Rosary Grace Sarmiento

Information technology-enabled services may well save the Philippines from floundering ala Argentina as call centres and business process outsourcing (BPO) operations continue to generate employment and keep the local job market humming.

In the first quarter of 2004, the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) will start operating its third call centre facility. But unlike its other customer care sites, this facility will serve customers in yet another continent

Revenues generated from public wireless local area network (WLAN) services in the Philippines are expected to reach US$1,000 per hotspot by 2003, according to the latest figures released by market research firm IDC.

Spending for telecommunication products and services in the Philippines is expected to reach US$2.5 billion by the end of 2003, a 12 per cent rise from the US$2.3 billion registered in 2002, according to IT research and consulting firm IDC Philippines.

Although there is a huge potential for strategic IT outsourcing in this country, it may take some time before this potential is fully harnessed by local companies.

Amid the clamor for a more responsive and effective police force, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced its adoption of a high-tech approach to crime fighting that integrates information and communication technologies (ICT) in its crime fighting strategy.

The National Computer Center (NCC) is all set for the pilot implementation of its eLGU (electronic local government units) project this July, with the municipality of Taguig chosen as the site of the project's initial roll-out.

High-tech firms based in the Philippines can now seamlessly and directly transact with their suppliers and buyers around the globe through the Internet using a common e-business lingua franca being offered by the RosettaNet Philippines consortium.