PLDT sees next generation connectivity solutions accelerating the next industrial revolution and powering companies as they embrace digital transformation.  

“5G, SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) and IoT (Internet of Things) can help improve operational efficiency, enhance insights for decision-making, and deliver cost savings. Current IoT sensors can gather data of the entire system in real time, process them at the intelligent cloud backend, and allow instantaneous feedback into the system,” said Melvin Jeffrey Chan, PLDT Vice President and Head of Enterprise Innovations, Business Development, Consulting, and Presales at the recent ‘Policy Forum on the Advancement of Industry 4.0 and Digital Transformation of Industries in the Philippines’ organized by United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).  

The fourth industrial revolution or Industry 4.0 is characterized by computer interconnectivity and smart automation where more advanced sensors and systems allow various machines to access and process data, learn and talk with each other, and make decisions without the need for human intervention.  

“These technologies can enable diverse use cases in smart manufacturing, smart agriculture, smart energy, smart cities and other smart industry applications,” Chan explained.  

PLDT, through its B2B arm PLDT Enterprise and its ICT arm ePLDT, is blazing the trail for innovative Cloud and Data Center solutions for enterprises. ePLDT maintains ten VITRO data centers across the country to fill the IT outsourcing demands of businesses. Once completed, its VITRO Sta. Rosa in Laguna will be the country’s largest and most advanced data center with a total power capacity of 50MW.  

Always on the lookout for the next local innovators whether they are local, regional or global, PLDT Enterprise through its Innovation Laboratory (Innolab) works closely with startup communities, academes, incubators, accelerators, other innovators and technology partners to co-innovate and collaborate.  

Chan’s participation in the forum highlights the PLDT Group’s support to the government’s GoDigital Pilipinas Movement as part of the Digital infrastructure pillar of the Private Sector Advisory Council (PSAC) which seeks to uplift the lives of Filipinos through adoption of digital services. It also underscores the group’s commitment to helping the country achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly SDG 9 on Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure, and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals.