The NOW Group has announced the launch of three new model solutions aimed at protecting critical infrastructure within key industries that are currently vulnerable. These ongoing solutions are designed to address and mitigate the widespread and unchecked security breaches affecting physical and digital infrastructures.
NOW Corp and NOW Telecom are jointly implementing a secure and seamless integration of a digital bank’s value chain that capitalizes on office and remote workforces, a combined human-machine cybersecurity prevention program for a large enterprise, and just recently, a technology upgrade contract from an American BPO that require complete sensor and video surveillance solutions to monitor the movement of data, objects, and people connected to its U.S. command and control headquarters — all using only trusted equipment as defined by the U.S. government.
The “Respond and Replace” program is NOW group’s answer to the urgent call of enterprises and governments belonging to the free world whose offices and factories are located in the Indo-Pacific region, requiring complete end-to-end solutions to confront threats to physical and digital critical infrastructures.
NOW recently launched “TODAY,” an acronym for “Technologies on Demand Assist You,” specifically tasked with managing the Respond and Replace program. A Cyber Threat Assessment is designed to identify and address vulnerabilities in both private and public sector organizations. A set of comprehensive solutions follow this to counteract and protect against cyber threats, given NOW’s strategic alliances with global tech giants such as CISCO, Nokia, Fortinet, Mangata, OneWeb, Celona, and other technology partners in collaboration with the Philippine Military, the Cybercrime Investigation Coordinating Center (CICC), Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA), UnionBank of the Philippines, and other organizations. In November last year, U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris announced that the U.S. government intends to partner with NOW Telecom.
Rene Rosales, President of NOW Telecom, articulates the importance of this initiative: “Deploying untrusted hardware and software including sensors and devices without rigorous vetting can open the door for unauthorized surveillance on both sensitive enterprise data and individuals, effectively turning what should be a protective measure into an unintended self-inflicted breach. With the recent breaches with some of our national government agencies, we must take action immediately.”
This strategic program of NOW brings together global tech and telecom giants aligned with the Trusted Network initiative to work only with trusted vendors in building and maintaining telecommunications and infrastructure, aiming to minimize vulnerabilities that malign 2 actors could exploit. Globally, around 60 nations are part of the Trusted Network initiative, including the U.S., United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and India; around 180 telecom companies including Telstra of Australia, SK Telecom & K.T. of South Korea, Reliance Jio of India, Rakuten and Softbank of Japan, and Telus & Bell of Canada, and global technology partners like CISCO, Nokia, Ericsson, Samsung – all forging a solid alliance committed to securing their data privacy and national security.
NOW’s Respond and Replace program will be an ecosystem of trusted global technology partners. This ecosystem may include cloud-based enterprise endpoint devices, sensors, handheld devices, and video security systems. These partners combine plug-and-play technologies with intelligent, cloud-based architecture to deliver high-quality voice, data, and video surveillance solutions that are user-friendly, efficient, and easy to manage.
Henry Andrews Abes, President & CEO of NOW Corp, emphasizes the significance of the “Respond and Replace” program: “We understand the critical nature of highly sensitive personal information, and this program protects the data integral to the functioning and trust of key industries like finance, healthcare, government services, and utility providers.” Abes added, “Our initiative comes at a time when many critical sectors have untrusted vendors either within their network or their facilities, posing potential threats. The Respond and Replace program addresses this issue head-on.”
NOW welcomes government entities and enterprises to participate in this groundbreaking initiative and urges them to contact NOW immediately. The program kicks off with a Cyber Threat Assessment Program (CTAP). CTAP is a transformative initiative designed by NOW and its trusted partners to help enterprises have an in-depth analysis of their I.T. infrastructure, discover areas of vulnerabilities, and empower them to fortify against these potential malign actors.
In just under a week, the enterprise will receive a detailed report outlining its network’s strengths and pinpointing its weaknesses hassle-free. This assessment comes at no cost to the enterprise. Interested critical enterprises can visit www.todaybynow.com. Critical infrastructures undergoing this program and successfully implementing measures to protect against malign actors join the ranks of global firms adhering to the safety of digital standards.
Companies operating in critical industries that have security infrastructure components from untrusted suppliers in the area of cybersecurity, privacy and monitoring, data centers, and connectivity – can now seamlessly book the “Respond and Replace” program. This streamlined platform ensures that the right solutions and equipment from reputable providers are promptly delivered to fortify their critical infrastructure.
Companies looking to bolster their security infrastructure and protect critical assets by replacing untrusted equipment are encouraged to explore NOW Corporation’s “Respond and Replace” program.
BUDDING third telco operator Now Corp. saw profits ballooning by almost threefolds during the first quarter of the year on the back of lower expenses and a slight increase on its top line.
A disclosure to the local bourse showed the listed multimedia company reported it booked P3.53 million in net income, about 248 percent higher than the P1.01 million it registered the year before.
In the same comparative periods, revenues inched up by 3.4 percent to P33.85 million from P32.73 million, while expenses dropped by a faster 9.04 percent to P28.85 million from P31.72 million.
Kristian A. Pura, who heads the business development and strategy division of the listed company, said the “main reason” behind Now Corp.’s increased profits is the expansion of its Fiber-in-the-Air network. “The priority this year is the expansion of our Fiber-in-the-Air network, as well as complementing IT services such as cloud services, disaster recovery, artificial intelligence and collaboration tools,” he said. Pura noted his group already identified its target market and is set to “achieve the financial metrics” the company has set.
“To date, we have activated more than 150 locations and we continue to expand in the deeper parts of Metro Manila,” he said.
Now Corp. is one of several companies competing for the third Philippine telco spot.
UPDATED 3:30 p.m. / 23 February 2018Now Telecom Co. Inc., formerly Infocom Communications Network Inc., has secured an extension of its congressional franchise to build and operate a telecommunications network until 2043.President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act 10972 on February 22, which renews the franchise of Now Telecom for another 25 years.The law specifically grants Now Telecom “a franchise to construct, establish, operate and maintain mobile radio systems such as radio, paging systems, cellular phone systems, personal communication network, and trunked radio systems within and without the Philippines.”Now Telecom, which is about 19 percent owned by publicly-traded Now Corp., is among those vying to become the country’s third telco firm, which the Duterte administration hopes will soon break the PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom duopoly.The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) has set the tentative bid deadline for the country’s third telecommunications player on May 18, 2018.Now Corp. CEO Mel Velarde, who shared the news in a social media post, said Now Telecom had secured a “tri-mega franchise”.Based on its franchise, Now Telecom would be able to build, operate, and maintain mobile radio systems, such as radio paging systems, cellular phone systems, personal communications networks, and trunked radio systems.The scope covers all electronic communications services in the Philippines, and between the country and other territories “including outer space as public interest may warrant.”Kristian Pura, Now’s head of business development, said the company’s franchise is similar to those of the country’s largest telco providers, which means that it can compete with the services they offer.A company or consortium needs to have a telco franchise to be able to qualify as a potential contender in the upcoming third telco player bid. The franchise should be valid at least until December 31, 2023.It should also have a net worth of at least P10 billion; must be 60 percent Filipino-owned; and should have no liabilities with the National Telecommunications Commission, based on the draft terms of reference issued by the DICT.Moreover, the company should not be a related party to any group with at least 40 percent market share in the “mobile and broadband wireless” segments. So far, that definition covers PLDT and Globe.Now Telecom’s franchise includes a provision for mobile number portability. This is in line with moves by Congress to allow subscribers to keep their mobile numbers for life even if they change their telco providers. The Senate recently approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1636 or the Lifetime Cellphone Number Act. /kga
Velarde family-led NOW Corp. surged to a new historic high with the value of trades breaching the P1 billion mark for the second consecutive day.NOW skyrocketed to P15.30 each share Wednesday, up 49.12 percent as investors seemed enthusiastic about the company’s potential to become the country’s third telco player. The stock jumped to as much as P15.38 per share, making it the second biggest gainer for the day.A total of 142.72 million shares valued at P1.94 billion changed hands.NOW officially announced last month its intention to vie for the third telco slot being offered by the government in a bid to shake up the PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. duopoly.The company is in talks with both local and foreign groups for a possible partnership to bolster its bid.Under the guidelines drafted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology, the applicant with the highest committed investment for the first five years will be selected and this commitment should be secured with a performance bond.Candidates must have at least P400 billion to P500 billion over a period of five years to compete with the industry giants.Source: http://bilyonaryo.com.ph/2018/02/14/smart-globe-duopoly-killer-now-hits-new-high-heavy-buying-2-straight-days/
The local stock barometer rose to a new high on Monday on selective buying of large-cap stocks after last Friday’s breakout into the 9,000 territory.
Tracking mostly firmer regional markets, the Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) reversed early losses and ended 17.42 points or 0.19 percent higher to close at a new high of 9,058.62. A new intra-day peak of 9,078.37 was also hit.
Following Friday’s breakout from the 9,000 barrier, Papa Securities said in a research note that the next barrier would be at 9,160 while 9,200 would be the next psychological resistance.
“Looking forward, we note that the index is entering overbought territory once again in terms of RSI (relative strength index) —although trading at overbought levels is not an uncommon occurrence for breakouts,” Papa Securities said.
On Monday, the PSEi was perked up by the services counter, which added 2.33 percent, while the financial, holding firm and mining/oil counters also firmed up.
On the other hand, the industrial and property counters slipped.
Total value turnover for the day amounted to P8.87 billion. Foreign investors were net sellers although at a modest level of P86 million.
Despite the PSE’s gain, market breadth was negative. There were 116 decliners that outnumbered 95 advancers while 55 stocks were unchanged.
The PSEi was led higher by telecom stocks PLDT and Globe, which respectively surged by 6.52 percent and 8.76 percent.
Investors also picked up shares of Ayala Corp., which gained 4.13 percent, while SM Prime and BPI both added over 1 percent.
Shares of Megaworld and Security Bank also firmed up.
Outside of the PSEi, notable gainers included Now Corp., which surged by 10.73 percent. Now is among those aspiring to be the third telco player in the country.
On the other hand, ALI, AGI and Jollibee all slipped by over 2 percent while Metrobank and SM Investments lost over 1 percent.
Listed technology firm Now Corp. is in talks with local companies on forming a consortium in response to the government’s call for a third telecommunications player.Details of the partnership are now being finalized, but Now declined to name the other companies.“Definitely, we will participate … several groups have contacted us to form a consortium,” Now Corp. business development head Kristian Pura told reporters on the sidelines of the preliminary conference and consultation on selecting a third telco Wednesday in Quezon City.“The consortium will require a foreign partner, kasi hindi naman kaya ng domestic players,” he said.“That’s the requirement for us to have a foreign partner … So, Philippine consortium to partner with foreign player in order for us to participate, but we will wait for the TOR (terms of reference),” Pura noted.The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) is coming up with the final terms of reference on February 19.DICT officer-in-charge Eliseo Rio said Philippine Telegraph & Telephone and Converge ICT Solutions Inc. have conveyed their intention to form their own respective groups.PT&T earlier said it was in talks with a South Korean telco and was working on a separate partnership with China Telecom, the Chinese government’s choice to enter the Philippines as the third telco player and compete with PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc.Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is also interested to make a bid for frequencies from the National Telecommunications Commission.As of 3:12 p.m., shares of Now Corp. has been trading at P5.26 apiece, up 13.61 percent from P4.63 Tuesday. —VDS, GMA NewsSource: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/640908/now-corp-in-talks-with-local-telcos-on-forming-a-consortium/story/http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/money/companies/640908/now-corp-in-talks-with-local-telcos-on-forming-a-consortium/story/
MANILA, Philippines — Shares of telecommunication companies PLDT Inc. and Globe Telecom have been negatively affected by speculations of a third telco player coming in, while share prices of companies that may possibly benefit from the entry of the much-awaited third player have been on the rise.
Shares of Now Telecom, for instance, rallied by 1.81 percent at the close of the 2017 to finish at P2.82 per share from just P2.2 per share last Oct. 25.
Now Telecom of Mel Velarde has expressed interest in joining the government’s planned auction of surrender and recalled spectrum frequencies, the National Telecommunications Commission earlier said.
EasyCall Communications Philippines likewise saw its share price rise by 5.71 percent at the end of 2017 to end at P18.50 per share. Last Sept. 25, this was just at P3.25 per share.
Traders attributed the increase in the share prices of these two companies to the possible partnership with Chinese or foreign telco players that are interested in entering the Philippines following President Duterte’s call for the entry of a third telco player.
Share prices of PLDT, chaired by tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan and Globe Telecom, on the other hand, have seen significant declines.
PLDT closed the year at P1,480, flat and significantly lower than June 15, 2017’s level of P1,900 per share.
Globe, meanwhile, closed 2017 at P1,900, lower than the P2,228 closing price last June 7.
Aside from Chinese telecom players, four other companies from Japan, South Korea, US, and Australia are interested to partner with local firms and become a third telco player in the country, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) said.
DICT officer-in-charge Eliseo Rio Jr. said in a recent briefing Telstra Corp. Ltd. of Australia is interested in entering the Philippine telco market.
President Duterte has invited Chinese telco companies to invest in the telco industry to break the duopoly and provide more options for consumers.
The DICT and the NTC are planning to conduct the bidding for the available frequencies within the first three months of 2018.
