SUBIC Bay, Philippines – Telecoms giant Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) is aligning its IT outsourcing strategy with the government’s next-wave cities program.

PLDT recently opened its latest innovation lab, or “innolab”, here targeting the freeport’s huge shipping and related businesses.

These innolabs feature best-of-breed technologies targeted to address specific IT requirements.

PLDT First Vice President and Head of Corporate Business Group Nerisse Ramos said local industries are already looking at a “globalized” market for their products and service but they are unaware of the technological practices to enable their goals.

A recent study by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) noted that the telecoms industry will ride the global crisis as broadband services become even more relevant both for businesses and individual users.

Companies are seen to migrate requirements to cost-effective and reliable managed services pitched by telecom firms.

PLDT is looking to make this pitch even to small and medium businesses, which comprise majority of businesses in the country.

“That’s why the outsourcing model works in the Philippines because many of these companies are unable to maximize their IT investments; they spend a lot without realizing these investments,” Ramos said.

Ramos said that one of their targets is to look at other locations with a community of businesses that can use Innolab services.

“We’re following the “Next Wave Cities” project of the government if we’re going to put up Innolabs,” Ramos said.

The Next Wave Cities project is led by the Commission on Information and Communications Technology. It aims to build the necessary public works and telecommunications infrastructure in certain areas in the Philippines to entice potential investors from abroad.