Philippine telco provider PLDT teamed up with Nokia to develop enterprise-specific Internet of Things (IoT) services for its customers across the country. Their objective is to transform the way IoT applications are managed and deployed–the first of its kind, in the so-called “social media capital of the world.”
The Smart IoT platform, according to PLDT, will be fully ready within the year. In addition, the platform would allow businesses to have full real-time visibility and control to thousands of connected devices.
The PLDT-Nokia partnership can potentially build IoT-enabled industries by providing relevant business solutions, such as e-wallets, GPS systems, and data gathering, for more efficient management of interconnected devices at scale.
“We put this vision forward with the Philippines’ first localized IoT offer and we believe that this will ultimately pave the way for the Philippines’ transformation to a nation of smart cities,” ePLDT president Jovy Hernandez said.
The IoT initiative forms part of PLDT’s strategy in building a complete 5G ecosystem. PLDT expects the launch of the platform to further complement its extensive solutions portfolio.
“At PLDT, our vision is to make a positive impact on every single business, especially today as the pandemic continues to challenge the way we normally do things. And we affirm our unbreakable commitment to continue enabling the digital transformation of industries through innovative technologies such as the Internet of Things. But for PLDT-Smart, this is so much more than IoT, as it opens up a lot of possibilities that were previously only a dream,” he said.
Nokia, on the other hand, has been a longtime system and network partner of PLDT. The company earlier expressed optimism on the growth of its business in the country. It looks to capitalize on the country’s 5G transformation through PLDT in the next few years.
“We are excited about the opportunity to work with PLDT and Smart on the whole IoT environment. As a partner, we not only bring just a platform but also the business experience we have around the world, providing technology and business solutions to help drive enterprise growth,” Carlos Reyes, Nokia Philippines head, said.
With over 89 million Filipinos on social media and 154.2 million mobile connections in the country, the Philippines is ready for the next step in digital through IoT. We can only expect to see greater innovation across different verticals as the nation adopts IoT in their day-to-day lives.
