Smart enlists Amazon Web Services to power personalized, AI-driven services

Smart Communications Inc., the wireless unit of telecommunications giant PLDT Inc., is teaming up with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate Smart’s ongoing artificial intelligence (AI) transformation.

In a statement on Thursday, March 6, Smart Chief Operating Officer Anastacio “Boy” Martirez said the company entered into a long-term partnership with AWS in line with its vision to be an AI-driven telco.

“Amazon Web Services is not just a leader in the digital space. It is a driving force behind entire economies, ours included,” said Martirez.

“As we enter the age of AI, there could be no better partner to help us navigate this transformation,” he added.

Smart aims to harness AWS’ services to unify its data platform to enable advanced analytics and machine learning (ML) for personalized services.

In particular, Smart is keen on enhancing its customer services through AI-powered applications.

Geeta Chaudhary, managing director of AWS Professional Services, said the company’s partnership with Smart can drive substantial impact in the Philippines, one of the most tech-savvy markets in Southeast Asia.

“Telcos in the region are leading the charge in harnessing the transformative power of data, and Smart is at the forefront of this revolution. We are excited to embark on this journey together,” said Chaudhary.

With its vision towards the future, Smart is currently developing a “Center for Acceleration” to gather all the pertinent information about AI and its latest developments.

Martirez said partnering with AWS will give Smart direct access not only to expertise but also to the full range of its generative AI services.

“We plan to gather all the best minds in AI, and this partnership with AWS is a big step towards that direction,” he said.

Meanwhile, Smart is also set to accelerate its data transformation by transitioning to a cloud-based platform to shorten its time-to-market and improve operational efficiency.

With this, the telco will use the platform of San Francisco-based AI company Databricks Inc.

Databricks Vice President Cecily Ng said their platform is tailored to unlock Smart’s unique data to solve domain-specific business challenges. This data, she said, would further fuel AI transformation.

“Together, we will deliver more value to all of Smart’s customers with real-time insights to meet their business needs,” said Ng.