May 5, 2006

Philippine wireless industry ready for the world

The little cell phone in your pocket could be a wallet, an entertainment device, or an instant messenger.

This is what the Philippine telecom companies and content developers showcased in CommunicAsia 2006 at the Singapore Expo this June.

Known as the world's texting capital, the Philippines is a well recognized leader in mobile technology applications. In fact, several Philippine firms are recognized globally for their innovative wireless capabilities: Wolfpac Communications Inc. for its WAMMP product; Smart for its GSM wireless service or the Smart Money; PLDT as best emerging market carrier, and Globe for its GCash or mobile wallet.

Aside from this, a number of Philippine small companies who participated in CommunicAsia have developed tremendous amount of creative and unexpected content.

D3 Systems adds a new feature in mobile texting where users can retrieve wayward messages or edit what they had sent. The feature can be accessed by registering to Yehba.com, while also allowing them to schedule their messages, click an encrypted option, and recall them after sending. Yehba is a consumer platform developed by D3 that runs on GPRS.

Chikka Asia, creator of the popular instant messenger Chikka, customizes creative content for end-users. The company recently hurdled assessments that made it the first mobile applications developer in the world to be certified a CMMI Maturity Level 5 Organization. CMMI Level 5, the highest standard in the industry, is the same standard organizations like NASA and Intel compare their own processes with.

In CommunicAsia, Bubu Internet in Indonesia credited Chikka Asia's messaging applications as one of the factors that led to Bubu's growth as leading content provider in Indonesia.

Load.com.ph, meanwhile, adds a new dimension in the e-commerce space through its over-the-air loading for game cards, internet cards, and prepaid cards. It offers electronic loading and prepaid card distribution across popular consumer platforms like Globe, Smart, PLDT, and Sun. Small entrepreneurs in the prepaid loading business and distributors are some of their clients.

Mannasoft Technology Corporation creates e-Communicate, a one-stop mobile phone solution available in modules featuring services like sending and receiving SMS, broadcast SMS, SMS post office, customized query services and transaction reports.

Trade Assistant Secretary Fe Agoncillo-Reyes said, "There is an obvious growing niche for Philippine content providers who can customize value-added services in mobile phones. The battle is not just in the handsets, it is also in the creative content that can be added to mobile phones, and what can consequently increase subscriber base." Agoncillo-Reyes is executive director of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the export promotions arm of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Philippine companies generated about 6.2 million dollars in sales during CommunicAsia marking yet another milestone in the country's bid as a wireless hub in the Asia Pacific.

The other trend presented In the show are the 3G or third generation mobile network solutions that allows mobile applications such as full motion video, video conferencing, and faster Internet access.

Reports said that the major driver of the so-called 3G phenomenon are network coverage, handset prices and choices, healthy applications and external factors like the major sporting events in the world like the World Cup 2006, Cricket World Cup in West Indies (2007), and Olympics in China (2008).

Since the dominant trend is 3G, Agoncillo-Reyes said, there is a ready market for local companies engaged in optimizing wireless projects. One Commerce International, a company from the Philippines who joined CommunicAsia earned contracts from the 3G trend.

"Our IT and wireless companies are going to be major catalysts in making our presence felt in the global market," said Agoncillo-Reyes.

Other than the exhibit, Philippine companies also networked with New Zealand companies looking for partners in developing creative content. The pre-arranged networking activities were organized by the Philippine Trade and Investment Center in Singapore.

Major players in the Philippine wireless industry will also showcase their capabilities in the forthcoming e-Services Philippines 2007: Global Sourcing Exhibition and Summit (15-16 February 2007), the Philippines' annual platform for the IT and ITES industry. CommunicAsia was also a venue to lure overseas visitors and investors to visit the show and look into what the Philippines can offer in IT.