Globe Telecom became one of the high-profile clients of Internet giant Google on Wednesday, Aug. 7, when it announced its shift to Google Apps for its internal communication and collaboration requirements.
Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu formally announced the company’s decision to go Google at a presser in Makati City, claiming the collaboration with the tech giant will provide the company with greater flexibility by enhancing mobility of close to 6,000 Globe employees.
“This collaboration will help build the capability of our people and transform the way we work to deliver superior customer experience,” Cu said.
Ricky Kapur, head of Google Enterprise Asia, said Globe has joined over five million businesses around the world who are now on Google Apps.
Kapur said Google Apps, being a suite of online productivity and collaboration tools that include products like Gmail, Google Drive, Google+ and Google Calendar, is expected to provide in-house communication breakthrough, allowing employees to hold meetings online, share videos or data with ease, as well as chat and meet online.
“We look forward to seeing what the Globe team will do when they have access to these tools,” Kapur said.
Cu said the move is in recognition of market-changing global advances in mobile technology which has been changing the way people communicate and industries conduct business.
Cu added the collaboration with Google will enable the company to future-proof its working environment in step with its massive $790 million network and IT transformation project.
He pointed out, however, that the company’s move to the cloud will not in anyway affect or conflict with the cloud services it offers to its clients.
“We believe in the freedom of choice. We give that to our customers,” he said. Cu said Globe could also become a reseller of Google Apps by becoming Google enterprise partner.
As proof of the effectiveness of the new cloud-based solution, Globes chief information officer Henry Aguda cited a recent user case study among Globe employees which resulted in 62 project sites in only a span of five days coming from departments with no IT background.
Aguda said creating a messaging and collaboration platform would usually take seven to eight weeks. But with Google Apps, it is expected to change the way employees work.
Aguda said with the latest Google solution, Globe will embark on a series of projects that will change messaging and collaboration platforms, develop social media within Globe, and eventually integrate the latter with mainstream social networking sites.
Globe is set to move to its new corporate headquarters this August and Google Apps will support paperless environment envisioned at the new headquarters as employees will be working through an online platform.
Located in Bonifacio Global City, the Globe Tower will be the main hub of company transactions and will brings together close to 4,000 employees presently housed in several business offices situated in different areas in Metro Manila.
