Solutions that work all the time, anytime

MANILA, Philippines - The ever-changing world of technology has created people who want to be connected 24/7. Gone are the days when it was acceptable to say that the system is down.

From cellphone users, broadband users to Wi-Fi users and landline users — each of them wants the service they need to be available whenever they reach out for the device that makes the connection happen.

Really.

“I just hate it when the Internet is down,” says my banker friend Jeff. “I get to work and there is so much I need to do that requires interbank connections. When the system is down its like my life has been put on hold.”

“If the broadband connection is down in the dorm I have to go out to the corner Internet café,” says Jenny Gomez. “But when it’s really late I end up using up all my load connecting using the browser of my iPhone. Thank god that the 3G connections are fast.”

I know quite a few people who may have broadband at home and then also have Globe Tattoo that they bring with them whenever they are out of the house. And then, when they hit the Wi-Fi hot spots they make a few more Internet connections. Blame it on the need to stay updated and in touch all the time.

It is so common for people to log on to Facebook, YM or Twitter in the middle of whatever it is they are doing just so that they stay on top of the news of the day. Or even the tsismis of the hour.

Even in the season of politics — we all know that the younger folk and the not so young — are making sure that they are heard on the Net. Matter of fact, the social networking sites, and the ability to get more words and thought in, in one go at that, seem to have taken the place of texting (at least it seems that way).  

Sure, there are people who still text; after all, a text is still a text, but when we talk about being connected they need connections that work, and work as hard as they do.

A new world, a new Globe

“Globe today is so different from the early 2000 era,” says Gil Genio, Globe Business head. “Because in the past we used to be very product-centric. But we have found out that all of that is lost because people don’t just buy a mobile phone or a landline or Internet service, rather they buy something that will help them do whatever they want to do from a lifestyle perspective.”

Think about it. We get a cellphone because of what it can do and how well it keeps us in touch. If, for example, a person wants a cellphone because of its easy access to Facebook and Twitter, he might go for an iPhone with the social networking sites embedded in them.

And Globe has begun to see that its customers are no longer looking at what the best brand of cellphone is, rather they are looking at the best way to stay connected.

Globe has always been in tune with the needs of its customers and has responded to these needs with new and innovative packages that enable their users to get the best connectivity 24/7.    

“We can have a hundred different products but our customers might not care that we do,” says Genio. “But what they do care about is the net result to them.”

Genio explains that the reason Globe has shifted its focus from products to services is because these are what its customers need.

On the business side, Genio says entrepreneurs or businessmen don’t buy landlines, mobile phones or Internet connections per se. What they do get are devices or services that help them fix a process issue, solve a concern or get in touch better with customers.

“When we realized that we had everything our customers needed we opted to work on that aspect,” quips Genio.  

Solutions that fit are what Globe likes to call the new services that it offers. What the company has done is to essentially change the entire organization to become much more customer-centric and not to think of just the individual products it has, but rather to think a little bit more on a customer level. And in this way to understand what it is the customer really needs.

Where lifestyle and business meet

Running a business might be no different from running a household.

If I am on the way home from work and I need to check on my e-mail I might connect using my cellphone. And then when I get home if I have Wi-Fi, that connection from 3G switches to Wi-Fi. For better viewing I might use my laptop and continue the work from there.

In an office or even from an entrepreneur that would perhaps be a little different simply because of the number of people involved. But the processes remain the same. 

A businessman or entrepreneur will move from being connected on the cellphone to going broadband or Wi-Fi as soon as he sits at his desk in the office. And then, he might even call a staff meeting using the interconnection services in the office.

“When we went through the business side we found that technologies that are available can be broken down into those five groups and the five groups have nothing to do with products,” says Genio. 

“For example a very common recurring theme is cost-efficiency. There are many different products to help companies lower their communication costs. If people are anxious about cost-efficiency, Globe can put things together that help them achieve cost efficiency,” he adds.

Globe has helped BPI, one of its biggest clients, stay better connected not only with its branches but also with over three million customers.

Genio explains that when banks find themselves short on capital spending they look for ways to lower costs.

Globe has been able to help BPI because it was able to help the bank migrate technology. What Globe has done is to manage the network of the bank’s branches. Globe has been able to sell a solution, which BPI bought from it.

BPI is just one of the many clients of Globe that have been helped because of the way Globe has packaged its products and services for them.

Genio says there are many companies that continue to approach Globe for solutions to their communication and connectivity concerns and at every turn Globe has been able to come up with innovative solutions that fit each business or household need.

The statistics speak for themselves. Globe Telecom has 25.7 million mobile subscribers and 287,000 broadband subscribers, as well as over 100,000 business customers.

The company banks on its many years in the industry providing customers with end-to-end communications solutions that run on a highly reliable network.

Globe Business is the corporate arm of Globe Telecom that offers wireless and wireline data and voice solutions relevant to the needs of various Philippine and foreign small, medium and large enterprises from diverse industries to wholesale business customers, including the country’s top corporations.

As a full-service ICT provider, Globe Business understands the needs of enterprises and provides them with solutions that perfectly match what their business demands. With its cost-efficiency, security, mobility, IT integration, and reliable connectivity solutions, it empowers businesses to the next level, giving them a strong anchor to gain competitive advantage.

Globe Business has highly reliable and secure network connections with its multi-service IP MPLS network called IP Converge Optical Network (ICON), the first and only pure IP MPLS network in the country. Its strong domestic data offerings also include the Broadband Access Service (BAX) network with 10GB of bandwidth capacity. It has a secure, flexible and reliable International Data Service that connects a business’ branch from the Philippines to the world with speeds ranging from 64Kbps to 620Mbps. Its Internet Core boasts of the best and most diverse route that enables borderless communication and access to information. Its data center is the only multi-site data center service in the country with ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 27001:2005 certifications.

Today, it is connected to four international cable infrastructure systems, namely the East Asia cable system, Asia Pacific Cable Network 2, City-to-City cable system, and Tata Global Network Intra-Asia cable system, bringing additional international capacity and enhanced resilient connectivity to enterprises, as well as providing them an alternative access around Asia and a more direct route to the United States. It also has “Cebu to the World,” providing the shortest path possible to enterprises from Cebu to the world by bypassing the Central Technical Operating Center in Manila.

“Globe Business under-stands that every business is unique and every household has its own needs,” says Genio. “This propels the company to provide distinctive solutions for its customers. With its continuous investment in infrastructure and development, Globe Business is moving closer to its vision to have the best-connected network in the country.”