30 July 2021, Manila – Farm Box, a start-up that encourages individual investment to benefit local farmers, emerged the Hack-it-On grand winner at Globe Business’ virtual hackathon competition, the company’s largest initiative in celebration of the Department of Information and Communications Technology’s (DICT) National ICT Month. Globe Business announced the winners at a virtual awards ceremony together with their partners, the Philippine Software Industry Association (PSIA), the Philippine Computer Society (PCS), and Globe’s innovative developer community Globe Labs.
The Farm Box team, composed of John Lester Mendoza, John Christopher Francisco, Anjenette Lopez and Felix Veroya, proposed an innovative business plan around the incorporation of Globe Labs’ Charging API, SMS API, and Rewards API to increase customer engagement and retention. Their project was judged the most outstanding invention for its ease of use, market viability and social impact.
“This competition has definitely helped us unlock a new level of creativity in coming up with solutions to uplift our local economy through Globe Business’ API Solutions. We are extremely grateful for the opportunity to have worked with key leaders in the IT industry. These innovative solutions will help us engage more people to help our local farmers and growers,” said John Lester Mendoza, Co-Founder and CEO of Farm Box.
With the theme “Hack-It-On. Own the Power of API Innovation,” Globe Business’ month-long event pitted 50 business start-ups from the IT sector in friendly competition. Through the month-long journey, participants confronted key pain points and critical challenges typically faced by our local MSMEs today as they devised groundbreaking solutions that leveraged Globe Labs APIs.
A trusted partner in digital transformation, Globe’s MSME arm held the hackathon competition to recognize the IT and Business Process Management industry as an enabler of micro, small and medium enterprises.
“We recognize the indispensable role that the IT industry plays in driving the competitiveness and continued digital evolution of our local businesses. Through this event, we hope that we have inspired more businesses by demonstrating what can be achieved by leveraging technological solutions to bring their ideas to life and achieve their business objectives,” said Nicola Ebrada, InfoComm Industry Marketing Lead, Globe Business MSME Group.
The virtual event kicked off on June 18 with enablement workshops for participating teams to give them insights and the know-how for their proposed solutions. The teams were given until June 29 to submit their business plan development.
From the 50 teams that participated in the competition, five teams were selected to demonstrate their solutions during the second leg of the competition on July 23: Team Evocodes, Team Sakap, Team Shop Na Dito, and Team Vioxys.
Finalists were selected based on business feasibility, tech viability, social impact and usage of Globe Labs API.
Farm Box, the grand winner in the virtual competition, brought home P200,000 worth of prizes, including a P100,000 cash prize awarded through GCash, tickets to the PSIA Softcon 2021, and 50% discount on the PCS Information Security certification training. As finalists, they also received GMovies vouchers, Globe myBusiness Prepaid Internet Kits, and gift boxes from Globe Business. All the participants received e-certificates of participation.
Relive the exciting Hack-It-On moments by watching the Kick-Off Event and Awards Ceremony on Globe Business’ Facebook page.
To beef up its support to the IT-BPM industry, Globe Business has also launched special offerings for customers who subscribed to Globe Labs API solutions for a minimum contract value. To know more about Globe Business’ enabling offers for local SMEs, visit https://go.mybusinessacademy.ph/ICTMonthOffers.
The economy has seen the rapid adoption of digital technologies among businesses to survive and thrive through the pandemic. Recognizing the need to fill the gap, the Philippine government has undertaken several initiatives to further strengthen the digital capabilities of local SMEs.
“We at the DICT continuously build strong Filipino start-up communities. We want to uplift the technology and business ecosystem of the country and present an opportunity to highlight the best of what the Philippine start-ups and ecosystem has to offer,” shared Emmy Lou Delfin, Director of the ICT Industry Development Bureau of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (DICT).
In support of this year’s National ICT Month, spearheaded by the DICT with the theme “Onwards Through ICT: Building a Stronger Philippine Digital Economy,” Globe Business launched several initiatives aimed at helping micro, small and medium enterprises fast-track digital transformation.
“As a staunch supporter of the ICT sector in the Philippines and the ICT Month, Globe Business believes in creating greater awareness on its valuable contribution to the economy and how digital transformation can fuel its growth,” said Nicola Ebrada, Industry Lead for InfoComm, Globe Business MSME Group.
Check out the Hack-it-on Kick-off event held last June 18 here:
Globe Business’ biggest initiative for the ICT Month is a virtual hackathon competition themed “Hack-It-On. Own the Power of API Innovation,” which puts the spotlight on the Information Technology and Business Process Management (IT-BPM) industry as an enabler of MSMEs.
The hackathon brought together talented individuals in information technology and business start-ups to create cutting-edge digital solutions that will empower businesses to thrive today and accelerate the shift towards a connected tomorrow using Globe Labs API solutions.
Participating teams went through enablement workshops to gain insights and techniques useful for their proposed apps or programs. The team with the most innovative digital solution will be awarded P200,000-worth of prizes from Globe, at the awarding ceremony on July 29.
As part of Globe Business’ ICT Month offerings, customers who subscribe to Globe Labs API solutions for a minimum contract value will be able to choose from the following complimentary gifts: an 8th Generation iPad, up to P50,000 worth of GCash Credits, or Paid Training amounting to P30,000.
With Globe Business, MSMEs have five options of API solutions to choose from:
Meanwhile, to help enterprises operate more efficiently despite current restrictions, Globe Business also launched several special offers to make remote working more productive.
Companies can choose from a range of subscriptions such as myBiz Data Plan 999, a 20GB data plan inclusive of a pocket wifi or a Samsung Galaxy Tab A 8.0; Google Workspace, which includes productivity apps like Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Meet; Cloud Payroll, to automate salary computations, reduce errors, and track employee hours accurately; and many more.
Learn more about the InfoComm ICT month offers and activities at https://go.mybusinessacademy.ph/InfoCommICTMonth.
With the extended lockdown, more businesses realize that going digital is a must to survive and thrive. For entrepreneurs who want to revamp their business but are intimidated by complicated jargon and too many options, Globe myBusiness Academy (GmBA) introduces ‘solu-Shawn’, a go-to digital coach who can guide them on their journey.
Shawn’ is an online guide who can help business owners understand the many technology options open to them, to help them run their operations more smoothly. In his video series “Solutions from Shawn”, he explains different ICT tools and solutions in a simple and straightforward way.
“We want to break the barrier that prevents MSMEs from enhancing their business operations. ‘Solutions from Shawn’ is our way to equip entrepreneurs with the understanding of how they can maximize these tools to support their daily business activities,” said Globe myBusiness Strategy and Marketing Head Maridol Ylanan.
For its debut video, Shawn explains in three minutes the Application Programming Interface (API) solution —or simply put, a software that allows communication between two applications to make businesses run more smoothly.
API’s in fact solve various business day to day operational issues. School administrators who struggle to stay connected with parents, students, and staff or BPO firms that don’t have enough agents to field calls, may find APIs useful in solving various business operational problems. How? Shawn teaches us that APIs will let schools send messages in bulk to families and faculty, and enable BPOs to respond to concerns of multiple customers all at once.
Shawn’s upcoming videos include Cloud Payroll, Cybersecurity, and Cloud Solutions will clearly explain how each solution can be useful across various scenarios in different industries. The video series will be a boon to business owners who want to thrive in an increasingly tech-driven economy.
About Globe myBusiness Academy
Globe myBusiness Academy provides its members access to insights, tips, and exclusive online videos that empower entrepreneurs. It is an online learning site designed to provide business owners and decision makers with easy access to articles and insights from industry experts.
To learn more about Globe myBusiness Academy and ICT Solutions videos from Shawn, visit Solutions from Shawn by Globe myBusiness | Globe myBusiness Academy.
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For professionals in the hospitality and restaurant industries, the pandemic has placed considerable hurdles in the way of keeping business going. COVID-19 safety measures such as physical distancing and travel restrictions have hindered businesses like hotels, resorts, and restaurants from reaching their customers and meeting their needs face-to-face.
Luckily, advancements in technology have helped bridge the gap between businesses and their customers. With everything migrating to digital spaces, hospitality businesses should follow suit in order to recover from any losses, and to find innovative new ways to connect to their clientele.
In our previous article, we discussed the areas of concern that hospitality businesses and restaurants should prioritize in the wake of the “new normal”, and how Globe myBusiness-powered technology might step in to help hotel and restaurant owners. In this article, we’re going to take a closer look at specific products from Globe myBusiness, their features, and find out how they can help hospitality and restaurant businesses recover.
Stay on-brand, even over SMS; M360 helps you better engage your customers by letting you send branded and bulk promo messages with ease, and customize your sender ID so they know it’s a legitimate message from you (and not an annoying scam).
You can use M360 to send automated transaction confirmations, important COVID-19 advisories, special promos, product reminders, and even feedback requests. You can do all this without having to turn your data on – all you need is your Globe number, then you’re ready to create a branded sender name and customized subscriber lists which you can send SMS messages to in real time.
These days, your customers have less chances of trying your product or service… so give them a reason to make the effort, and keep coming back! Create a loyalty program powered by Rush: it’s easy to customize and set up quickly, allowing you to design your own rewards system (including a custom-branded loyalty website and app).
Rush also shows you real-time customer data, so you can gain a deeper insight on how to improve not only your rewards system but also your current products and offers. You also get to save on costs with built-in options for SMS and EDM blasts through Rush Loyalty.
With all hospitals on heightened alert for contagion, your staff deserves a tangible assurance of care. KonsultaMD offers affordable 24/7 access to health assistance for as low as P1 per day, and consultations with licensed doctors that you can call anytime with no appointments necessary. You also get unlimited teleconsultations by using your Globe/TM number.
Providing this for your employees will help keep them feeling secure, consequently increasing their overall productivity at work, while helping protect your customers too.
Add a layer of quality checks to your operations, by meeting stringent SGS Certification standards. SGS, as the world’s leading inspection, verification, testing and certification company, can add value to your business by assuring your hygiene standards remain in compliance with global metrics.
The program includes regular food safety and hygiene audits, environmental monitoring, cleaning and disinfection practices, sampling and testing regime, a dedicated mark of compliance, and an SGS audit certificate referencing achievement of COVID-19 control requirements.
You’ll earn an SGS Certification once you complete the Program successfully. Display the Certification in your business premises, and your customers will be assured of your full compliance to global food safety standards – giving them the confidence to stay and dine.
With services like these and more, Globe myBusiness is ready to help your business bounce back. Purchase any Globe myBusiness product or upgrade your plans with us until June 30, 2021 to receive up to P23,000 worth of discounts on the SGS Hygiene Monitored program.
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Aside from an overall sense of normalcy and stability, there are two other things people crave most amidst the pandemic: travel and leisure. Sitting at a cafe with a friend, doing an in-city staycation with family, or going on an out-of-town adventure with the barkada – all these activities have been hindered by pandemic-led precautions.
Certainly, tourism and leisure hubs like hotels, restaurants, and resorts are feeling the crunch: faced with the challenge of meeting new safety standards and dealing with decreased foot traffic, they’ve nevertheless found ways to survive and even thrive in these times.
Travel platform Agoda.com’s What Matters 2021 survey found that global respondents placed the desire to travel freely as their number two priority (following the need to spend more time with family and loved ones).
The longing to be out and about is real. Business owners can safely satisfy their customers’ needs by putting up evidence-based safety measures, as well as creatively applying relevant hospitality trends like personalization (creating a unique messaging and services that recognize the needs of different individuals), digitalized guest experiences and contactless technology, and automation.
Technology makes it easier than ever to stay up-to-date with these evolving trends. New innovations and increasingly competitive prices have allowed professionals in the hospitality and restaurant industries to deploy digitalization, automation and contactless technology in the service of their customers – without compromising safety in the new normal.
Globe myBusiness is aware of how important technology is especially for the Hospitality and Restaurant Industry. Thus, you may consider the following tech solutions to help you ride on emerging trends, serve your customers better and recover.
Personalization and automation. Regularly communicating with your customers shows them that they are important to you. SMS is still an effective way to reach your customers, but it is crucial that in a sea of impersonal text promotions, yours stand out by adding a personal, branded touch to your message. This way, customers know it’s a legitimate message from your business (and not a scam). Today’s technology allows you to make each SMS message branded and relevant without having to compose each one from scratch – tools like M360 can help you personalize, automate, and brand your SMS blasts with ease.
Digitized guest experience and customer loyalty. The physical constraints set by the pandemic don’t have to hinder you from providing a memorable, loyalty-building customer experience. Keep customers coming back by adding incentives that build loyalty and recall, while keeping customers safe. With digital tools like Rush, for example, you can set up custom-branded promotions quickly and easily.
Operational efficiencies to reassure customers of their safety. The pandemic has also caused customer behavior towards dining out to change. A lot of consumers are still concerned about their safety when leaving the comforts of their homes. Upgrading your safety protocols can give both your employees and your customers added assurance. You can provide health and wellness assistance to your employees through solutions like KonsultaMD, which employees can access round the clock to make sure they report to work fit and healthy.
It is important to keep your customers safe too, so it’s also vital that you are able to evaluate your food safety protocols through services like the SGS Hygiene Monitored Program. Such audit systems are essential for hotels and restaurants whose customers want to be assured of their safety and security.
These are only some of the things that business owners in the hospitality and tourism industry have to keep in line during a pandemic, but you don’t have to face them alone.
Globe myBusiness, as your trusted and reliable digital solutions partner, can help you navigate the new normal by providing tourism businesses with the right technology you need, to keep your business up to date and up to speed as the times change.
Send on-brand messages to your customers with M360. Click here to learn more.
Create an engaging rewards program for your customers with RUSH. Click here to learn more.
Make your staff’s health a top priority with KONSULTAMD. Click here to learn more.
Find out what other tools can help your restaurant with a free digital consultation with our solutions experts. Schedule yours now.
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