Smart Communications Inc. (SMART), the country’s leading wireless services provider, now offers a new postpaid plan which lets Smart Bro subscribers enjoy unlimited, high-speed broadband access at the flat rate of only P1,500 per month.

Offered by SMART-subsidiary Smart Broadband, Inc. (SBI), Smart Bro provides wireless, high-speed Internet access by connecting to SMART’s nationwide mobile broadband coverage.

The new Smart Bro Plan 1500 comes with Smart Bro’s Plug-It, a USB stick-type modem - which can be used right out of the box after a quick and easy installation — making the service extremely portable and user-friendly, and gives broadband speeds of up to 2 mbps.

The new plan also comes with unlimited Wi-Fi access at all Airborne Access hotspots all over the country. Airborne Access is the country’s largest Wi-Fi hotspot operator, and is a subsidiary of PLDT, SMART’s parent company.

“This new plan increases the broadband options available to our subscribers and gives them the freedom and flexibility to access and benefit from the Internet as long as they want, from wherever they are in the country,” said Ava Española, product manager of Smart Bro.

SMART’s expanded and upgraded network coverage offers High-speed Packet Access (HSPA), which is the faster version of the original 3G technology. The entire Metro Manila area, as well as all major towns and municipalities from Ilocos Norte to Davao del Sur, are now covered with HSPA - or high-speed broadband experience on a mobile device, such as a mobile phone or a Smart Bro USB modem.

Applying for a Smart Bro Plan 1500 subscription is quick and easy. Interested individuals just need to fill out an application form, and present a valid proof of identification, a proof of address, and a financial document such as one’s latest income tax return, current bank statement, or a bank certification letter, at any SMART Wireless Center nationwide.

Initial cash-out for the 24-month subscription is only P1,500, which serves as the first monthly subscription fee (MSF).

“As we innovate and offer more and more services under our mobile broadband portfolio, we hope to advance SMART’s vision of ‘Internet for All’, or to bring the benefits of broadband Internet to grassroots level,” said Española.

SMART now has over 3,300 wireless broadband-enabled base stations providing high-speed Internet access to over 949 cities and municipalities nationwide. Smart Bro is an important component of the PLDT group’s strategy to be at the forefront of “broadbanding” the country.

Guido R. Zaballero, Smart department head for red mobile; Danilo Mojica, Smart Wireless Consumer Division head; and Orlando Vea, Smart chief advisor firing up the ceremonial button to signal the launch of the enhanced and expanded services of red mobile.

red mobile, the newest prepaid network in the country, recently unveiled its expanded service offerings, which are now available on the 2G network. For as low as P30.00, subscribers will enojoy the country’s lowest call rate of P0.50 per minute, for all red-to-red voice and videocalls.

“This newest service offering of red mobile is part of our effort to provide the consumer with enhanced services to address their varying communication needs,” said Orlando B. Vea, Smart chief wireless advisor. “By making our service now available on 2G, and by utilizing the nationwidest network of the country’s leading wireless provider, we are making the value-for-money services more accessible to the increasingly mobile Filipino,” Vea added.

In April 2009, Smart purchased Connectivity Unlimited Resources Enterprise Inc. (CURE) in a bid to expand its 3G service. The move complements Smart’s 3G service expansion and enhancements efforts, which include the rollout of higher speed wireless broadband services.

“By combining red mobile’s revolutionary call rates and services with Smart’s telecommunication infrastructure and technology, subscribers may be assured of the same network coverage, same call quality and same load distribution channel comprised of over a million load retailers nationwide,” said Danilo J. Mojica, Smart wireless consumer division head.

“This move to make the country’s lowest call rate available to a wider consumer base via the 2G network is our response to the clamor for more affordable call package,” said Guido R. Zaballero, Smart department head for red mobile. “We are confident that red mobile’s enhanced and expanded services will provide the consumer with an ideal combination of product value and quality service,” he concluded.

The newest offering of red mobile, which now only needs a top-up of P30.00 worth of load, no longer requires registration to avail of the P0.50 red-to-ed call rate. The P30.00 load offering is valid for both 2G and 3G calls. This newest service offering also coincides with the latest tri-media advertising campaign of red mobile, which kicks off on July 3, 2009.

red mobile’s offer is consummable to the last centavo, giving the subscriber the flexibility to make a phone call or send an SMS message - red-to-red or even to another network. For more information log on to www.redmobile.com.

Philippines’s leading operator SMART Communications and HTC Corporation, a global leader in mobile phone innovation and design, today unveiled the first Android-powered mobile phone the HTC Magic to Philippines’s market. A tablet-style device, with a sleek design and unprecedented compactness for a smartphone featuring the Android platform, the HTC Magic enables a superior mobile internet experience.

Further enhanced with Outlook synchronization, Smart Dialer, and an onscreen keyboard with predictive text, the HTC Magic is a true entertainment and communication powerhouse.

Providing broad flexibility for personalization

The HTC Magic has a 3.2-inch HVGA touch screen display and features a trackball for easy access, a 3.2megapixel camera and GPS. It provides full fidelity PC browsing experience, where users can expand and personalize their phone to fit their lifestyle.

“The HTC Magic embodies the compact style and sophistication for which HTC has come to be known, with the powerful and intuitive internet experience for which the Android platform was designed,” says Peter Chou, president and CEO, HTC Corporation.

“To truly maximize the power of advanced, all-in-one devices, they need to be powered by innovative operator technologies - offering the HTC Magic through SMART Gold is a natural fit,” said Annie P. Naval, marketing group head of SMART.

Superior support and unbeatable mobile internet experience

HTC Magic features a trackball with zoom in/out function. It also provides fit the width rendering, and auto screen rotation for easy navigation and internet browsing.

Simply Better

HTC Magic is now enhanced with cool HTC goodies like Smart Dialer and a versatile on-screen keyboard. Smart Dialer lets you call people in whatever way you think, by either dialing their phone number or by dialing the first few letters of their name. The versatile keyboard lets you choose your favorite way to type and the predictive text completion helps you write faster than you can finish your thoughts.

Choose Your Connections

Take your inbox or inboxes with you wherever you go. HTC Magic makes it worry-free with easy account set up, multiple mailbox support and Microsoft Exchange server synchronization for email, calendar and contacts. Simply put, with HTC Magic, you can always keep your personal and office emails flowing.

Pricing & Availability

The HTC Magic will be available for New Connect and Retention subscriptions through Smart Gold Plans 500, 800, 1200, 1800, 2500, 3500.  The postpaid line will be under a 24 month lock in period.  Standard retail HTC Magic package will come with a 2GB microSD card.

Smart Communications Inc., the country’s leading wireless services provider, became the first Philippine customer to receive SAP certification as a Customer Center of Expertise (Customer COE) for SAP Solutions.  SMART’s certification followed a successful completion of SAP’s skills auditing process in December 2008.  This is a significant milestone for SMART and affirms their ERP systems standards organization-wide.  SMART’s certification also means that the Philippines can be included in the list of countries with an SAP-certified Customer COE.

“Given that SMART is a very dynamic organization, having an IT system which can adapt to the changing needs of the various business units is a must.  The system and solutions must also be simple and easy to use by our employees.  As a Certified Customer COE, the company’s IT Group has instilled the discipline and has grown in maturity as a result of using SAP solutions in its operations.  The team has honed its skill to evolve the SAP solution, making it continuously relevant to the business environment, while maintaining the stability of the systems used in daily operations,” said SMART chief wireless advisor Orlando B. Vea.

SMART COE team, called the IT Corporate Systems Department, spearheaded the integration of various stand-alone systems within the company, and delivered enabling solutions. The team handles ERP-related implementation, maintenance and continuous improvements in support of business requirements.

SMART chief information officer and IT Group head Wilma Cruz said “With SAP, the database of ERP-related transactions has been centralized, simplifying the solution landscape not only for SMART, but also for the PLDT (Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.) Group.”  For instance, the Finance teams of the PLDT Group are now utilizing the SAP business consolidation system quite extensively to support the continuing expansion of the Group, as well as the need for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance.  Furthermore, the Human Resource Management and Development, Logistics, Purchasing and Properties Facilities Equipment departments are benefiting from the system. Aside from SMART, parent company PLDT, ePLDT, Inc. and other subsidiaries also use SAP.

A Customer Center of Expertise can serve as the single source of truth – and hub - for functional collaboration between the business and IT units, and between the organization and SAP, with SAP Solution Manager providing the necessary infrastructure. “The Customer COE can help increase the transparency of business processes, and limit downtime to boost system and process availability,” said Jennifer Ligones, Country Manager, SAP Philippines.

In order to achieve primary certification under the Customer COE, there were five key areas that were reviewed, namely contract management, support desk, information management, coordination of innovation requests and service planning. “Customers should really leverage the Customer Center of Expertise as this ensures business continuity, innovation and protection of investment, business process improvement, and the reduction of total cost of operations,” said Juergen Reinhardt, Vice President of SAP Active Global Support in South East Asia.

“SAP is truly proud to count SMART as the first Customer COE certified customer in the Philippines.  This is a milestone for both SAP and SMART because it affirms our commitment in pursuing excellence in the implementation and ongoing use of SAP. We hope more companies follow this lead moving forward,” Ligones added.