Customers’ needs first — Ayala

Ayala Corp. chairman and chief executive officer Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala yesterday urged would-be "technopreneurs" to focus on what the customer is looking for, then develop a solution that will address this need.

Zobel was one of the 10 inspiring Filipino technopreneurs given recognition by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship led by presidential consultant on entrepreneurship Jose Concepcion III, during yesterday’s opening of TechnoNegosyo that drew a crowd of 20,000.

Other awardees were Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, Mediaquest president Orlando Vea, Chikka Asia founder Dennis Mendiola, William Torres and posthumous awardee Willy Gan, Dado Banatao (Tallwood Ventures), Ben and Nonoy Colayco of Level Up!, Joey Gurango (Webworks), Danny Manayaga (Secura Natural Products), and Peter Valdes of Tivoli Systems.

The Ayala chief executive was cited for the remarkable successes of Globe Telecom. He noted that technology is just a means of doing business, but the more important concern should be finding a solution to the needs of the customers.

Pangilinan was given recognition for his remarkable business leadership and vision of convergence which greatly improved communication services and applications.

Vea for his part was acknowledged for being a visionary of mobile communication when he pioneered Smart Communications.

During the open forum, Zobel noted that the various telecommunications companies are working together with local government units and the government to provide Internet access to all 5,700 public high schools over a five-year period.

"We will soon be reaching the 1,000 school mark," he revealed.

Banatao was recognized for his chip discoveries, which made him one of the most successful entrepreneurs in Silicon Valley while Gurango was noted for his software engineering services for the Microsoft development platform.

Valdes, meanwhile, is an elite member of Oxfords’ "who’s who in the computer industry" as the genius behind the middle software.

Torres and Gan were cited for innovating and popularizing the Internet age through Mozcom while Mendiola was recognized for being the one who made PC to mobile communication possible through his Chikka.com. The Colaycos’ online gaming pioneering activities through Level Up! were likewise given recognition.

Meanwhile, Manayaga, who introduced the manufacturing of enzymes, essential oils, and plant extracts, entered the roster for his contributions in the biotechnology industry.

Dubbed as the biggest ever technology entrepreneurship expo, TechnoNegosyo gave the entrepreneurial spirit of Filipino businessmen an upgrade, reducing the complex systems of technology to terms understandable to ordinary entrepreneurs.

The expo called upon the members of the technopreneurship community to further cultivate their field by actively participating in popularizing innovative ideas that could spell the difference. It likewise hoped to boost the quality of technology-based businesses, which currently are fast in emergence.

"We have always envisioned businesses in the country to be advanced. With the wave of advancements deemed inevitable, it is imperative to advise our entrepreneurs to exploit all the opportunities that technology presents," Concepcion, PCE founding trustee and president and CEO of RFM Corp., pointed out. "A good idea will always find funding."

Serving as a breeding ground for brainchild worthy of commercialization, the expo showcased top-of-the-bill innovations from scientists, who are most likely given little credit when advancements reach their peak. The scientists’ promising technologies will be financially supported by funders for incubation, development, and next-stage growth.

"This serves as a break for bigger breaks. We are happy to open doors for these creative and technical minds for they deserve such exposure. After all, Filipinos are very much adept in making a phenomenon that is a little less detrimental than the Love Bug," Myla Villanueva, co-chairwoman of TechnoNegosyo and managing director of MDi, said.