Local Organization for IT assessment 1

Smart Communications, Inc. (SMART) [size=18]is the Philippines' leading wireless services provider millions of subscribers on its GSM network.

A wholly owned subsidiary of the country’s dominant telecommunications carrier, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company (PLDT). SMART operates a nationwide cellular network, a fixed wireless broadband service and a satellite phone service. It has the most extensive and modern digital communications GSM network and infrastructure in the country, covering over 99 percent of the population.

As its widely known brands, Talk n Text, Smart Buddy, Smart Gold, an also introduced world-first wireless data services, including mobile commerce services such as offers a wireless broadband service, known as Smart bro.

As the leading wireless services provider, SMART dedicates itself to achieve their mission to be the true measure and standard of leadership in everything they do and envisions a world of people truly connected and enabled to realize their limitless possibilities.

Through applying rapid, relentless, and relevant innovation in making the technology fit the needs of their subscribers.

Such services are as follow:

GSM - SMART operates the most extensive and modern GSM network and infrastructure in the country.

3G - From video calling to high-speed Internet access and social networking, SMART offer the nationwidest 3G coverage. 3G literally means “3rd Generation.” It is a generic term for the next generation of mobile phone communications systems.

Mobile Commerce - SMART m-com technology is opening the gateway to a whole new world of wireless financial transactions. From banking to payments, from top-up loads to remittances – are just some examples of innovative mobile commerce applications that can be done through the mobile phone.

Fixed WBA - Connecting to the World Wide Web with fixed wireless broadband technology and also Connect to the Internet without phone lines with SMART's fixed wireless broadband technology. Also known as "wireless cable", "broadband wireless local loop" or "wireless DSL", fixed wireless broadband provides high performance Internet service for residential, business and enterprise users. Not to be mistaken for WiFi 802.11 and mobile systems, fixed wireless broadband offers widespread availability and flexibility even in areas underserved by conventional telco services.

Mobile satellite - SMART mobile satellite service uses the ACeS technology which covers the entire Asia-Pacific region. Mobile satellite service (MSS), also known as global mobile personal communications by satellite (GMPCS), is a powerful communications transmission service that uses satellites.Utilizing portable terminals, MSS includes land mobile, maritime mobile and aeronautical mobile satellite services. It also provides a variety of voice, data, fax and messaging services anywhere on the globe.

SMART Communications, Inc. (“SMART” or the “Company”) is dedicated to doing business in accordance with the highest standards of ethics. The Company, its directors, officers and employees endeavor to promote a culture of good corporate governance by observing and maintaining its core business principles of accountability, integrity, fairness and transparency in their relationships among themselves and with the Company’s customers, suppliers, competitors, business partners, regulators and the public.

Here are some of the best IT/IS practices of Smart Telecom:

1. Provide customer support - SMART has build a Business Solutions Team to facilitate their valued customer with the following channels:

a. Relationship Manager - A dedicated Relationship Manager (RM) will be assigned to handle all sales and after-sales concerns. These include inquiries regarding the line subscription, defects and repairs, or any changes related to the corporate subscription.

b. The Corporate Business Group Communal Email - an email address with dedicated CBG personnel, ready and willing to answer any query regarding your SMART Gold Corporate subscriptions. There will be a ready notification of receipt of your query 15 minutes from sending your message. Email us at cbg.smart.com.ph

c. Business Hotline - A corporate hotline number 848-8889 or press #888 to Smart cellphone (toll-free) is available for all corporate subscribers.

d. Bill Delivery - To ensure on-time receipt of your bills, personal delivery will be arranged to facilitate ease in distribution and settlement of your bills.

2. Open for more effective IT changes in sytem and infrastructure - SMART operates the Philippines’ most extensive and modern GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) network and infrastructure in the country, covering over 99% of the population. SMART, we’re upped the ante by taking the lead in developing new wireless applications. SMART uses UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Systems) an specific 3G system chosen as the path of the worldwide GSM community for 3G evolution. It is based on a GSM network enhanced with W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiplex Access). Aside from enhancing the existing GSM network, 3G supports the effective transmission of multimedia service. With 3G, many enjoy video calling, high-speed video streaming and mobile Internet six times faster than the current GSM/ GPRS networks.SMART started its preparations for a seamless transition to 3G as early as late 2000. On February 14, 2006, SMART launched its 3G service on a free trial basis, making the company the first telco in the Philippines to offer 3G services to the public. The service is an exciting addition to SMART’s offerings.

3. Provides Employee’s Personal and Professional Development –

a. Wellness Programs – a series of year-long programs to assist SMART employees in their quest to achieve physical and mental well-being. These programs include activities and learning sessions on career, physical and spiritual health, and personal relationships.

b. Learning and Development – SMART enable employees to maximize their potentials through training and on-the-job coaching. They also have individual career development plans for consistently performing employees. They develop homegrown talents to be the next Smart Leaders.

4. Service functionality and effectiveness – Smart Link utilizes the technology of Asia Cellullar Technology (ACeS) which covers the entire Pacific region with three gateways in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines. ACeS satellite has a footprint covering 11 million square miles in the Asia-Pacific region. SMART now offers its satellite phone services in more than 10 countries. The ACeS system is comprised of a geosynchronous satellite, a Satellite Control Facility, a network Control Center, gateways that interconnect with terrestrial telecommunications network worldwide and the end-user terminal.The ACeS system is owned by ACeS International Ltd., a consortium that includes Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company through its wholly-owned subsidiary ACeS Philippines Cellular Satellite Corporation (APCSC), Pasifik Satelit Nusantara of Indonesia (PSN), Jasmine International of Thaliland, and Lockheed Martin of the USA. In late 2006, ACeS International Ltd. and Inmarsat PLC, a leading global mobile satellite operator, forged a partnership agreement that will make the service truly global with the combined coverage of ACeS Garuda 1 satellite and the Inmarsat series satellites. To be introduced also is the Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) service, the world’s first mobile communications service to provide both voice and broadband data simultaneously through a single, truly portable device on a global basis.

5. Telecommunication –in-sachets – SMARTLoad prices were broken down into smaller denominations P30, P60, P115, P200. The smaller denominations were designed for the klow income Filipino market that already purchases consumer goods in small quantities. SMART realized that most Filipino incomes fall in the lower income brackets, with as much as 51% of the population surviving on US$2.00 per day or less. SMART retailers are predominantly “sari-sari storeowners. SMART has created a network of over 500,000 retailers including sari –sari stores, housewives, students and other roving agents. According to SMART, some retailers earn up to P1000 per day in re-load sales. In December 2003, SMART introduced the PASALOAD initiative which further lowered the denominations of prepaid cellular services into P2, P4, P10, P20, P30.

6. Organization and Leadership - SMART had 18,191 employees as of end of 2003. SMART had 5,441 employees at the end of 2003, and 5,537 as of June 30, 2004. There is considerable crossover among the leadership of PLDT and SMART. Management moves have integrated SMART leadership into the upper levels of PLDT.


7. Business Benefits and Development Impact - SMART’ innovative approach minimizes physical product distribution costs and creates a demanding response stocking system for pre-paid airtime, reducing risk across the firm. Product distribution is now faster, more efficient and as the company claims, more secure . The new distribution structure and pricing scheme benefits retailers as well. Retail distributors have no physical stock to store and manage and no accompanying property theft risks. The SMS distribution interface is reportedly easy to used and can be sold in a personal fashion complementary to sari-sari business practices. The special retailer SIMs have a function allowing retailers to open or close their retail handsets via SMS and allowing retailers to sell outside of a physical location and for shop owners, outside of regular store hours.


References:
http://www.digitaldividend.org/pdf/smart_communications_case.pdf
http://smart.com.ph/corporate/about/company/