PLDT Enterprise eyes rise of SD-WAN, SASE

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

PLDT Enterprise is seeing software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) and secure access service edge (SASE) architecture as two of the most in-demand technologies for businesses in the next few years.

In PLDT Enterprise’s recently concluded Tech Talk ON-AIR, Vice President and Head for PLDT Enterprise Fixed-Core Business Solutions Gary Ignacio said that SD-WAN has already reached its inflection point, accelerated by the new market dynamics. “The enterprise market has fully matured and has now embraced SD-WAN as their wide-area networking technology of choice. We’re anticipating its sustained momentum and growth over the next few years,” he said.

SD-WAN enables businesses to interconnect their network of branches and users through a highly-intelligent, software-driven platform, leveraging all available network underlay technologies such as MPLS, fiber broadband, LTE and 5G. This could help industries, such as banks, to simplify network management, optimize data traffic flow, and enable highly resilient, always on connections.

“Close to two-thirds of our local banks are pursuing transformational projects to enhance their digital capabilities and that number just continues to increase,” he added.

Likewise, he also stressed that PLDT Enterprise recognizes the importance of data security, and as such, is pioneering SASE to ensure a fully secure ecosystem where privacy and protection policies are fully enforced. “SASE will continue to get a lot of traction as companies put in place the right technologies to be able to connect and secure, not only their physical locations but their entire user base and end-devices as well. The PLDT Group has established a very strong foundation for this, out of our internal cybersecurity capabilities and best practices, and this will be further enriched by our strategic partnerships from the incumbent and emerging leaders in the field”

Other industries which have been benefitting from these two technologies include the retail sector and the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, among others.

ePLDT President and CEO and SVP and Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups Jovy Hernandez assured the company’s unbreakable commitment to providing digital solutions that will help businesses build a solid foundation amid the COVID-19 crisis.

“Over the last decade, multiple technologies have come to the fore and a lot more are emerging that will revolutionize the way we do things. And it is our aspiration at PLDT Enterprise to become every organization’s technology partner who can create the right mix of innovations and solutions which can deliver real value to their business,” said Hernandez.

“It is much more than just bandwidth. We strive to answer the needs of businesses today for a business-grade internet connection, the need for accessibility for on-premise and cloud applications and to manage multiple locations so that they can become truly resilient in this new age of business.”

PLDT Enterprise has been providing resilient connectivity for the business industry through bandwidth solutions such as BEYOND FIBER, Branch-in-a-Box, and PLDT SD-WAN.

BEYOND FIBER is designed to be three times more reliable for businesses which comes with a minimum speed equivalent to 90 percent of the subscribed bandwidth at 90 service reliability. This service promise currently remains unmatched in the industry.

Branch-in-A-Box, meanwhile, is a platform built for businesses that need to connect, protect, and manage multiple locations through easy to deploy and easy to manage ICT solutions that already come seamlessly stacked.

PLDT Enterprise’s TechTalk ON-AIR aims to discover the best practices of industry leaders in fueling their business growth by tackling the development and the presence of e-industries.

Hernandez said that it is a way of empowering customers and viewers with the information they will need to succeed.

“We have several events lined up for the year and we can expect more meaningful discussions and insights as there are technologies that we should be looking at to put all of these together,” he said.

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com

PLDT Enterprise supports e-learning for the College of Mary Immaculate of Pandi, Bulacan

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In continuing its efforts to be a strong supporter of the education industry, PLDT Enterprise enables e-Learning for the students of the College of Mary Immaculate (CMI), a non-profit educational institution founded in 2002 at Pandi, Bulacan.

Students from the poorest of the poor, and those who have less in life, have limited resources and opportunities to get honest-to-goodness quality education. Quality education affordable to all is the CMI’s reason for being.

Staying true to its philosophy, the CMI exists as an educational institution that serves the poor and financially challenged students, with the goal of enabling them to achieve their fullest potential and empowering them to transform their lives for the better. The CMI offers tertiary education courses, technical and vocational programs, as well as Senior High School programs.

 

Because of the pandemic, the livelihood of the families of a majority of the CMIans have been greatly affected, with many of them unable to afford the internet necessary for e-learning.

Cognizant of the situation, the CMI has partnered with PLDT Enterprise to provide SMART Giga Study Plans for each student. Under the SMART Giga Study Plans, students receive mobile data allocation to enable them to access their online classes. SMART Giga Study plans are especially developed prepaid packages that cater exclusively to the academe. This includes daily data allocations for online learning tools essential for the success of distance learning.

The Board of Trustees of the College of Mary Immaculate expressed its gratitude to PLDT Enterprise for this product. “Now, more than ever, at this time of the pandemic, there is a need for us to reach out to the CMIans and help them continue their education, pursue their degree and achieve their dreams… By providing them with mobile data through the SMART Giga Study Plan, they no longer have to worry about buying prepaid internet for their online classes. Using their smartphones or tablets, the mobile data we will provide can enable them to continue learning through the online instructional materials we have prepared” they said.

“PLDT Enterprise is committed to supporting the education sector by providing tools and platforms for e-Learning, most especially during this critical time. These solutions will help ensure that despite the drastic shift in academic institutions, students can continue their education,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups.


PLDT Enterprise aims to redefine the future of learning through its continuous engagement with universities, colleges, and other learning institutions across the country so that no learner is left behind.



For more information, go to pldtenterprise.com or collegeofmaryimmaculate.edu.ph. #

Medical.Associations warn of the dangers of E-Cig and Vapes

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Medical associations on Monday decried as ‘fake news’ claims that e-cigarettes and vapes are a healthier alternative to regular cigarettes.


“E-cigarettes and vapes should not immediately be viewed as healthier alternatives to cigarettes,” said Dr. Michael Caampued of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians or PSPHS. “At present, It is dangerous to brand these novel products as helpful to those who want to stop cigarette smoking while there are still no high-quality evidence to back the claim,” Dr. Caampued added.

“We are now seeing a rise in cases of e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI), in other countries. In fact, the Philippines already recorded its first case in 2019,” said Dr. Corry Avanceña of the Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS). “These novel products emit aerosols containing chemicals that harm the lungs of the users and even the lungs of those around them,” Dr. Avanceña, a pediatric pulmonologist, explained.

“The best way to quit smoking is through a mix of safe and doctor-recommended methods: nicotine replacement therapy, counseling, and family support, among others,” advised Dr. Avanceña. “You shouldn’t replace an addiction with another addiction,” she said.


Vape and E-Cig Bill Endanger Public Health

The medical associations also expressed their concern against bills in Congress that seemingly seek to regulate the sale, promotion and distribution of vapes and e-cigarettes. “In reality, the proposed measure in Congress on vapes and e-cigarettes weakens our policy milestone in tobacco control set by RA 11467,” said Dr. Caampued. Republic Act. No. 11467 is more informally known as the Sin Tax Law.

House Bill No. 9007 or the Non-Combustible Nicotine Delivery Systems Act was recently approved on third and final reading in the House of Representatives last week. A similar measure will be deliberated in the Senate.

“If we are to regulate a product that is this dynamic, we should not weaken regulation, rather encourage continuous review of evidence and afford the FDA stronger regulatory roles,” he urged.

“We should not introduce policies that will weaken existing regulations on the sale, promotion, distribution, and use of vapes and e-cigarettes,” he also said.

“The bill is dangerous to public health and young Filipinos’ health as it will roll back the age restriction set by the FDA for the sale of these novel products from 21 years old to 18 years old and embolden vape and e-cigarette makers to market their products to non-smokers as ‘healthier products’,” added Dr. Avanceña. “We have to remember that the brain continues to mature until our early 20s and that early exposure to nicotine could impair the brain’s development.”

Vapes and E-Cig-Makers Target Youth

Meanwhile, law group ImagineLaw also exposed the practice of vapes and e-cigarette makers to target young people as new consumers.

“Tapping youthful influencers, launching gimmicks and promos, and maximizing online platforms are just some of the tactics that vape and e-cigarette makers engage in in order to target young people as new consumers,” said ImagineLaw Policy Associate Atty. Anna Bueno.

“E-cigarette and vape industries, some of them with ties to tobacco companies, are looking for new products to lure new consumers to nicotine addiction,” she added. “Once the Vape Bill is passed into law, young Filipinos’ health will be compromised in the name of profit,” Bueno concluded.