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Globe to invest $500 M to improve mobile network

Roy — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 06:57:15 +0000

Mobile service provider Globe Telecom is investing $500 million to improve the quality and capacity of its mobile network infrastructure throughout the country. Company officials said the network quality will be top priority of Globe this year.

As part of the company’s network transformation program, Globe is making one of its biggest network investments in quality and capacity to date, where the significant amount will be used for capacity buildup, network modernization and optimization. These upgrades would provide subscribers better experiences in call, text and data services in 2G, 3G and 4G.

Globe earlier announced a major expansion of its current 4G footprint with the country’s first commercial rollout of 4G mobile technology. At its initial phase, Globe utilized the global standard HSPA+ Globe allots or Evolved High-Speed Packet Access for its 4G mobile network.

HSPA+ is a 4G wireless mobile, high speed broadband technology that allows for peak theoretical download of up to 21 Mbps with upgradeability for 84 Mbps which would complement the company’s existing 4G WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) network. Under the Globe HSPA+ network, subscribers are expected to enjoy browsing at a typical speed of 4-6 Mbps with even faster peak speeds.

Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu said, “Our customers are looking for better network quality, and this is what we are giving them. We are making a substantial investment in our network to improve the quality of our services to our subscribers. Certainly, the network on which our services are delivered play a pivotal role in achieving superior customer experience.”

By continuously enhancing their network facilities and operations, Cu explained, their subscribers will enjoy better quality and greater reliability for calls, text messaging and data services. “This year, we are making significant investments in upgrading and expanding our networks. One tangible result of which is the commercial rollout of 4G for mobile, making us the first Philippine operator with a 4G mobile network in the country,” he added.

The 4G HSPA+ rollout expands the foray of Globe into new and up-to-date network technologies to provide its subscribers with high-speed broadband access with the added convenience of full mobility.

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Nestle Prize in Creating Shared Value now open for nominations

Roy — Sun, 24 Apr 2011 03:04:12 +0000

The Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value is open for nominations. The award, which is open globally, aims to recognize an individual, non-government organization, or small enterprise working in the field of nutrition, water, or rural development. The nomination will be open until June 30, 2011.

The Nestlé Prize in Creating Shared Value was launched in 2009 and offers advice and financial support of up to CHF 500,000 (more than US$480,000 or approximately P23 million), to an innovation or project that has shown outstanding promise in improving access to, or management of, water, enhancing the lives of farmers and rural communities; or providing better nourishment to communities suffering from nutritional deficiencies.

Those who are eligible for nominations are individuals, non-government organizations (NGOs), or small enterprises. Their projects should already have achieved small scale success, it must be implemented in a developing country, and it should be based on a sound and sustainable business model.

The fields of achievements include, but are not limited to, agriculture, including extension services and use of new technology; food science and technology; nutrition education programs; water management; protection of water resources; and the like. Applicants may either self-nominate or be nominated by others who are familiar with their work. To ensure long-term success, the Prize Laureate is supported by a financial commitment over a period of time to assist in the development of their project or innovation.

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Online gaming business plans to diversify

Roy — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 13:05:17 +0000

The Premier Entertainment Philippines Inc. (PEP) just got the nod of its shareholders to diversify from its main business of online gaming and into the mining, real estate and information technology. However, the company said it remains in search of its next venture as it assesses “feelers” from potential partners in its new businesses.

Anastacio P. Diaz of PEP said they want to move into a new venture that is not as tightly regulated as gaming business, which is overseen by the state-help Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. He stressed that whatever business they will go into, with any possible business partner, should have “synergy with company’s intentions.”

He said the search for a new business remains in the scouting stage. The final decision may be reached in 18 months.

PEP operates seven online casinos in Metro Manila that provide much of its cash. Each online casino carries an average of 50 terminals, said Diaz. PEP operates the online casino through its unit Digiwave Solutions Inc.

The gaming company hopes to improve its returns from its business. As of its last financial report, it stood at P47.7 million, which should have been P318,000 higher than the previous year’s had it not been for the recognition of a one-time gain from the sale of software by PEP in 2009 that dwarfed its 2010 revenues and more than covered all its cost for that year.

The company remains in the red. As of September, it financial report showed a nine-month loss of P41.25 million compared with an income of P7.65 million in the previous year. For the quarter, PEP’s loss of P6.67 million was lower than the P15.25 million loss in the previous year.

Diaz said they expect a 10 percent growth in revenue in its existing seven sites, even as the company intends to further increase the presence of online casinos. They are eyeing expansion in Manila, Quezon City, Las Piñas and Bulacan province, among others.

“We are able to dramatically reduce our operating expenses, and our e-games have been upgraded. We have a better management group. So we expect revenues to rise and operating expenses to drop,” said Diaz.

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Government officials said Philippines is safe from Japan nuclear meltdown

Roy — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 00:45:26 +0000

In a worst-case scenario, any radioactive cloud from Japan will not affect the Philippines, according to Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo. Philippine Nuclear Research Institute director Alumanda de la Rosa said, “For the Philippines right now, there is no significant effect, but we are monitoring the situation so we can advice officials on what is the best action.”

Montejo and De la Rosa are one saying that the meltdown in Fukushima Daiichi power plant in Japan will not affect the Philippines since Japan has the facilities to stop the spread of radioactive waste.

The situation in Japan, according to Montejo, should not be compared with the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine in 1986, “We have to distinguish that the plan is Japan is different from Chernobyl. It has a containment unit. Even if there is meltdown, the radioactive waste is contained in reactor inside the structure,” he said.

Meanwhile, in the light of the nuclear problem in Japan, Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez is calling on advocates to abandon the plans to revive the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP). “The explosion that occurred at a nuclear facility in Japan confirmed our fears before and until now, he said.”

Party list Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy of Bagong Henerasyon likewise does not the government to activate the BNPP. “Filipinos can still hope for an efficient and a safer power source at cheaper cost if we can transform the BNPP into a natural gas plant,” she said.

Herrera-Dy believes that what happened to Japan is the strongest argument against attempts to revive the BNPP. “Taking the side of caution is a correct move, nuclear power is not for us,” she said. The congresswoman also added that since the BNPP lies near the Philippine Fault and the West Luzon Fault, seismic activity might occur in the area and trigger threat of radiation leak. She is calling for the House of Representative committee on energy to immediately put any bill seeking to revive the BNPP to the legislative backburner.

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QC council formalizes business registry portal with an ordinance

Roy — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 16:15:55 +0000

Quezon City council formalizes online business registry with a city ordinance last week. The ordinance also allows the public to research valuable business information in the city. Both domestic and international traders would benefit from it because they can identify their prospective markets in Quezon City with just a click on their mouse.

Aside from that, Quezon City fourth district councilor Edcel “Grex” Lagman, Jr. said that the system would also allow for verifying the legitimacy of a business firms, as well as getting tips and pointers about starting a particular business in the locality. He said the project will use information and communications technology in imparting knowledge to international traders regarding the local business climate.

The online business data registry portal aims to make the Quezon City government the most business-friendly local government unit (LGU) in the country. It also protects both business sector and the consumers as it allows access information that would verify if a particular business entity is duly registered with the city’s Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO).

Lagman, who is also the chairman of the city council’s committee on education and science and technology, said the portal will also make it easy for the Quezon City government to monitor and update business registration. He added that the P25 million of the annual collection from business operators in Quezon City since 2002, which currently is being held in trust, will be used to develop the software and hardware to run the online business data registry portal, which is a joint endeavor of the Quezon City government through its BPLO and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce.

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QTel mulls additional investment in the Philippines

Roy — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 22:32:23 +0000

A Qatar-based telecommunications company is looking to increase further its investment on Philippine soil. Qatar Telecom QSC (QTel), has a minimal investment in a local listed firm, Liberty Telecommunications Holdings, Inc. The company, through its chairman Abdul Bin Saud Al-Thani, said that prospects in the Philippine telecommunications were so good that they feel that new investments are needed to be made, especially on the data side of the business.

According to Al-Thani, the key technologies that the company was looking at included further advancements in global system for mobile communications (GSM) technology and next-generation mobile wireless broadband technology long-term evolution (LTE). “We’re exploring more investments in telecoms, not just in mobile voice, but also in information technology. Additional investments will be needed, and we’re willing to make those investments,” he said during an interview at the Philippine Business Conference and Expo held recently.

Al-Thani however did not disclose the amount of additional investment that QTel would be having with Liberty. He only said that a comprehensive development plan is needed to be crafted first to determine how much the telecom firm new project would costs. At present, the company has 32 percent investment at the local telecommunications holding firm and QTel is planning to increase it by purchasing additional shareholdings. “We will look at that, up to the maximum allowed by law. In another country, we own as much as 80 percent of the company,” he added.

QTel’s expansion in the Philippines would involve further investments in Liberty, but Al-Thani said that it has no exclusivity agreement with Liberty, it respected its relations with Liberty’s parent company, San Miguel Corporation (SMC). “SMC is our partner and we honor our friendship. Our relationship is beyond partnership. We have a good bond. We are friends,” he said.

Al-Thani also added that the Philippines has always been in their plans and in fact has been in their “radar screen” for a long time. He acknowledges that “the Philippines is a growing market, a high-end market, and there are lot of prospects here, not only in voice. We want to explore the future of telecom technology.”

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Group pushes for government incentives for tech business incubators

Roy — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 15:03:13 +0000

The Philippine Development Foundation-USA (PDF), newly formed US-based Filipino development group is pushing for Philippine government to grant incentives for the creation of technology business incubators and business parks in order to nurture start-up investments in commercially-viable research and development fields in drug-making, food production and software.

Brain Gain Network found and PDF advocate, Dr. Paco Sandejas said that the founders of the group are ready to meet this September to come up with plans to boost industry innovation programs in the country. These founders composed of Filipino entrepreneurs and innovation specialists who are mostly based in Silicon Valley.

Sandejas said during a PDF press briefing, “We have proposed a program on technology business incubation way before when former senator Mar Roxas was DTI secretary. But we should continue to push it now.” The group is seeking government support in innovation initiatives that are seen as key to unlocking poverty reduction and economic growth.

President of Ayala Foundation Inc. (AFI) and PDF convenor, Victoria Garchitorena said it is envisioned that the PDF Forum will create a venue for partnership in technology entrepreneurship and business incubation between Filipinos based in the US and those based here. The fund raising for these partnerships to happen is in a stage that is called in the US as a “501 charity” according to Garchitorena. 501 charity means tax-exempt, non-profit corporation.

“We’re trying to do all the bridging of hope across. We’re establishing a system that will develop science and engineering as a foundation for economic development,” Garchitorena said.

Meanwhile, in a separate interview, AFI Executive Vice President Guillermo M. Luz said that the PDF may encourage formation of more licensing agreements in the country. This should prompt investors to put in money for new patents since they would have the protection to enjoy profits from revenue sharing agreements.

He said the company is collaborating with South East Asian associations where AFI’s Technology Business Incubators (TBI) are a member, in order to find models for best practices in licensing and technology business nourishment. Among these are Asian Association of Business Incubation (AABI), Asia Pacific Incubation Network, and SPICE (Science Sparks Incubating).

TBIs plays a major role in raising capital funding for business start ups focused on new technologies or software development, said Sandejas, who is also the managing partner of venture capital Narra VC.

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Printing your business collaterals

Roy — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 01:45:13 +0000

Starting on your business, you need to get the word out there that your company is existing and that you can provide the services and products that your potential target market are looking for. Printing your brochures, letterhead, business cards and other collaterals are tops on the list. With today’s technology and availability of desktop printing at our fingertips, it is very tempting to do all of these on our own, thinking that it would save us money. But actually, if we are not careful, we could actually be losing more in the long run.

Flyer Printing and other business and marketing collateral, should always be entrusted to professionals. You may think that it will cost you more, but it is actually a very good investment, especially when you are just starting in your business and wants to establish your company image.

Professional printers hire graphic artists and expert marketing people who knows how to best represent your company by designing a logo, color combination and other details that will best represent your company, your goals, your products, services and the image you want to be known for. Don’t fret the extra cost. Your company’s image is always worth the investment.

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Cognizant announces expansion of operations in the Philippines

Roy — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 17:18:43 +0000

Cognizant, another world-leading company engaged in the technology, consulting and business process outsourcing (BPO) services is expanding its operations in the Philippines. From its present manpower of approximately 200 employees, the company said its planned expansion will accommodate as much as 600 more personnel.

R Chandrasekaran, president and managing director of Global Delivery, Cognizant said, “Within months of opening our Manila center in October 2009, we have steadily grown our presence and investment in the Philippine capital, and have moved into a larger facility.”

He also said that their Manila center will continue to strengthen their integrated global delivery capabilities. “We are committed to working closely with the academic community in the Philippines to develop talent across our full range of services,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), represented by its president and chief executive officer Oscar Sañez welcomed Cognizant’s expansion in the Philippines.

“We are pleased to see Cognizant expand its operations in the Philippines. As one of the world’s fastest growing consulting technology, and BPO/KPO companies, Cognizant’s deep insight into global best practices earned through its exposure to Global 2000 companies and footprint spanning five continents will help the IT and BPO/KPO industry in the Philippines increase its competitiveness and define newer benchmarks,” Sañez said.

He added, “We thank Cognizant for investing in the Philippines and providing an opportunity for experienced professionals as well as fresh graduates in the country to serve global customers.”

The Cognizant’s Manila office provides high-end operations and contact center business process services to its clients’ worldwide. It also runs on Cognizant 2.0, a Web 2.0-based platform that allows the company associates worldwide to collaborate and deliver important time-to-market, cost and transformational value to its clients.

Meanwhile, President Benigno Aquino III also commended the company for providing employment opportunities for Filipino professional. He said Cognizant’s expansion affirms the growing demand for global BPO services currently dominating the business arena.

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Natural-dye technology developed by DOST

Roy — Sun, 30 May 2010 01:04:09 +0000

A new technology that will produce natural and eco-friendly dyes was developed by the Philippine Textile Research and Institute (PTR1) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The use of natural dyes was nearly forgotten when synthetic dyes were introduced in the market. Fortunately, many people are now becoming more and more conscious, and concern, about the environment. There was an increase in the demand of natural dyes, which can be obtained from bark, wood, roots, berries, lichens, insects, shellfish and flowers.

Because of the increase in the demand of natural dyes, different research and development programs to support the production of equally environment-friendly textile products was also conducted.

The research project was dubbed “Pilot Scale Verification of Selected Natural Dye Powder Production and Textile Application Technologies.”

The research team from PTR1, led by Julius Leaño was able to develop a technology that focuses on seven dye sources. These are the annatto, duhat, mahogany, yellow ginger, indigo, sampalok and talisay. The team was assisted by the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD).

According to Leaño, most of the sources that were mentioned produced satisfactory results on colorfastness test, and the color uniformity and reproducibility of the selected dye sources were also enhanced. He also added that the natural dye powder has good shelf life and reproducibility and exhibits good colorfastness to washing and light when applied to the materials.

With the help of the Technology Business Incubation (TBI) of the DOST, the technology was further enhanced, and is now ready for interested institution that can comply with the requirements and regulations of the PTR1.

The PTR1 hopes that the takers of the technology will increase the promotion and awareness on the availability, use and commercial production and application of natural dye powders; and ensure the continuous development of the technology.

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Classic menu for Office 2007

Roy — Tue, 25 May 2010 09:56:24 +0000

In spite of number of people who have already switched to the new MS Office 2007, there are still some users who prefers and is looking for the familiar features and control they were accustomed to in MS Office 2003. That is why addintools.com brings you the Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 – bring back familiar interface in your 2007 and make it feel as if your still using your 2003.

It is not really left out with the advancement of technology and new features, it is just that many believe in the sayings “Do no reinvent the wheel” or “If it’s not broken, don’t fix it.” Perhaps they were so familiar with the older version, and because of that, they are more efficient in it, and therefore they are more productive.

This could the reason for addintools.com’s plug-in, to be able to help those people adjust to a more robust and updated version while working on a familiar environment. And to help companies help their employees, addintools.com even provide big discount for enterprise/organization users.

There is even a free trial version for those who may want to try it first before purchasing the software. Visit addintools.com to get your free trial version.

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STI plans to get listed after the elections

Roy — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 14:19:08 +0000

One of the pioneer computer schools in the Philippines, the Systems Technology Institute (STI) Inc. is planning have a public offering and tap the equities market after the May 10 elections. STI plans to raise capital for further expansion.

STI chairman Eusebio Tanco said that they would like STI to be listed after elections to expand its facilities. He said the school had aimed since last year to raise P1 billion to P2 billion from the initial public offering.

“STI really doesn’t have to raise much equity,” Tanco said. “I would like to expand the facilities of STI, especially in the health care since demand is high in this area,” he added.

Aside from conducting an initial public offering (IPO), Mr. Tanco said they also considering other options in getting listed in the stock exchange, such as a backdoor listing or getting listed by way of introduction which does not require them to offer an immediate sale of shares of stock to the public. He was quick to add, however, that no decision has been made yet on what option to pursue.

STI is a private college established in 1983, offering curriculums which include business studies, computer science, education, engineering and health care. The company acquired a stake in the De Los Santos Medical Center in 2006, which is now known as the De Los Santos-STI Medical Center.

Recently, it opened its new academic headquarters at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. STI has the second largest network of colleges in the Philippines today, with around 100 campuses in the country, two in Indonesia and one in Vietnam.

STI have been planning to get listed as early as 2008, but the plan was deferred because of the global economic crunch that started that year.

This year, it is now pursuing again this plan, and in spite of the slowdown in hiring of nurses in the United States, the company would continue to offer nursing courses and plans to expand more in the health care industry.

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Davao tops list of Next Wave Cities of BPO

Roy — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:41:23 +0000

Davao City is being considered to be the next big investment for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector, as well the information and technology sector.

According to Oscar R. Sañez, CEO of the Business Processing Association of the Philippines (BPAP), Davao was ranked number 1 in their list of Top 10 Next Wave Cities 2010 because of the city’s abundance of graduates and workers, and also the low cost of doing business there as well as in the outlying areas. Other factors that were considered by the BPAP were the city’s infrastructure and business environment.

Sañez said that in their selection of the next wave cities, they scored the quality of roads, access to international and domestic flights, presence of providers of fiber optic networks, reliability of power supply, availability of property sites, and cost of labor office space, among others.

The only thing going against Davao City is its proximity to areas of conflict in Mindanao. Many foreigners tend to associate the island with war and kidnappings. That is why in spite of being top in the BPAP list, it still ranked low in terms of risk management and travel advisories.

Joining Davao in the list of Top 10 Next Wave Cities 2010 were Sta. Rosa, Laguna; Bacolod-Iloilo; Metro Cavite; Lipa, Batangas; Cagayan de Oro; Malolos, Bulacan; Baguio and Dumaguete. These cities are expected to contribute $1.2 billion in additional revenue over the next two years, and at the same time, increase the employment of the BPO sector by 60 percent.

Sañez said that the Next Wave Cities would provide a “great avenue for local empowerment” as the cities are able to redefine themselves and create fresh business opportunities as those in Metro Manila and Metro Cebu.

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Affordable quality laptops from Suzuki

Roy — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:12:05 +0000

A new laptop line was launched formally in Cebu City by Suzuki Technology. The new laptops promise speed, price and performance to attract the fast growing entry-level market segment.

Not to be mistaken, and has no relation with the motor vehicle brand, the company said it have the international trademark for all IT products. The Singapore-based company’s name was taken from its Japanese co-founder.

Singaporean sales manager Andy Ng said, “Price-wise, we are on equal level with other entry level brands but in terms of specs, we are ahead. We have competitive price and a higher specification and we try to add value to the product.” Adding value, Ng said, they could add freebies, like bundling software, optical mouse, flash drives or speakers to get customers to notice the brand.

He said this strategy has beena working well for the company in the last 12 years. Suzuki has established presence in Southeast Asian countries especially in Indonesia and Singapore, and also had a chunk of the market in the Middle East. The company hopes to get a share of the market in the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, the Americas and Easter Europe this year.

Suzuki’s Taiwan-made netbook are priced as low as P15,000 and its full-sized Intel Core 2 Duo powered laptops are just over P20,000. This makes it a good buy for students and the price-conscious market. The company posted a 30-percent increase in its sales last year.

Avelino Dy Relucio of Gilmore Computer center said the Suzuki brand has been doing well in less than a year after it was introduced in the Philippine market. Cebu-based dealers report that they often run out stock and the company usually scrambles to deliver units just to meet the demand.

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US BPO firm opens office in the Philippines

Roy — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:54:31 +0000

A new business process outsourcing (BPO) firm has chosen the Philippines as the location of its latest service center. US-based Cybernet-Slash Support (CSS) recently opened its 1,000-seat facility in Taguig, its first Philippine site and currently has 400 employees. CSS said the new facility will be used for the company’s outbound sales, technology and other integrated BPO services for clients in North America. It plans to increase the number of employees in Philippines to around 2,000 people by the end of 2010. The company said it is in line with the company’s aspiration to emerge as a strong player in the country’s BPO space.

CSS’s chief executive Nick Sharma said they choose the Philippines as the site of its newest facility because of the “highly conducive” business atmosphere and talent pool of experienced BPO professionals. “The Philippines has emerged as one of the key global hubs for the BPO industry,” Sharma said. And thus, they felt that now is the most opportune time to expand their capabilities in the Philippines and extend their “portfolio of superior, effective support services to customers.”

Sharma said that CSS have committed $15 million in its budget to develop their business in the Philippines, and see it as their biggest facility in three to four years time.

They would be planning to hire mostly computer-related or engineering graduates who will be expected to provide their clients with both technical and customer support. Most of their clients are in the information technology, retail and healthcare sectors.

With its based located in San Jose, California, the company employs around 4,000 people working out of its global operations centers in India, the US, Poland and now, the Philippines. American telecommunications giant Alcatel-Lucent and tech firm Sun Microsystems & Blackboard Inc. are just two of the big-ticket clients of CSS.

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More jobs from UST Global

Roy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 14:43:24 +0000

UST Global inaugurated recently its new offshore development center in McKinley Hills, Taguig City. The new center is part of the company’s aggressive expansion plans in Asia, and is targeting to haul in $32 million revenues in its first year and catering to 2,000 clients in North America and Europe.

California-based UST Global is one of the world leader in information technology (IT) and business process outsourcing (BPO). Recognizing that the Philippines is an emerging destination for IT outsourcing, the company is hiring around 1,000 IT Filipino professionals at their new office in the next 12 months. That is just the first part of their expansion. The company plans to increase its local workforce to more than 5,000 IT professional in the next few years.

President Arroyo, who was there to grace the inauguration said in her speech, “We believe that we need to focus on three areas to develop IT in Philippines; connectivity infrastructure, policies and good business environment, and human resource development. We have half a million jobs created in the BPO space and it our time to move to the next level of value-added services, that’s IT. We thank UST Global for investing in the Philippines and providing opportunities for Filipino nationals both experiences as well as fresh graduates thereby increasing our competitiveness.”

UST Global president Joe Nalkara said, “We zeroed in on the Philippines because of the highly skilled and refined work culture we’ve observed here. This is a perfect match with the style of functioning we follow elsewhere in our centers.” Nalkara predicts that the Philippines center will be a strategically significant geographical and business locations for the growing Asian presence of UST Global.

UST Global is part of the $6-billion Comcraft group. The company, who’s now 10 years old, employs 7,000 employees in Asia, Europe and North America. It focuses on the Fortune 500/Global 1000 market, specifically catering to Healthcare, Retail and Consumer Goods, Utilities, Entertainment and Media, Manufacturing, Banking and Financial Services, and transportation and logistics.

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PBR provides computers for NERBAC Caraga

Roy — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:13:01 +0000

The Philippine Business Registry (PBR) recently gave a set of information technology (IT) equipment to the National Economic Business Assistance Research Assistance Center in Caraga (NERBAC Caraga). The IT equipments were the contribution of PBR to help strengthen the one-stop business assistance centers in all regions.

IT package includes five (5) workstations or desktop computers, one (1) servers with uninterrupted power supply (UPS), one (1) network switch, one (1) wireless router, one (1) colored printer and network cables.

The PBR is an initiative of the government who takes care of web-based IT system that will primarily allow the filing of applications for business registration, business permits and licenses, and business dissolutions online, by using a single data entry facility.

The facility links the systems of national government agencies and local government units which will facilitate business registration-related transactions. The system will be providing agencies and local government units (LGUs) the information they need in near real-time.

In line with this, PBR is beefing up facilities of NERBACs all over the country because these centers can serve as access stations for applicants of business registration, especially for areas where the LGUs are still having a difficulty connecting to the internet or are not yet fully computerized.

The Asian Development Bank – Japan Fund for Information and Communication Technology (ADB-JFICT) provides the funding for the procurement of the computers and other IT units.

NERBAC Caraga, for its part, has been advocating among LGUs connectivity to the PBR. At present, the LGU of Bislig City has signified already their intention to connect and is now working on the technical requirements. LGUs of Butuan City and Surigao City, meanwhile, are still evaluating their LGUs readiness as against the needed technical specifications.

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Schwarzenegger to lead business delegation who’ll visit the country next year

Roy — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 10:09:17 +0000

The Terminator will visit the Philippines next year, but he won’t be here to promote nor shoot any film. Instead, the California Governor will be leading a group of US business delegation who will visit the country in February as part of the government’s marketing efforts to expand the market of Philippine exports and industries.

The announcement was made by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) who said that Schwarzenegger will be tagging along about 150 to 200 businessmen from San Francisco to discuss possible partnership deals with local industries. The main agenda of the delegation here would be green-energy technology.

The San Francisco delegation would be the first of a series of inbound business-matching sessions to be hosted by the Philippines next year for foreign trade and investment missions, according to DTI’s Bureau of Export Trade Promotion (BETP).

Aside from the Schwarzenegger-led delegates from San Francisco, visitors from Canada will also be flying in next year to discuss possible partnership with local firms. They would be looking on companies in the fields of education, medical tourism, import/export, banking and finance, and information technology (IT).

Likewise, delegates from Seattle and Silicon Valley would also come here for IT, Taiwan for diagnostic, Northern China for coco oil, and Portland for food products.

Meanwhile, local exporters would be brought by the government to about 20 countries next year too, for a similar pre-arranged business-matching sessions with foreign buyers.

The DTI said, “For 2010, BETP intends to conduct 23 Outbound Business Matchings (OBMs) to cover processed food, auto parts, fine jewelry, furniture houseware, wellness services, construction services, content for film and television, natural and organic products, and personal care products.”

Among the scheduled destination countries for Filipino exporters are Macau for processed food/marine products, India for snack food, Korea for marine products and natural and organic products, China for furniture, and Malaysia for Halal food.

Interested exporters who want to participate in these business-matching programs next year may contact BETP through (02)890-1200.

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Samsung to pay Kodak for patents infringement

Roy — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 13:36:26 +0000

Kodak, the name that is almost synonymous with pictures and images, has amassed more than 1,000 digital-imaging patents, being one of the pioneers in this industry. Almost all of today’s digital cameras rely on that technology.

Recently, Eastman Kodak Co., raised a patent infringement claim against Samsungs Electronics Co. Kodak had alleged that in November 2008, the camera phones made by Samsung violated various patents that Kodak obtained from 1993 to 2001.

The latest word from Kodak was that Samsung has agreed to pay them an undisclosed sum as the two sides try to settle the over the patents in question. The announcement came less than a week after the US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled that Samsung infringed two Kodak patents.

In the announced agreement, Kodak and Samsung are working out a licensing deal to cover the patents disputed, and also others owned by the two companies. The payments that Samsung agreed to make, according to Kodak, would be credited toward future royalty obligations under the licensing deal.

Kodak’s intellectual property chief, Laura Quatela, said “We look forward to reaching a mutually beneficial arrangement that advances the interests of Kodak and Samsung while validating the strength of Kodak’s intellectual property portfolio.”

Samsung, which is based in Seoul, is the world’s biggest manufacturer of memory chips, liquid crystal displays and flat screen televisions and ranks second behind Finland’s Nokia in mobile phones.

Aside for Samsung, the Rochester-based Kodak, also had filed complaints against South Korea’s LG Electronics Inc., claiming that LG and Samsung imported phones with digital cameras and related components that infringed on Kodak’s patents.

The said dispute was settled when with Kodak agreeing to sell to LG by year’s end its technology for super-thin OLED screens. OLED stands for Organic light-emitting diodes which generate light on the screen’s surface. With the said technology, screens don’t have to be illuminated from behind and consume less power than their non-organic LED counterparts.

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Local IT companies acquire European IT company

Roy — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 04:49:24 +0000

The Philippine’s PhilWeb Corporation, together with the ISM Communications Corp., will be acquiring a controlling stake in Acentic, a European information technology company. The two companies, in their disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), said that they made a deal with a private equity firm based in United Kingdom to acquire 65% stake in Acentic. The companies said the shares would be bought for P1.3 billion or 19.5 million Euros. Both PhilWeb and ISM Communications expected the deal to be closed on January 11.

The two local companies, ISM Communications and Acentic, will be having equal shares in the acquisition of Acentic, while the remaining shares will be held by Niantic Holdings.

Acentic is an established international provider of information technology services to known hotels and hospitals. It provides digital television services and high-speed Internet access to hotel chains like the Intercontinental Hotel Group, Hilton, Hyatt, Accor and Marriot.

The companies’ disclosure to PSE reads, “Acentic is the perfect fit to the information technology and telecommunications business of ISM as well as the gaming expertise of PhilWeb. The entry of PhilWeb and ISM in Acentic will enable Acentic to grow its predominantly European market to include the Asia-Pacific region, the fastest-growing hotel market in the world. For this purpose, it is the intention of PhilWeb and ISM to organize and launch Acentic Asia to take advantage of the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific market.”

With PhilWeb participating in the acquisition of Acentic, the company would increase its business prospects beyond the Philippine market.