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Manila Bulletin devider devider PLDT calls on MSMEs to explore digital opportunities for fueling business recovery

PLDT calls on MSMEs to explore digital opportunities for fueling business recovery

Published Mar 29, 2021 02:00 pm

PLDT called on entrepreneurs and MSMEs to take advantage of opportunities in their digital transformations to help their businesses recover and adapt to the changing consumer behavior that the pandemic has accelerated.

In the virtual Mentor Me Online Series broadcasted by entrepreneurial advocacy group Go Negosyo on their Facebook page, PLDT Enterprise Product Manager Paula Mika Sta. Maria touched on the challenges of the pandemic for the MSME industry and showcased business cases where digital solutions helped entrepreneurs get back up through reliable connectivity and going digital.

“Today more than ever, entrepreneurs have shown their resilience in re-calibrating their businesses to take on even the most unsure situations,” emphasized Sta. Maria.

“PLDT Enterprise has always been one with businesses in fueling their digital transformation. Through the services we deliver, we hope to inspire businesses to look beyond these challenges, and we believe that fiber is the future of the enterprise,” she added.

The pandemic has put a lot of strain on the economic situation in the country, with micro- and small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) taking on the brunt of the impact of the lockdown, with some unfortunately unable to recover at all forcing them to close shop. 

But for those businesses who were quick to pivot and shift their operations to digital solutions, somehow, fared better in coping with the pandemic and even found opportunities of doing business in the “new normal.”

Sta. Maria tackled how a lot of the usual retail businesses have turned on to digital platforms as their new channels for delivering on purchases. Having an online presence has also become a strong avenue to promote their products, engage with customers, and fuel contactless transactions as the new consumer behavior have become even more digital savvy.

“Stores have adapted their business models from traditional physical stores to having a website or joining online marketplace platforms partnered with third party couriers to make it easier for their customers to get their products safely,” she added

“Those in the food service industry – with less foot traffic for dine-in, they focused on online resellers for ready to eat meals or frozen meals so consumers can enjoy their favorite meals from their homes at anytime, while Professional services have shifted to virtual videocalls to continuously serve clients with no physical contact. An example would be how review centers conduct classes via livestreaming.”

Connectivity from PLDT and digital tools have been key for businesses to survive the pandemic including PLDT Enterprise’s BEYOND FIBER offer.

These include a more resilient business-grade fiber connectivity for business owners, and sets them up to harness curated digital solutions – from tools to better collaborate or be more productive online, to applications that increase digital security, leveraging on the PLDT’s Group’s cybersecurity expertise with ePLDT, and while payments have also taken the digital route, be able to process credit card and online payments through apps like PayMaya.

Through BEYOND FIBER, businesses are provided with a premium Cisco Meraki router to better optimize the bandwidth allocation of their wi-fi where connected office users focus on being productive, while safely sharing some bandwidth to guest users like those that will use a QR for contact tracing.

BEYOND FIBER is introduced at an affordable price point and made more reliable for business – with a boosted minimum speed of 90% of the subscribed speed at 90% reliability to support the digital transformation of businesses of all sizes.

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