Internet Connectivity and the SME Market
Jerahmeel A. Azurin, Marketing Head, PLDT SME Nation

He starts by saying that there are currently 700,000 PLDT myDSL subscribers nationwide. And it’s PLDT’s 80th anniversary. (Happy Anniversary!) :) He introduces PLDT SME Nation, which caters specifically to the needs and requirements of the SME Market.

Turns out, 99.6% of all registered firms nationwide are SMEs (Small to Medium Enterprises), which employ 70% of the labor force. SME is the backbone of the economy.

Surprisingly, of the 1M SMEs nationwide, only 23% have computers, only 11.5% uses the internet, only 4% has broadband subcriptions, and the rest are yet to go online. The mentality right now is that business owners think of the internet only as something “nice to have” and not as a business enabler. Businesses may miss out or may not focus on the internet’s benefits. The challenge is to have the SME market to get connected, be online, and establish an e-presence.

Commercial break: WeRoam and SmartBro are the same, just a change of brand. Pfft, thanks for that info. Hehe.

He talks about some of the products / promos / services that PLDT/Smart provides to the business market such as mobile broadband and shops.work (wifi hotspots). One interesting innovation he mentions is the real-time asset monitoring and protection wherein one can track one’s deliveries or shipments through GPS, also pro-SME.

He concludes that in being internet connected, SME should build a tech culture, educate their employees, and choose a partner with the broadest range of solutions — yes, and he means PLDT/Smart, thankyouverymuch :)

While the talk mostly markets PLDT/Smart products, it is the SME market’s unawareness of the online opportunities that await them that’s the most striking part. Nope, we’re not there yet. Internet marketing in the Philippines is STILL a mine waiting to explode.