‘RP can be a leader in wireless Internet’

The Philippines can be a leader in wireless Internet.

This was the fearless forecast of Smart Communications Inc. president Napoleon Nazareno during his presentation at the 27th Philippine Business Conference.

According to Nazareno, a number of American and Japanese firms have been quietly transferring their backroom or back-office operations to the Philippines.

"With a relatively unaccented brand of English that the Americans seem to prefer, US and Japanese firms have been transferring their backroom operations to the country," he said.

These are non-production related activities that can be subcontracted to offshore locations and still operate as part of the entire corporate organization through the Internet.

"However, there is one area in which the Philippines should take advantage of – the wireless Internet," Nazareno said.

"Admittedly, handheld monitors do not have the browsing dimensions that personal computers offer, but they are excellent vehicles for a large portfolio of data services and transactions," he said.

These include ringtones, horoscope, mobile e-mail, package tracking, directory services, electronic wallets and mobile banking.

Handheld devices like cell phones and PDAs are less expensive and easier to use than PCs.

There are 800 million cell phones in use today all over the world, and being portable, they are never more than a pocket away and can be a constant link to the World Wide Web.

"The Philippines could be a leader in this new world of constant connectivity to the Internet, especially since Filipinos are masters of text messaging," Nazareno said.

The whole world is rediscovering text messaging or SMS, he said. "They are realizing that text messaging is a powerful platform for wireless services, affordable for mass use and accessible to all GSM users without the need for upgrading," he added.

Software developers are turning their sights on the mobile Internet and are now working with such operators as Smart in developing new wireless services.

"Smart is already in the process of exporting its home-grown electronic wallet service called Smart Money," Nazareno said.