Globequest: Online, all the time

There could also be a long list of technical headaches that could come up when you least expect it.

So, what’s the foolproof option? GlobeQuest Wireline Data says it has the answer.

If you check in at the Mandarin Oriental, for instance, you can get a taste of this service.

Whether you are a business person who wants to check how your business is doing or a traveler who wants to get to your email, all you need to do is avail of SpeedConnect, which is a service provided by GlobeQuest.

"The hotel guest is assured of a connection which is eight to 15 times faster than if he or she were to use other Internet Service Providers," says Boboy Romero, head of GlobeQuest Wireline Data Services.

Aside from faster connection time, hotel guests get an enhanced online experience with multimedia viewing, quality broadcast video, distance learning and speed data transfers.

Romero says, however, that GlobeQuest is not just for travelers or hotel guests. In fact, their service is also used by several companies for purposes that range from tracking supplies, products and services to improving customer service.

"Rustan’s is our customer. Other retail companies have also started to put their stores on line as well," says Romero. "Just like in the US, when you go to a bookstore and you want to buy a book which is not available in that branch, they can check through their computer system and find other stores where the book might be available."

And then there is LBC in Manila and Fast Cargo in Cebu, which have also gone the GlobeQuest way. "There are a lot of other companies that have signed up with us in Cebu," Romero shares.

There is Cebu Pacific, which is also GlobeQuest-connected. So, if you plan to travel via Cebu Pacific, Romero says that the ticketing service should work well because all the computer terminals are interconnected.

But why does Globe Telecom, which has made a name for itself in the mobile phone business, want to venture into the wireline data business now?

"We think that we have a proposition that at the end of the day customers will decide that they want to get their wireline data connection from a company that is well-established. And Globe Telecom is exactly that," he explains.

While the GlobeQuest service was formally launched only in July last year, Globe actually started its wireline data service about three years ago.

"But we have already reached the goal we set out to reach," Romero reveals.

Although there is no doubt that Globe Telecom is one of the strongest players in the Handyphone Business, the need to make sure that people stay connected–whether it be through the cellphone or through the internet–is a growing concern in these parts of the world.

"The need for a business executive to be connected to any one of the branches of his company whether he is in the office or outside is a must. And GlobeQuest hopes to be the carrier that will do just that," opines Romero.

GlobeQuest’s advantage, obviously, is faster connection time and less downtime. And this is because of their Broadband Internet Service.

In technospeak, it refers to a broad range of Internet services including Direct Subscriber Line or DSL, leased line Internet Service, Broadband Internet Zone or BiZ, Internet Xchange (GIC) and Freeway IP.

Through GlobeQuest’s DSL, connections are faster and you are online all the time. With the Broadband Internet Direct or the leased line service, large traffic for email browsing, e-commerce and other web applications are possible.

There is also the EBiZ or the Broadband Internet Zone, a service which provides secure, reliable and convenient Internet access to travelers.

The advantage of becoming a "BiZ partner" with GlobeQuest is that it allows hotels, condominiums and other multi-tenant establishments to build up their service image by catering to the online requirements of their clientele.

Then there is the Internet Xchange (GIX), which offers wholesale Internet access through GlobeQuest’s highly reliable local Internet Provider Node.

Meanwhile, through Freeway IP, a subscriber can connect and do business in the USA through the Web by linking directly with ISPs in North America via leased line.

"We have set our sights on not just the top corporations but also small- and medium-scale enterprises," shares Romero.

He admits that the ISP market is very competitive and the only ones that are most likely to survive are those that will be able to deliver the best services.

"But the price for the service has come down and now it is more affordable to many more people," says Romero. "The volume is there but the revenue growth is not as big as in the past. The days of 30 to 40 percent revenue growth no longer exist. This is because there are too many suppliers in the market."

Staying connected–that is what Globe Telecom is all about. And with GlobeQuest, staying online all the time is now possible.