Smart partners with Vodafone for cutting-edge mobile tech support

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) subsidiary Smart Communications is set to further solidify its hold of the local enterprise market as it expands its portfolio of services for corporate customers through a partnership with Vodafone, one of the world’s largest mobile communications companies.

Smart is Vodafone’s exclusive partner in the Philippines, enabling the leading mobile services provider to offer Vodafone’s cutting-edge managed communications services and best practices to the local market, company officials explained.

In September last year, the Vodafone Group and the Conexus Mobile Alliance , one of Asia Pacific’s largest mobile alliances, announced an agreement to form a strategic partnership that would expand Vodafone’s partner market presence in Asia. The collaboration includes providing Conexus member customers with greater support in Vodafone’s global footprint.

Smart is a member of the Conexus Mobile Alliance Board and through the tie-up between Smart’s Enterprise Division with Vodafone Global Enterprise – the business within Vodafone which manages the communications needs of its largest multinational customers – Smart Enterprise will deliver select Vodafone services to local multinational companies.

Smart Enterprise provides a range of services for its corporate customers. These include voice solutions, push email, wireless office services, and corporate messaging, among others. Smart Enterprise also leverages on the power of parent company PLDT’s network to enhance its service delivery capabilities.

Vodafone Global Enterprise serves 140 customers headquartered in Asia Pacific and a further 435 customers which operate in the region. It offers a range of innovative managed communications services designed to help multinational companies gain efficiencies including device management, spend management and telecoms management services.

Stevan Hoyle, president for Asia Pacific and Sub-Saharan Africa of Vodafone Global Enterprise said the value to Vodafone of collaborating with the Conexus Alliance is significant given the growing importance of Asia to their enterprise customers.

“This partnership allows Vodafone Global Enterprise and Smart to provide global enterprises in the Philippines with a range of efficiency-driving communications services, all with the ease and convenience of a single contract,” he said.

Meanwhile, PLDT vice president and Smart Enterprise sales and marketing head Jovy Hernandez pointed out that their collaboration with Vodafone Global Enterprise aims to further solidify PLDT’s hold on the local enterprise market.

He said that PLDT already has a 65 percent share of the corporate customer market, which continues to enjoy their wide array of voice, data and ICT services. “Through this alliance, we are able to provide for their enterprise mobility requirements, giving them access to Vodafone managed services and best practices,” he added.