052206: PLDT supplies wireless connectivity to Air21

this story was taken from www.inq7money.net

URL: http://money.inq7.net/topstories/view_topstories.php?yyyy=2006&mon=05&dd=22&file=14

 

Posted: 2:32 AM | May 22, 2006

Daxim L. Lucas

Inquirer

 

Published on page B11 of the May 22, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

 

THE COUNTRY'S LARGEST telecommunications firm revealed over the weekend that it had bagged a contract with cargo forwarder Airfreight 2100 Inc. (Air21) to provide its sales team with mobile Internet services.

 

In a statement, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) said it would equip the 59-strong sales force Air21 with facilities for wireless connectivity.

 

Under the deal, PLDT turned over to Air21 59 units of PLDT WeRoam IP VPN (Internet Protocol--Virtual Private Network) bundled with Lenovo ThinkPad laptops.

 

Through PLDT WeRoam, Air21 laptops will be able to connect to the Internet and the Air21 private network wherever there is a cellular phone signal from Smart.

 

"Real-time reporting is now possible," Air21 president Angelito A. Alvarez said in a statement. "Being mobile now doesn't mean being out of touch. We can get things more done even while on the go."

 

He added that he expected significant productivity gains from the company because of the deal.

 

Anticipation was high among the 59 members of the Air21 sales team to use the new system since this was the first time the company has offered this tool to their employees, he said.

 

Air21's sister companies under the Lina Group are now evaluating PLDT WeRoam for their managers and executives as well.

 

PLDT senior vice president Ernesto R. Alberto welcomed the cooperation between the two companies.

 

"Being one of the top logistics solution providers in the country, Air21 can now experience first-hand the benefits of mobility that only the expansive network of PLDT WeRoam provides," he said. "That can be a strategic advantage for them in the long run."

 

Meanwhile, PLDT first vice president Nerissa S. Ramos said many companies were now taking advantage of PLDT WeRoam to improve productivity without sacrificing mobility for their workforce.

 

"We have now transcended the limits of wired Internet or private network access," she said. "It's a new era of mobility for us and our clients."

 

With the plan of the WeRoam service to ride on the expansive network of the third-generation network of the PLDT group--which now covers key areas of the country--Air21 employees will be able to connect to the Internet or private network at higher speeds, she explained.