PLDT unit, Japan’s NTT sign pact for message service

ePLDT, the information and communications technology subsidiary of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), has signed a partnership agreement with Japan-based NTT Communications to test, deploy and offer secure instant messaging services in the Philippines.

Instant messaging (IM) is an Internet service that allows users to communicate with other users with the same IM application in "real-time."

The service includes a function called "presence technology" that enables one to see who among their list of contacts is online. IM works like a chat room, with two people able to converse as if talking over the telephone.

Yahoo Messenger and MSN are among the more popular IM services used today. While IM started out as a tool for personal communications, it has since gained a following among businesses because of its "real-time" benefit.

"Today, IM is used by government, securities, telecommunications and IT companies," said Takashi Togawa, NTT Communications executive manager for business development.

However, using IM for business communications is risky since users could inadvertently expose sensitive information which could be monitored by unscrupulous parties. One cannot also keep a record of communications for IM, making it difficult for users to track conversations.

With businesses left vulnerable to attack, many companies are working towards providing security measures for IM. "The US is already implementing very strict regulations regarding the use of IM for some businesses such as the stock market," shared Togawa. This includes archiving all communications between companies and their clients.

"Archiving is very critical, especially to organizations like financial institutions because having a log of all communications helps detect fraud and similar activities," added Togawa.

For the Philippine market, ePLDT and NTT are working together towards implementing security solutions for businesses now using IM.

NTT has developed the technology through its innovative IP Architecture Center, and the application will undergo a rigorous screening process to be supervised by ePLDT engineers.

"Securing Instant Messaging services would certainly benefit users, particularly businesses that rely on communications in delivering their services to their end-customers. For these companies to get the trust of their clients, they have to ensure that all information being transferred, internal and external, are secured and could not be tapped," according to Helen Marquez, ePLDT chief operating officer.

Marquez added that the Philippines’ booming call center and outsourcing industries will also stand to benefit from more secure IM services. For Togawa, forging a partnership with ePLDT is only natural.

"ePLDT is the leading IT company in the Philippines, the company offers data center services and are also into the call center business.

We’re very glad to have them as our partner and we hope to expand the partnership by being able to offer, through ePLDT, other IM services and the latest technologies," he said.