Globe AT HOME GFiber Prepaid Launches “Just For You” Offers, More Affordable, Flexible, and Tailored for Every Filipino Home

Globe At Home is bringing more flexibility with its fiber offers catered to Filipino families. Launching GFiber Prepaid “Just For You” (JFY) is a more personalized way to connect family members at home. Recognizing that every household’s internet needs are different, JFY provides reliable fiber connectivity tailored to each family's unique needs and budget, because one size does not fit all. By understanding customer loading patterns and preferences, Globe delivers more relevant and personalized options, giving families greater value, freedom, and the confidence that their connectivity truly fits the way they live and connect.

New customers can enjoy special onboarding offers that make it easier to get started, while existing customers are encouraged to explore faster speeds through tailored promos that match their expanding digital needs. For budget‑conscious families, more affordable options help them stay connected without stretching their finances, ensuring that every household finds an offer that truly fits the way they live, study, work, and connect online.

While traditional broadband plans often come with rigid monthly contracts, GFiber Prepaid JFY introduces a reloadable, personalized home internet experience that empowers families to choose connectivity unique to their needs, budgets, and lifestyles, whether for online schooling, remote work, side hustles, or simply keeping the family entertained.

“We believe that high‑speed internet is now a fundamental need, not a luxury. Our ‘Just For You’ offers were created out of genuine care for our customers, designed to give them the freedom to choose the kind of connectivity that truly fits their everyday lives. We recognize that one day a household might need heavy, ultra‑fast fiber speeds for remote work or online schooling, while on another week they require a light, budget‑friendly alternative,” said Abigail Cardino, Vice President and Head for Globe Broadband Business.

“By leveraging customer insights and behavior, we create offers that feel truly personal, giving subscribers access to rewards and deals that are uniquely meant for them. Through ‘Just For You,’ customers enjoy greater flexibility, more meaningful savings, and a connectivity experience that adapts to their needs, making reliable internet not just accessible, but distinctly their own,” Cardino added.

Through the GlobeOne app, every subscriber can unlock broadband promos with speeds reaching up to 300Mbps. Instead of showcasing uniform offers, Globe uses intelligent personalization to understand each household’s usage, reload habits, and budget, ensuring that every peso spent goes toward what families truly need, when they need it.

Key Benefits for Customers

• No Contracts. No Automatic Fees: Enjoy flexible fiber internet that you can reload whenever your family needs it.
• Personalized Offers: Tailored promos curated through the GlobeOne app.
• High‑Speed Access: Fiber‑fast connectivity up to 300Mbps, enabling online education, remote work, and digital livelihoods.
• Nationwide Reach: Available across tech‑serviceable areas, bringing reliable fiber connectivity to more Filipino communities.

With GFiber Prepaid, Globe At Home is not just delivering internet; it is addressing the socio‑economic challenges of Filipino households by making digital access flexible, affordable, and empowering. In today’s increasingly digital world. Globe ensures that every family has access to tools to learn, work, earn, and thrive, moving forward together toward a more inclusive future.

Download the GlobeOne app today, register your GFiber Prepaid account, and discover broadband internet offers curated exclusively Just For You.

LG Gallery+ Expands Its Digital Art Collection with Over 300 Curated Works from Sedition

 LG continues to enhance the smart TV experience by transforming screens into digital canvases through its Gallery+ platform, which now features more than 300 curated digital artworks from Sedition. This latest expansion introduces a wider selection of visual and video-based pieces, including several Gallery+ exclusives, offering users new ways to personalize their home environments through art.

Sedition, a leading digital art platform with more than a decade of experience in the field, is known for working with some of the world’s most respected contemporary artists. Its collaboration with LG marks a significant step forward in making premium digital art more accessible to everyday users. By integrating Sedition’s curated works into Gallery+, LG Smart TV owners can now enjoy museum-quality artwork directly from their living rooms.

The partnership reflects a growing trend in home entertainment technology—blending functionality with lifestyle enhancement. Instead of remaining idle when not in use, LG Smart TVs can now serve as dynamic art displays that complement interior design and reflect personal taste. Whether users prefer abstract visuals, modern digital installations, or calming motion-based art pieces, Gallery+ provides options suited to different moods and spaces.

Another advantage of this collaboration is the exclusivity offered within the Gallery+ platform. Select artworks are available only to LG users, giving them access to unique digital pieces not found elsewhere. This helps elevate the value of LG’s smart TV ecosystem beyond traditional entertainment features such as streaming and gaming.

Digital art is rapidly becoming an important part of modern home aesthetics, and LG’s partnership with Sedition demonstrates how technology companies are adapting to this shift. As more households embrace smart living environments, integrating curated artwork into everyday devices creates new opportunities for personalization and creative expression.

Ultimately, the expansion of Gallery+ strengthens LG’s vision of transforming televisions into multifunctional lifestyle hubs. By combining advanced display technology with carefully curated digital art collections from Sedition, LG is giving users a new way to engage with contemporary creativity while enhancing the atmosphere of their homes. This initiative highlights how smart TVs are evolving beyond entertainment devices into platforms that support both artistic appreciation and interior design innovation.

Connectbase Expands Connectivity Ecosystem in Southeast Asia Through Strategic Collaboration with Converge

Boston, MA — Connectbase, the Operating System for Connected Commerce, today announced a strategic collaboration with Converge ICT Solutions Inc. (Converge), the Philippines’ leading broadband and technology provider, further expanding the Connectbase ecosystem in Southeast Asia and strengthening global access to one of the region’s fastest-growing digital markets. Through the collaboration, Converge joins the Connectbase platform, making its fiber and subsea infrastructure digitally accessible to carriers and enterprises worldwide through automated, API-driven connectivity commerce.

The collaboration extends Connectbase’s global reach into the Philippines while opening Converge’s high-performance pure-fiber network to a broader international buyer community. Global carriers and enterprises can now instantly discover serviceability, pricing, and availability across millions of Philippine locations—replacing historically manual, email-driven sourcing processes with real-time automation.

“As AI workloads, cloud regionalization, and cross-border enterprise operations accelerate across Southeast Asia, access to automated, location-precise connectivity has become critical infrastructure, not a procurement convenience,” said Ben Edmond, CEO of Connectbase. “Converge has built a world-class fiber network, and Connectbase provides the digital transmission that makes it globally consumable, putting millions of Philippine locations instantly on the screens of the world’s largest network buyers.”

Converge operates one of the youngest and most advanced end-to-end pure-fiber networks in the Philippines, spanning more than 896,000 kilometers, covering nearly 60% of the Philippine households. The company has also invested in major trans-Pacific subsea cable systems, directly connecting the Philippines to the United States, Singapore, and Hong Kong, strengthening regional and global connectivity resilience.

“This joint effort represents a major milestone in making the Philippines fully accessible to the global connectivity economy,” said Dennis Anthony H. Uy, CEO and Co-Founder of Converge. “By joining the Connectbase ecosystem, we are enabling carriers and enterprises worldwide to engage with our network in seconds rather than days, while supporting the continued growth of Southeast Asia’s digital economy.”

By onboarding to the Connectbase Seller Cloud, Converge transitions from manual quoting to automated responses, enabling rapid participation in global RFPs, greater visibility with international buyers, and reduced order fallout through precise, location-level serviceability data. Buyers gain access not only to high-quality fiber, but also to resilient, low-latency routes critical for cloud, enterprise, and BPO traffic.

“Buyers sourcing connectivity in the Philippines can now reduce sourcing cycles from weeks to minutes, while sellers gain immediate visibility into global demand without incremental sales overhead,” added Edmond. “This collaboration reinforces Connectbase’s role as the platform enabling global connectivity commerce, connecting buyers to trusted infrastructure in every major region.”

Lenovo Releases FY 2024/25 ESG Report, Showcasing Measurable Progress and Industry Leadership

Lenovo today released its FY 2024/25 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, detailing the company’s progress toward its 2030 emissions reduction targets and reaffirming its long-term ambition to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, aligned to the Science Based Targets initiative. As the first generation of ESG key performance indicators approaches completion, Lenovo remains on track across many key objectives, making this year a pivotal moment in its sustainability journey.

Video: Lenovo ESG Report – FY 2024/25

The report outlines how Lenovo is accelerating environmental progress through its participation in the circular economy, including the continued use of closed-loop recycled materials in its products. Lenovo also continues to empower customers with sustainability services that facilitate repair, recycling, and reuse, helping extend product lifecycles and keeping materials in circulation.

This year’s report reflects a growing recognition of Lenovo’s efforts, with the company earning Platinum Recognition from EcoVadis, an AAA rating from MSCI ESG Ratings, and the Gold Award from the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) for Best Corporate Governance and ESG. Additionally, Lenovo was recently ranked #8 in Gartner’s Top 25 Global Supply Chain, with an ESG Score of 9/10. These achievements underscore Lenovo’s commitment to transparent, credible progress.

Lenovo’s social impact continues to scale globally. In 2024, it was again named a Best Workplace for People with Disabilities by Disability:IN in the United States, while expanding this recognition to the United Kingdom and Brazil through the global application of best practices. The company’s commitment to community engagement was also evident during its annual Love on Month of Service, which saw a record-breaking 44% increase in people reached through volunteerism by Lenovo employees around the world.

“This year marks a significant milestone for Lenovo’s ESG journey,” said Dave Carroll, Lenovo SVP, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Responsibility Officer, who succeeded Laura Quatela in March 2025. “With our first generation of key performance indicators nearing completion, we’re proud of the progress we’ve made and are focused on building the foundation for our next chapter of ESG leadership.”

In governance, Lenovo continues to reinforce its Smarter AI for All vision through a strengthened internal policy framework. In 2024, the company introduced a comprehensive AI governance policy aligned with commitments made to the Canadian Government, UNESCO, Cercle InterL, and most recently the European Commission. This follows the appointment of Doug Fisher, who added Chief AI Officer to his Chief Security Officer role, further embedding responsible innovation across the business.

Looking ahead, Lenovo remains committed to a collaborative and credible approach to ESG. Through partnerships with customers and suppliers—such as those engaged through the Lenovo 360 Circle—the company is advancing a shared vision for a more sustainable and inclusive future.

To read the full Lenovo FY 2024/25 ESG Report, visit this website.

Globe Partners With Bridge Alliance and Thales for New Enterprise IoT Solution in PH

Globe is taking the lead in Internet of Things (IoT) adoption in the Philippines through a Proof of Concept (PoC) for the GSMA SGP.32 standard, in partnership with global eSIM solutions leader Thales and Bridge Alliance, the global alliance of premier mobile operators

The collaboration positions Globe as the first Philippine telco to test the new specifications developed by the Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA), which is designed to enable IoT solutions that require flexible, scalable, and secure connectivity across a wide range of business applications.

Globe has partnered with Thales, an IoT technology expert, to onboard its Adaptive Connect Services that cover SGP.32 eSIM IoT Remote Manager (EIM) and Fleet Manager to support multiple use cases of local and regional IoT connectivity.

Bridge Alliance also plays an instrumental role in this PoC. Not only does Bridge Alliance connect Bridge member operators (BMOs) like Globe with other BMOs like Singtel (Singapore), Optus (Australia), and AIS (Thailand), it also serves as the project manager of the PoC to support regional readiness of the technology and simulate cross-border enterprise use cases across the BMOs.

The consortium, likewise, allows Thales to demonstrate its platform’s capability and interoperability in conformance with the new SGP.32 specifications in the IoT space.

The PoC intends to showcase how enterprise-grade IoT devices can be provisioned and managed through eSIM technology using remote bulk SIM provisioning, SIM profile switching, seamless interconnectivity, and rapid SIM activation.

“With the PoC, we are laying the groundwork for IoT deployments that meet the evolving needs of Philippine enterprises. Our goal is to simplify how businesses connect their devices and help them unlock greater efficiency, flexibility, and reach,” said Carl Cruz, President and CEO of Globe.

While eSIMs and IoT technologies have gained traction in the consumer space, enterprise adoption remains in its early stages. The PoC presents an opportunity to demonstrate the full potential of eSIM technology in massive enterprise IoT applications.

“Integrating Thales IoT connectivity solutions within Globe and Bridge Alliance services would provide their enterprise customers with an advanced platform for seamless and secure management of IoT device connectivity. This also provides an opportunity for all IoT companies to introduce their SGP.32 devices in a very broad market when they participate in this collaborative project”, said Jon Cahilig, Asia Head of Sales for Mobile Connectivity Solutions of Thales.

“Bridge Alliance is pleased to join our member operator Globe and our technology partner Thales to trial the SGP.32 standard, which represents a major step forward in enabling seamless, interoperable, and scalable enterprise IoT connectivity across borders. This collaboration brings us closer to realizing a truly unified approach to enterprise IoT that has the potential to deliver regional value to even more of our member operators across multiple markets,” said Dr Ong Geok Chwee, CEO of Bridge Alliance.

Scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025 following final development work, the PoC will run until SGP.32-compatible devices become commercially available, giving Globe and the other Bridge Mobile operators a competitive edge as the standard enters the market.

Once the service is ready, Globe will open the platform to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Globe Business clients interested in exploring with their own IoT devices.

The global IoT market is experiencing rapid growth and is projected to reach 4.9 billion devices by the end of 2025. In the Philippines, it is expected to grow to Php410 billion by 2029, driven by an annual growth rate of 20 percent. This surge is fueled by the widespread adoption of IoT across smart cities, advanced manufacturing, and the growing shift to electric and hybrid vehicles—aligning with the country’s push toward digital urban development and sustainable mobility.

Learn more by visiting https://www.globe.com.ph/business.

Tenable Research Finds Critical Vulnerabilities in Kubernetes Environments

According to Tenable Cloud Research, organisations globally and across the Asia Pacific region are increasingly facing security challenges in their Kubernetes environments. As more businesses adopt Kubernetes to orchestrate their cloud infrastructure, serious security gaps in these environments are leaving organisations vulnerable to attacks.

According to the 2024 Tenable Cloud Risk Report, the widespread adoption of containerised applications, coupled with insufficient security measures, is exposing cloud infrastructure to risks that can result in data breaches, service disruptions, and unauthorised access to critical workloads.

“Kubernetes is the backbone of many cloud-native applications, but organisations in APAC are struggling to secure these environments properly,” said Ari Eitan, Research Director at Tenable. “Publicly exposed Kubernetes API servers and overprivileged containers are serious risks that leave businesses vulnerable to attacks. Without the right security measures in place, these misconfigurations can lead to catastrophic breaches.”

Key Findings from the Report:

• Publicly Accessible Kubernetes API Servers - 78% of organisations have publicly accessible Kubernetes API servers, significantly increasing the risk of attacks. Of these, 41% allow inbound internet access to their Kubernetes clusters, making them even more susceptible to external threats. Attackers can exploit these configurations to gain access to sensitive resources and potentially take control of entire cloud environments.

• Privileged Containers - 44% of organisations are running containers in privileged mode, granting these containers full access to the host system’s resources. Running containers with excessive privileges increases the risk of attackers escalating their control and compromising the underlying infrastructure.

• Overprivileged Cluster-Admin Roles - 58% of organisations have cluster-admin role bindings, providing unrestricted access to all Kubernetes resources. If these roles are compromised, attackers can gain full control over the cluster, allowing them to manipulate or destroy workloads, or exfiltrate sensitive data.

Mitigation Strategies for Securing Kubernetes:

To address these security challenges, Tenable recommends the following best practices for APAC organisations to safeguard their Kubernetes environments:

• Limit Kubernetes API Exposure: Ensure that Kubernetes API servers are not exposed to the public internet. Apply firewall or security group rules to restrict inbound access to Kubernetes clusters and enforce network segmentation to isolate sensitive workloads.

• Reduce Privileged Containers: Avoid running containers in privileged mode unless absolutely necessary. Adhere to security best practices such as those outlined in the CIS Kubernetes Benchmark and NIST guidelines to limit container access to host resources.

• 
  Harden Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Regularly audit and restrict the use of cluster-admin roles. Replace overly permissive role bindings with granular permissions that adhere to the principle of least privilege, ensuring that users and service accounts only have access to the resources they need.

• Regularly Audit Kubernetes Configurations: Conduct frequent security audits of Kubernetes configurations to detect and address any misconfigurations or unnecessary exposures. Disable anonymous access to the Kubelet API and ensure that all communications within the cluster are encrypted.

"The growing adoption of Kubernetes is a double-edged sword. While it offers great agility for cloud operations, it also introduces a new layer of complexity and security risks. APAC businesses must prioritize Kubernetes security, particularly by closing exposure gaps and enforcing strict access controls. Proactive measures today will protect organisations from becoming tomorrow’s headline breaches," added Eitan.

unSkript announces funding to health-check tech infrastructure for software teams, with its AI-powered platform

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - Jan 2024; Almost every company operates on a digital platform to service their customer needs. Whether it’s an ecommerce business or an enterprise running internal applications, they use the same technologies underneath. The smooth functioning of these technologies is critical; any disruption can directly affect the business's performance and continuity. 

Enabling the frictionless operation of these technologies, unSkript, a tech infrastructure health intelligence platform, is announcing a $3.75m pre-seed funding round to identify and mitigate issues in the software that powers the world.

Fragile software systems that power the world are running atop large computing clusters, often using new technologies such as Kubernetes on both public clouds and on-premises environments. These complex environments are held together by specialist software engineers in DevOps and Platform Engineering teams who often work late into the night solving complex problems to keep society running. These teams play a vital role in identifying and mitigating issues in the software that powers the world.

 

Traditionally, these teams have depended on undocumented knowledge and textual knowledge bases (aka runbooks or playbooks) to support them when navigating complex incidents. However, if these runbooks are misinterpreted or outdated, the engineers will often be left on their own to debug and resolve these challenges during live incidents.

 

unSkript leverages Generative AI to assist these teams to proactively and automatically detect and resolve potential infrastructure health issues and production downtime; mitigating the risk of human error and decreasing developer burnout.

 

unSkript solves this using a Large Language Model (LLM) agent that learns from existing knowledge bases and user activity to understand procedures and match them with problem signatures. With unSkript, companies can shift from manual learning and execution of procedures to an AI-driven approach where the Generative AI agent assists in triaging and suggesting the next-steps, thereby cutting the risk of human error and burnout. All health-check scans or test are available on opensource here: https://github.com/unctl-sh/unctl 

 

“unSkript ships hundreds of pre-built failure signatures (aka health checks) that a team can directly leverage. These signatures span many cloud-native technologies such as kubernetes, databases, messaging, and IAAS cloud. Along with the signatures, we ship an LLM agent to learn new signatures and provide the next steps on a current problem. As a result, we can reduce troubleshooting time by up to 12x and resolution time by up to 25x” said Abhishek Saxena, CEO of unSkript.

 

“Monitoring and troubleshooting our customer deployments was a significant challenge for us on our growth journey. unSkript’s approach of using AI as a Co-pilot has been instrumental for us to scale and be successful” said Himanshu Shukla, CEO of LightBeam. unSkript brings on-call teams into the post-LLM world where health checks, troubleshooting and fixes are all done by AI. As the product and the organization scale, the number of deployments and repetitive problems increases exponentially, making individual management impractical.

 

The company has raised $3.75m in pre-seed funding so far from leading early-stage technology investors such as Westwave Capital, First Rays Venture Partners, Scribble Ventures, Zero Prime Ventures, and notable angel investors.

 

“In today's rapidly evolving tech landscape, the complexity of IT environments is escalating with the integration of cloud services and distributed systems. Over time, as more deployments get added due to scale, compliance, and customer requests, the repeatability of the problems tends to increase. This is where a scalable and intelligent solution like unSkript emerges as a pivotal solution, accelerating business agility while significantly reducing the risk of human error and downtime,” said Gaurav Manglik, Partner, Westwave Capital. The unSkript team, given their vast experience, is uniquely positioned to solve this growing problem.”

PLDT Enterprise underscores advantages of IoT deployment in PH businesses

(Manila, Philippines - February 2022) PLDT Enterprise, the B2B arm of the country’s largest fully integrated telecommunications provider PLDT, highlights the advantages of deploying Internet of Things (IoT) technology in overcoming the impacts of the pandemic to local businesses. 

Jojo Gendrano, FVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise, said that IoT technology has been increasingly relevant in allowing entrepreneurs to thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape, effectively addressing the challenges in the new normal.

“As we continue to feel the effects of the pandemic, businesses need to be empowered by enabling a truly connected environment where they can overcome the challenges of distance and physical restrictions. We can do that through adopting technologies such as the Internet of Things,” said Gendrano.

IoT technology allows communication between machines through wired and wireless communication channels, enabling full control, visibility, transparency, and security of internet-enabled devices. It is one of the innovations behind smart homes and smart cities, wherein cloud-connected devices are equipped with sensors and processors which can gather and transmit data for automation, remote monitoring and management to empower a more efficient and smarter way of life.

Such technology poses limitless possibilities to different sectors from manufacturing, health care, communications, transportation, and logistics, to retail, agriculture, and finance. 

“Internet of Things deployment is much needed especially now when businesses are struggling with mobility and physical restrictions, limited manpower, system security issues, and reduced operations efficiency. Many organizations have been dealing with these, comprising their business productivity. This should not be the case because we can manage these difficulties through the right solutions and the right technologies. We believe IoT can help solve these all at once,” he said.

Recently, PLDT Enterprise launched its newest digital offering called the Internet of Possibilities by PLDT and Smart which aims to open up new possibilities for Internet of Things (IoT) applications and deployment among enterprises and consumers in the country.

It is a unified platform for the effective management of connectivity and usage of a multitude of connected IoT devices within enterprises. It seamlessly integrates existing business processes into a common, open platform for data and insights that can be used to open unlimited business growth opportunities to various industries.

Watch how PLDT and Smart’s Internet of Possibilities can build tomorrow’s smarter communities and cities here: https://youtu.be/h5nsjRRc5IM

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com. 

Globe tops Netflix ISP Speed Index anew in 2021

Globe Telecom once again topped the Netflix ISP Speed Index for the month of June 2021, proving the company’s consistency in providing stable connectivity to Filipino families while ramping up efforts to achieve a #1stWorldNetwork in the country.

The telco scored 3.2 in the Index for the month of June through its Globe At Home Broadband Business. It also ranked first in January, February, April, and May. The Philippines' score is tied with other first-world countries like Japan and the United States, noticeably improving its position vis a vis other countries.

 

Improvements on fixed broadband in the country have been echoed by independent internet analytics firm OoklaⓇ. Based on OoklaⓇ Global Speedtest Index report for June 2021, the Philippines is now ranked 62nd in Fixed Broadband at 66.55 Mbps, three notches up compared to May.

 

“We aim to create wonderful experiences for our customers to have choices and discover new ways to enjoy their lives. We also continue to equip our customers with more than just connectivity, looking at bundles like GInsure and KonsultaMD to give customers more life essentials needed during this time,” said Ernest Cu, Globe President, and CEO.

 

Globe has earmarked an unprecedented P70 billion for its capital expenditures this year to build 2,000 cell towers and lay down 1 million fiber-to-the-home lines to deliver first-world internet connectivity.

 

Netflix, the world’s leading streaming entertainment service, determines monthly rankings by calculating an ISP’s performance in primetime streaming sessions based on the maximum bitrate set by combining resolution, streaming device, and encode recipe. The better a network is, the closer a session will be to reaching this maximum possible bitrate.

 

Globe strongly supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly UN SDG No. 9, which highlights the roles of infrastructure and innovation as crucial drivers of economic growth and development. Globe is committed to upholding the United Nations Global Compact principles and 10 UN SDGs.

 

Experience world-class entertainment on Netflix with Globe At Home. For more information on available Globe At Home plans and bundles, visit this link: https://shop.globe.com.ph/broadband-plans.

PLDT Enterprise helps grow digital payments in PH with PayMaya

(Manila, Philippines – August 2020) In line with its objective to help Filipinos and their businesses go beyond brick and mortar operations and expand through e-commerce, PLDT Enterprise – together with PayMaya, helps grow digital transactions in the country through contactless and digital payments for consumers and businesses.

As the country imposed quarantine measures to curb the fight against COVID-19, consumers, and businesses relied heavily on online transactions to continue accessing and delivering goods and services despite the restrictions. Merchants and SMEs either launched or expanded they're online store offerings and adopted cashless payments.

PayMaya, in this regard, aided businesses during this critical time by enabling consumers to send payments or do bank transfers through the PayMaya app—empowering both retailers and consumers to buy and sell online from the safety and comfort of their own homes.

SilverWorks, the leading retailer of sterling silver jewelry in the country is one of the businesses that adopted cashless transactions to continue its operations in recent months. “When the whole country was on lockdown, the only source of revenue for SilverWorks was through our online platforms. For many who did not want to take the risk of infection through the exchange of cash, SilverWorks was able to offer the most convenient way to pay through online digital payments like PayMaya,” said Louie Ocampo Gutierrez, Managing Director of SilverWorks.

Recognizing the growing need of businesses for zero-touch payments, PLDT Enterprise bundles PayMaya into the group’s end-to-end suite of ICT and digital business solutions. With this inclusion, customers of PLDT Enterprise can now also be equipped with PayMaya’s extensive digital payments solutions to help them and their business thrive in the New Normal by accepting contactless payment options.

“The combination of PLDT Enterprise's global-class ICT and digital solutions and PayMaya's game-changing digital financial services will make it easy for enterprises to transition and bring their business back on the path of growth,” said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups.

During the lockdown, retailers that did not have a robust presence online have also utilized payment links from PayMaya’s Digital Invoicing solution to send to their customers via email, chat apps and SMS allowing them to pay using their credit or debit cards or via e-Wallets

And as the quarantine measures continue, businesses are likely to rely more on technology and digital channels in continuing their operations. In support, PLDT Enterprise recently launched its latest broadband service called BEYOND FIBER—which now also integrates PayMaya as an add-on to enable offices and stores to accept online payments via PayMaya Business.

“Digital payments will be a permanent fixture and I see PayMaya cashless payments to become the preferred option especially for Silverworks' tech-savvy young adult target market,” Gutierrez added.

Soon, PayMaya will be expanding business opportunities available for retailers such as SilverWorks via its newly launched PayMaya Negosyo app that allows MSMEs to accept digital payments and offer other services to their customers.

“With the changing landscape brought by the current situation, cashless is definitely emerging to be the preferred payment option of both consumers and enterprises. PayMaya together with PLDT Enterprise is here to help businesses adapt quickly and respond to the evolving payment needs of their customers, who are increasingly going digital,” said Shailesh Baidwan, President of PayMaya.

PayMaya will also be introducing an easier and smoother way for merchants to sign up and submit requirements online for the various PayMaya Enterprise payment solutions that are available to them.

To learn more, visit pldtenterprise.com or enterprise.paymaya.com.

Epson launches EB-U50 and EB-W50 business projectors for quality digital signages keeping customers engaged and informed

PHILIPPINES, August 2020 — Epson, the number one projector brand worldwide for 19 consecutive years, launches the EB-U50 and EB-W50 - two new projectors that offer innovative and cost-effective digital signage solutions to showcase vibrant displays, which may also be used for the dissemination of vital health and safety information during the pandemic.

The new models can automatically adjust their brightness and drive voltage depending on the environment, which helps preserve the projectors’ lamp life up to 17,000 hours. The EB-U50 and EB-W50 are also built with enhanced durability and resistance with the help of a new electrostatic air filter, which effectively traps dust and chalk particles before they can enter the projector, resulting to a longer-lasting optical compartment.

Ideal for keeping customers in the retail and essential businesses engaged and informed, the new models are equipped with customizable color and shape filters, which make it easier to improve or update visuals without the additional cost. Compared to GOBO or Goes Before Optics projectors, the EB-U50 and EB-W50 business projectors enable companies to shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to messaging that can be easily personalized to specific audience needs.

To enhance the overall viewing experience, the EB-U50, and EB-W50 offer a new optional mount with a ball joint design, allowing for a variety of flexible installation options. The projectors can be mounted directly onto the ceiling, or conveniently on a tabletop. For ceiling projection, the EB-U50, and EB-W50 enables customers to project from any angle through 360° horizontally, and 30° vertically.

If you want to highlight specific products in-store, these projectors can also be used as a spotlight by combining the projector’s overlay effect on a white wall. With a wide range of colors, shapes, and temperatures to choose from, the EB-U50 and EB-W50 can easily adapt to various display themes and requirements.

For added convenience, when multiple EB-U50/W50 projectors are being set up, users can control the projectors as one using the remote ID function. This enables businesses to control up to 16 projectors and to save time by eliminating the need to reset IDs each time the projectors are turned off. Users can also enjoy a wide range of controls, including scheduling and editing playlists, and converting movie formats through the Epson Content Manager software.

Model no.	Resolution	Throw Ratio	Colour/White Brightness	Optional Accessories
EB-U50	WUXGA (1920 x 1200)	1.38 – 1.68 (Wide to Tele)	3700lm	Air Filter: ELPAF59 Spare Lamp: ELPLP97 Ceiling Mount: ELPLMB23 Ceiling Mount: ELPMB60
EB-W50	WXGA (1280 x 800)	1.30 – 1.56 (Wide to Tele)	3800lm	Air Filter: ELPAF59 Wireless LAN Card: ELPAP10 Spare Lamp: ELPLP97 Ceiling Mount: ELPLMB23 Ceiling Mount: ELPMB60

The function of digital signage is anticipated to expand well beyond its pre-COVID role as businesses adjust to sustain activity while keeping with health and safety standards. In this new normal, the EB-U50 and EB-W50 business projectors for digital signage offer an easy-to-use and cost-effective audiovisual solution to keep employees and consumers engaged and informed.

The EB-U50 is priced at Php62,790 SRP and the EB-W50 is priced at Php58,290 SRP. Both models are available at Epson’s authorized dealer stores nationwide.

Globe shares tips to keep passwords and accounts secure

“It’s my 30th birthday.” “We’re celebrating our 10th anniversary today.” “Call me on 12345678,” “My address is..." “I love Blackie, my dog”. These statements might seem harmless but hackers are constantly on the lookout for any information posted online which can help them answer security questions and gain access to passwords.

With a lot of people doing online transactions due to social distancing restrictions, unscrupulous persons also relentlessly attempt to steal passwords and other important information to commit fraud, access financial accounts, damage reputations, or even destroy lives.

 

The situation becomes more alarming as 32% of Filipinos surveyed continue to reuse five or fewer passwords across all their accounts while 29% still write down their passwords, according to a study conducted by FICO, an analytics software company based in Silicon Valley.

 

“As a company that provides consumers with connectivity, we also want to keep them safe from malicious activities especially at this time when many are staying at home and are relying more than ever on apps and online services for various reasons. Passwords are the keys to our accounts, making it imperative to ensure that our passwords are well protected to ensure the safety of our accounts,” said Anton Bonifacio, Globe Chief Information Security Officer.

 

SplashData’s analysis of millions of passwords leaked on the internet showed that among the most common passwords in 2020  are the following:  123456, 123456789, qwerty, password, 1234567, 12345678, 12345 Iloveyou, 111111, 123123, Nothing, Secret, Password1, and Admin.  To check if a password can be hacked in six seconds or in six trillion years, visit www.howsecureismypassword.net.

 

Thus, Globe continuously reminds its consumers to use different passwords for multiple accounts as well as turn their password into a passphrase.  This passphrase must be a combination of uppercase, lowercase, symbols, and numbers; does not contain personal information such as names, birthdays, and addresses;  and has to be a weird phrase that can be easily remembered. Even better is to use a free password management software that generates strong random passwords and integrates to browsers or even the phone for ease of use.

 

As an added layer of protection, Globe recommends setting up two-factor verification on accounts that allow it.  On top of the password, this requires a code that can be received via SMS, a phone call, or a separate authentication app, in order to log in. However, app-based One-Time-PIN generators must be the user’s first choice while SMS OTP should be avoided and be considered as a last resort.

 

When possible, Globe also pushes the use of new technologies like biometrics with fingerprint, retinal, or facial scan for added security.  In fact, FICO said 76% of those surveyed are willing to use fingerprint scans while 40% and 23% are amenable to facial and eye scans, respectively.

 

Aside from hacking,  people also have to be wary of scammers who directly get in touch with their target victims through social media or mobile phones.  According to Globe, there are those who pose as company personnel offering products, services, or assistance but with the intention to defraud consumers.  Globe said it will never ask for passwords or OTPs and customers should never disclose this to anyone.

 

“The strongest of passwords are only as secure as the person that keeps it. Almost all account takeover, based on our experience, happens due to social engineering. So always be vigilant,” said Bonifacio.

 

For mobile-based scams, Globe encourages its customers to report mobile numbers responsible for these types of messages to https://www.globe.com.ph/stop-spam.html#gref.

 

While doing its best to protect the data of its customers, Globe stressed that the conscious involvement of the public is also important. Through its Digital Thumbprint Program and #MakeItSafePH campaign, Globe continues to promote proper online behavior and responsible internet usage among consumers to keep them safe from numerous threats present on the internet. To learn more about Globe Telecom, visit www.globe.com.ph 

Online Grocery Delivery Shopping Made Easy with Transportify App

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, July 2020 -- Transportify has announced the launch of its innovative online grocery delivery shopping service. You can use their popular mobile app to create your shopping list and book a personal shopper who is already near your selected store and will buy your items then deliver them to your doorstep immediately. This is a creative and refreshing alternative to traditional grocery shopping.

KEY BENEFITS OF OUR SHOPPING SERVICE

●      Choose any store that accepts Gcash as payment, almost all major chains accept Gcash.

●      Create a shopping list of any items you want. Personal shoppers use cars, therefore, your items will surely fit and be protected from outside elements such as rain and pollution.

●      Order and delivery from 7am to 7pm daily, including weekends and holidays.

●      Pay actual cost plus our affordable service fee - we never markup prices.

●      Stay in touch with your shopper at all times with live chat or calls from our app.

●      Track your personal shopper’s progress in the app as he marks items as available and already in the shopping cart.

●      Personal shoppers wear face masks and are well-trained for proper hygiene.

●      Deliveries are contactless and safe.

Price transparency is key. Customers pay only the actual price of items from the store plus a service fee for the shopping and delivery. The Transportify app will clearly display the service fee before you confirm your booking. Upon completion of your shopping booking, the app will display the price per item and a picture of the printed receipt from the store, all inputted into the app by your personal shopper.

 

“Our new and flexible take on online grocery delivery will delight customers who want to be able to tell a personal shopper exactly what to buy and where to buy it. Transportify’s shoppers already cover a large area and are available to shop in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, and Pampanga. From a more human perspective, this service also provides work to many personal shoppers who are trying to make money in this tough economic environment. The need on both sides was a key driver for our team to launch this product,” says Paulo Bengson, Transportify’s Country Director in the Philippines.

 

HOW TO START SHOPPING

Using Transportify’s online grocery delivery shopping service is easy. Just follow these easy steps:

●      Download our app from Google Play or Apple Apps Store

●      Select shopping

●      Pick any store in Google Maps that accept GCash

●      Deposit to your shopping fund

●      Create your shopping list

●      Wait 2 minutes for us to assign a personal shopper who is near your selected store

●      Once shopper arrives at the store, your shopping begins immediately

●      Your things are delivered directly to your doorstep

LEARN MORE

Learn more about Transportify’s innovative alternative to online grocery shopping at this link.

 https://www.transportify.com.ph/shopping-service/ Frequently Asked Questions:

How does Transportify’s online grocery shopping service work?

It’s simple and takes just a few minutes. Download our popular mobile app. Fund your account, select shopping services, create your shopping list, and confirm your order. Within 2 minutes, we assign a personal shopper to you who is near your preferred grocery store, pharmacy, or convenience store. Your shopper goes directly to there, does your shopping, and then delivers to you. You can maintain contact with your shopper the entire time using our live chat or calling feature in the app. You’ll receive a full receipt for everything and if you have any funds remaining, this can be easily refunded. We never charge markups on any items.

How does Transportify's grocery delivery differ from others?

Transportify doesn’t partner with a few online supermarkets because this limits your selection and freedom. Instead, we allow our customers to shop at any store they want as long as they accept Gcash. To do this, we provide you with a personal shopper who will go to any store, buy any items, and deliver them directly to your doorstep. You will pay our affordable service fee plus the actual cost of items. We never markup prices and a full receipt from the store will be uploaded for you to view and included along with your delivery.