PLDT unit launches free access platform

MANILA, Philippines - The digital arm of dominant carrier Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) launched yesterday a groundbreaking platform dubbed SafeZone allowing enterprises to reach customers nationwide through their mobile phones.

Orlando Vea, president of PLDT’s Voyager Innovations Inc., said SafeZone (www.safezone.ph) aims to bring businesses closer to customers by offering access to their mobile apps and sites for free.

“By offering free access to businesses’ apps and sites, SafeZone enhances the value proposition of brands to their customers, so their users are better served and companies are more efficient. This platform will open the door so that more companies will be able to take advantage of this kind of powerful partnership,” Vea said.

SafeZone has partnered with The STAR, InterAksyon, national flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL), Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), Yahoo! Celebrity, Takatack, FoodPanda, Agoda, Zalora, Skyscanner, Carmudi, Lamudi, SPINNR, GameX, Babble Messenger, Eat Bulaga, and Pinoy Hoops.

Likewise, users could also access their Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds within SafeZone free of charge by linking their social networking accounts through the SafeZone Social page in order to post, like, tweet, favorite, and comment on social media posts.

Initially, free access to SafeZone partner apps and sites would be available to subscribers of Smart Communications Inc. and soon to subscribers of Sun Cellular in the country.

Of the 100 million mobile phone subscribers in the Philippines, Vea said only 40 million subscribers use their devices to connect to the Internet.

Voyager chief operating officer Benjie Fernandez said it is imperative for businesses to craft a mobile strategy to bring them in the front and center of their customers’ everyday lives through their mobile devices as data from On Device Research showed that smartphone penetration is expected to reach 50 percent of the population by this year.

“With growing smartphone penetration in the Philippines, more users are now accessing online services via their mobile phones. This presents an opportunity for businesses to reach out to their customers wherever they are through their smartphones, and be closer to them than ever before,” he said.

With a platform like SafeZone allowing businesses to offer access to their mobile apps and sites for free, he added that this could spur businesses to take full advantage of a more mobile-centric approach in reaching out to their customers.