Globe Telecom Board Approves 4Q P22/Share Cash Dividend

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Globe Telecom announced that its Board of Directors approved the declaration of the fourth quarterly cash dividend of P22 per share for holders of its common shares. The dividend will be paid to shareholders on record as of November 18, 2016, with payment date on December 2, 2016.

“The latest cash dividend payout brings total dividends for 2016 to P88 per common share. This represents a payout rate of 77% of 2015 core net income on an annualized basis,” said , Globe Chief Finance Officer Rizza Maniego-Eala.

Globe sustained its revenue growth momentum in the first nine months of the year with consolidated service revenues increasing 7% to P89.1 billion from the P83.4 billion recorded in the same period of 2015. The robust revenue growth was spurred by the gains across data-related product segments, despite the increased competitive intensity.

The company’s effective efforts in providing market-relevant data offers, the best of breed solutions to cater to the evolving needs of its customers, backed by the significant improvements in its wireless and wired data networks, have paved the way for its continued success.                                                  

PHOTO CAPTION: From left: Rizza Maniego-Eala, Chief Finance Officer; Albert de Larrazabal, Chief Commercial Officer; Ernest Cu, President & CEO; Daniel Horan, Senior Advisor for Consumer Business; Gil Genio, Chief Information and Technology Officer; and Atty. Froilan Castelo, Globe General Counsel

Global Filipino School Program Reaches Aklan

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As many as 1,400 public elementary school students from New Washington, Aklan, can now experience what it is like to be a “Global Filipino School” with the recent unveiling of a new Internet-connected computer laboratory.

Through the Global Filipino School (GFS) program, New Washington Elementary School was provided with 24 computers and 10 tablets, Internet connectivity, and other peripherals.

Spearheaded by Globe Telecom and Ayala Foundation, GFS is a long-term educational initiative that seeks to transform select public schools into centers of excellence in information and communications technology (ICT) and innovative teaching methods.

Aside from the computer equipment and laboratory, GFS also provides ICT-proficiency training for teachers, which can help them enhance not only the quality of instruction, but the overall classroom experience. The teacher-training component of the program is conducted by Ayala Foundation’s Training Institute program.

GFS in New Washington is also championed by the Municipal Government of New Washington and the Department of Education Division of Aklan.

Flexibility and Mobility Key to Uplift Competitive Advantage of Startups – IPC

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We have entered the era of startups. Due to the rapid spread of digital tools, it has become easier to turn an idea into a tangible project. However, the challenge of competing with the big players remains. IPC (IP Converge Data Services, Inc.), a local cloud services and data center pioneer, believes that by enhancing flexibility and mobility through a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system a startup can overcome this hurdle.

According to a January 2015 report by Socialbakers, a global social media analytics company, 66% percent of user generated tweets mentioning brands are now executed through mobile devices. In a June 2016 study made by the social media site, half of their 12,000 respondents took action immediately after seeing a brand tweet. This included visiting the brand’s site or Twitter page. Also, the study revealed that almost 1 in 5 Twitter users will eagerly retweet a tweet that mentions a brand and is contemplating to make a purchase after being exposed to a brand-related tweet, proof that brand-based social engagement does drive consumer behavior.

“Because digital tools such as social media and cloud are more cost-efficient compared to the traditional ways of managing and promoting one’s business, it is usually the route taken by budding businesses. As such, we can consider most startups digital natives. With digital now considered the norm, startups are at an advantage,” said Dave de Leon, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Solutions Group of IPC.

However, de Leon notes that the true challenge lies in effectively generating, winning, and keeping business leads. “Here’s where an effective customer relationship management (CRM) tool comes in. It affords a startup's sales team access to crucial real-time information, thereby empowering them to make better business decisions,” said de Leon.