Ramping up their cloud initiatives to the next level, the Philippines’ leading integrated telco network PLDT Inc. (PLDT) and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) have established the Cloud Center of Excellence (CCOE), paving the way for a stronger, more customer-focused, future-proof, and cloud-confident workforce.  
 
“Our multi-year cloud journey has helped propel the PLDT group to its leadership position. Now, we are raising the level of our commitment to our cloud initiatives, to prepare the company and the workforce for future growth. Establishing the CCOE is a vital element in this broad roadmap. PLDT and Smart’s cloud initiatives go beyond the enterprise infrastructure perspective, as they also involve utilizing cloud as a platform by maximizing the advanced features that are available in the cloud – boosting workforce agility, raising operational excellence, and enabling the organization to roll out innovative products and services faster and more efficiently,” said Robin R. Ramos, FVP and Information Technology officer-in-charge at PLDT and Smart.
 
“This new journey also means solidifying our commitment to elevate customer experience, as the cloud can further strengthen our stability and efficiency with less disruption to our services. Strategically investing in cloud also allows us to become more responsive to market forces and enhances our competitiveness,” said Gilbert O. Gaw, FVP and Transformation Office officer-in-charge at PLDT and Smart. 
 
Anchored on the PLDT Group’s purpose, mission, vision, and values of creating a happy space and using technology to build and empower bridges of collaboration, the CCOE will pave the way for a much higher level of cloud expertise, and a much stronger sense of customer focus among the PLDT and Smart workforce. 
 
This latest initiative is well supported by the group’s ICT subsidiary, ePLDT, which is one of the country’s top providers of secure multi-cloud solutions. It stands ready to provide the necessary cloud infrastructure and capabilities required to drive quicker outcomes and achieve the group’s objectives.  
  
This digital transformation initiative underscores PLDT’s commitment to support the Philippine government's overall digitalization thrust, as well as the country's attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) particularly on SDG No. 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.