS, EDGE, WiFi and dial-up; the Universal Access 1700, which offers unlimited GPRS and EDGE with per minute WiFi and dial-up charges; the Universal 1500, a flexible consumable plan and the Universal Access 0, where charges are made on per amount of data transferred.

EBG customers who get the Visibility package have the option to avail of a wide range of connected devices – PDA phones, PC cards and laptops – which will enable them to connect to the Internet or their corporate network from almost anywhere. And best of all, these devices are availble to subscribers at discounted rates.

There is the MobileOffice that allows customers to share office data, e-mail and other files through a secure network connection, thus assuring information availability at critical times. And, better yet, the MobileOffice allows the user to receive access to data through a wireless handheld device, which acts like a remote control. This gives the user full access of his desktop computer even if he is out of the office. Now, you can no longer use the lame excuse that you left the information at your desktop in the office.

And for the busy, traveling executive, EBG has a solution, too. A mobile traveler can access his files through EBG’s international Internet roaming partners like iPass and GoRemote where it has made a wide range of GPRS roaming agreements.

"We at GlobeQuest and GlobeSolutions have been working on the best system possible," said Grace Castillo, Innove Communications corporate marketing head. "And we are proud of our products which bundle all the best communication devices and strategies together."