PLDT offers big data service for PH firms

Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) on Wednesday launched its “big data” service to provide corporate clients a platform where they could access complex data, that might help them in their strategies and improve profitability.

The move is part of a “pivot” that PLDT has initiated as it gradually shifts from its traditional business as a telecommunications provider into new business lines, reflected in recent acquisitions of media companies and a stake in Germany’s Rocket Internet.

This segment in business analysis, which PLDT has described as a new engine of growth and opportunity, comes as the Philippines has hit a “critical mass” in terms of information that can be analyzed.

This is partly driven by the popularity of social media and the prevalence of mobile devices like smartphones, according to entrepreneur Winston Damarillo, who recently joined PLDT as chief strategy officer and CEO of the Big Data division.

“This year, there is enough data to process,” Damarillo said. “We expect [big data] to become a growth area of PDLT.”

Ernesto Alberto, PLDT executive vice president and ePLDT president and CEO, said that the segment was valued at about $150 billion globally, and could grow up to $230 billion in five years.