TECHNOLOGY
Data, digitalization keys to stewarding sustainability in PH
December 11, 2022 9:32 p.m.
Nowadays, businesses and governments have been racing to achieve a sustainable, green, and digital economy and are driven to showcase their sustainability goals transparently.
In the Philippines, for instance, the government further enhanced its efforts to build climate resilience among communities nationwide and address climate change to protect the environment, lives, and property. Last year, the country submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) Secretariat the first nationally determined contribution (NDC), covering its planned reduction and avoidance of greenhouse gasses (GHG) of 75 percent, of which 2.72 percent is unconditional. This commitment covers the period 2020 to 2030 for the sectors of agriculture, waste, industry, transport, and energy.
At the UN’s 27th Conference of the Parties (COP27) in November 2022, the Philippine government also vowed to support host country Egypt in its efforts to revitalize international consensus on the climate crisis. It also reiterated its call for climate justice and financial and technical support of developed countries for climate initiatives, particularly for developing nations.
Becoming stewards of sustainability
Meanwhile, in recent years, a growing number of organizations have been stepping up to help achieve a sustainable future by integrating environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations into their strategic frameworks. In this year’s COP27, for instance, SAP (NYSE: SAP) pledged to support more policy transformation globally and help innovate sustainable businesses by reenergizing emerging economies to achieve a trillion-dollar greener impact and job generation.
A recent report by SAP and Oxford Economics also revealed that 66 percent of businesses in Asia do not think it is difficult to be sustainable and profitable at the same time. However, only eight percent say they receive significant value from their sustainability strategies today.
This reality may have happened due to the disconnect between sustainability plans and actions for many organizations. While 60 percent of businesses have a communicated sustainability plan, only 20 percent have incentivized leaders based on their success. In addition, less than half (44 percent) say their employees are active participants in their sustainability efforts, with the highest in India at 52 percent, followed by Singapore at 51 percent and the lowest in Malaysia at 33 percent.
“Businesses across Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, believe that they can boost their earnings while protecting the environment. This reality is a positive indicator to continue pushing towards sustainability. However, organizations must refocus their strategies to realize the significant value and reap better and actual outcomes,” said Rudy Abrahams, Managing Director of SAP Philippines.
Regulatory compliance: A key sustainability driver and a challenge
In a recent media event held by SAP at its headquarters at the NAC Tower, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig, Abrahams was joined by Apple Evangelista, Head, Sustainability and Social Responsibility (SSR) of the Globe Group, and Henrik Batallones, Marketing and Communications Director of the Supply Chain Management Association of the Philippines (SCMAP), to discuss how organizations have been refocusing their strategies to ensure sustainability.
“In the Philippines, organizations used to consider sustainability as a cost tied to regulatory compliance. But that perspective is changing. Sustainability is now seen as a strategic imperative to ensure that organizations not only provide better service to their customers but also help ensure a sustainable future,” said Batallones.
SCMAP is the premier supply chain industry organization in the country. Composed of the country’s major manufacturers, logistics providers, and retailers, SCMAP moves the industry’s global competitiveness by engaging with stakeholders in the public and private sectors, advancing supply chain education on all levels and organizing events that provide a venue for supply chain professionals to connect.
Abrahams, meanwhile, noted that too much focus on compliance can sometimes hinder achievement of sustainability goals. Citing data from the SAP and Oxford Economics report, he said that organizations in the region consider compliance as the second biggest sustainability challenge (26 percent), only behind reinventing business strategy. This means that organizations in the country may need to refocus their strategies to achieve greater value and benefit from sustainability.
Investing in data, improving sustainability outcomes
Key to improving sustainability outcomes will be the effective use of organizational data to make more informed decisions. For businesses in the Philippines, this remains a challenge as it takes time, especially for organizations like Globe, the Philippines’ top telco and digital solutions platform, which has various entities with different processes and reporting formats.
To address this challenge, Globe has been utilizing SAP solutions with 70 percent of the company’s internal systems now run by SAP. With SAP solutions already in place across its business units globally, the company migrated to SAP S/4HANA to improve fragmented processes, manual workloads, inefficiencies, lack of insights, and delayed decision-making.
Meanwhile, SAP Fiori apps helped enhance the user experience and access to insights. Enhanced visibility enables well-informed decision-making throughout the organization, and automation and fewer reconciliations in finance allow faster financial transaction processing, book closing, and error-free reporting.
Finance functions became integrated and efficient, providing real-time business insights, while IT security was strengthened with improved authorization controls and compliance. By facilitating these improvements, SAP S/4HANA proved to be a catalyst for change for Globe, helping it adapt to changes easily in its business environment.
“For us at Globe, sustainability is putting our purpose in action. By understanding what is material to us as a business and what matters to our stakeholders and our industry, we recognize how data-driven strategies play an integral role in guiding our sustainability practice,” Evangelista said.
Evangelista also emphasized the importance of responsible sustainability reporting, using it as a springboard for goals and target milestones in the coming years.
Abrahams could not agree more. He noted that businesses that are achieving value from sustainability are defined by traits such as setting clear expectations at the strategic level, applying the transformative power of technology and data management, and engaging with important audiences such as employees, supply chain partners and policymakers.
Helping organizations in their sustainability journey
SAP, for instance, has been helping organizations in their sustainability journey enabled by data, from driving transparency for disclosure purposes,incorporating or optimizing their data to make more sustainable business processes and decisions, to scaling sustainable practices across industry business networks and value chains.
In line with its purpose to help the world run better and improve people’s lives, SAP also enables organizations to achieve zero waste, zero emissions, and zero inequality through a broad range of solutions. Since organizations now demand fast, reliable, and compliant standard regulatory reporting, and want to leverage insights for their internal sustainable business transformation, SAP ESG solutions portfolio provides a scalable and integrated reporting platform.
Among its offerings are its most recently updated SAP Sustainability Control Tower (SCT) solution, which can help improve ESG transparency and sustainable business performance. SCT enables companies to record ESG factors with out-of-the-box integration with SAP systems for faster time to value and granular data visibility based on actual data, not averages.
The solution also enables companies to report regulatory compliant ESG metrics covering common frameworks based on an open and extensible solution with the largest ESG ecosystem. And lastly, it allows business leaders to act and plan with actionable insights, forecasts and setting targets, track initiatives, and optimize business processes to make an impact.
Visit the SAP News Center. Follow SAP on Twitter at @SAPNews.
TECHNOLOGY
Go beyond galaxy to witness real Magic on June 8
May 23, 2023, 5:42 p.m.
Launched at the Mobile World Congress 2023 earlier this year, the leading technology brand HONOR Philippines today dropped the release date of HONOR Magic5 Pro in the country.
As the latest iteration of the HONOR Magic Series line-up, the all-new HONOR Magic5 Pro boasts significant breakthroughs in design, display, photography and performance, beating several industry benchmarks to deliver the superb flagship smartphone on the market today.
Continuing the strong legacy of its flagship predecessors, the HONOR Magic5 Pro adopts enhanced hardware with discrete chipsets, and advanced technologies, combining the best software solutions to deliver a superior flagship that is a class apart.
To make a mark of its superb specs, HONOR linked up with the official Guinness World Records to snap a successful attempt at doing the highest between-the-legs slam dunk. Poland’s Piotr Grabowski achieved the feat at a facility in London in January 2023, and HONOR was there with the upcoming HONOR Magic5 Pro flagship to capture it.
Right after its global release, the HONOR Magic5 Pro has seized the #1 position in the DXOMARK Smartphone Display ranking for the first quarter of 2023. It is also highly recognized during MWC 2023, receiving awards from various tech authorities.
HONOR Magic5 Pro will be officially launched on June 8, 2023 and you can catch it live on HONOR Philippines’ Facebook Page (https://fb.me/e/T11UD2VR).
For more updates and announcements, you may visit HONOR’s website www.hihonor.com or social media platforms: Facebook (Facebook.com/HonorPhilippines), Instagram (Instagram.com/honorphilippines/) and TikTok: (Tiktok.com/@honorphilippines). To check out HONOR’s complete list of retail stores, go to https://www.hihonor.com/ph/retailers/.
TECHNOLOGY
Selling your verified digital wallet? Think again
May 19, 2023 9:29 p.m.
THE recent spate of selling and even rental of verified digital wallets in the country should not be taken lightly. It is, in fact, alarming because its owners or account holders risk losing their identities with far-reaching consequences, according to cybersecurity and digital privacy company Kaspersky.
Since 2022, the local media have been reporting various apprehensions by police authorities of individuals allegedly involved in buying and selling of verified digital wallet accounts. Registered SIM accounts with verified digital wallet accounts are currently being bought for P350 each. On social media, the rates even go as low as P150 per account. These are then sold for an average of P600-P800 each.
This kind of transaction is a cybercrime offense under Philippine laws. If proven guilty, both seller and buyer are up for some jail time and penalties from P100,000 to P500,000.
But what’s stored in a digital wallet?
A digital wallet is usually loaded with personal details of its owner such as full name, date of birth, nationality, phone number, email address, and mailing address. Once verified by the digital wallet company as a legitimate account, all financial transactions can be performed within the digital wallet app.
The transaction limit varies but the maximum amount that can be received or sent per account is as high as P500,000, bypassing the use of credit and debit cards that are regulated and normally require security checks.
Mobile digital wallets are a popular alternative financial service among Filipinos. Unfortunately, some digital wallet users think that selling their account isn’t really a big issue. They believe their accounts are not tied to any bank accounts with a lot of funds so there is nothing to extort from them. And getting a new SIM is cheap and easy and verifying their digital wallet accounts is hassle-free.
“We’ve witnessed how the Filipinos embraced the cashless lifestyle during the pandemic, out of necessity. The ease of access and convenience of digital wallets made everyone quite comfortable, with some now selling, renting out or even loaning their verified accounts. By doing so, cybercriminals do not need to put much effort into phishing anymore as Filipinos are practically giving away their personal data for a song, which is really dangerous,” says Yeo Siang Tiong, General Manager for Southeast Asia at Kaspersky.
“As sellers or lenders of their own digital wallet accounts, not only would they get into trouble with the law. Losing their identities is also very likely especially when their data gets into the hands of scammers. With enough information from you, scammers can already set up other financial accounts using your name and use your identity to benefit them. Possible scenarios would be getting harassed by a collection agent for a debt you’ve never owed. It could also mean losing out on job or education opportunities just because your name appeared with an unpleasant digital profile when searched,” adds Yeo.
What other damage can data thieves do?
By selling your verified digital wallet, you are essentially handing out your data to cybercriminals and helping them carry out their evil activities.
With your confidential information in their hands, data thieves can:
- Make purchases on your behalf
- Use your personal details in online gaming. Cybercriminals use stolen identities for doxing (publishing your home address and phone number online for profit, fun, or humiliation) and swatting (reporting a fake emergency to law enforcement agencies to come to your place to intimidate you)
- Use your personal information in online gambling. Fraudsters create networks of thousands of synthetic accounts, normally using stolen personal data and credit card information to accumulate bonus points and redeem their “winnings”. This particular type of fraud is extremely common in online poker and blackjack, where the result can be manipulated through game strategy.
- Add themselves or an alias they can control as an authorized user so it’s easier to use your credit.
- Use and abuse your Social Security number. Scammers may be able to take out loans and claim benefits under your name.
- You may be banned from using the services of your favorite digital wallet company if your name appears to have availed of its loan services and that you cannot pay.
- Sell your information to others who will use it for malicious purposes. Buying and selling of stolen personal information is big business on the dark web, the non-visible Web that can be accessed only by a specialized browser where cybercriminals provide illegal services to one another. Back in 2018, data from Kaspersky showed that criminals can sell someone’s complete digital life in the dark web for less than $50 (or P2,761, today’s forex). In 2020, the cybersecurity company shared that personal identity details such as full name, date of birth, email and mobile can fetch from $0.5 to $10 each (or P27.62 to P552.33).
Is there still a way to save your stolen identity?
Once you have handed over your SIM account with your personal data in it, it is not easy to undo it. Experts suggest replacing your email address and telephone address as well as changing all affected passwords in all of your social media and financial accounts. If you believe you have been victimized by identity fraud, you can lodge a complaint through the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC) here.
How else to protect yourself from identity theft?
- Keep data to a “need-to-know” basis. If someone is asking for your personal information, ask why they need it and how they will use it.
- Bank safely. Make sure that you log into financial websites using a secure connection all the time.
- Know who you’re dealing with. If you are requested for your personal or financial information, find out who they are, what company they represent, and the reason for the request. Contact the company to confirm before disclosing any of your personal data.
- Secure the data in your device. Use a security software to maximize your online safety, whether you transact using your personal details on your laptop, PC or mobile phone.
TECHNOLOGY
Infinix incorporates Sound by JBL to bring high-quality audio to next level of smartphones
May 18, 2023 2:09 p.m.
Shanghai – Infinix today announces its new collaboration with HARMAN’s legendary audio and technology brand, JBL, to bring Sound by JBL audio excellence to the next generation of their highly-regarded NOTE Series. At Infinix, the user experience is a top priority, and sound quality plays a fundamental role in that experience. Together with the 75-year legacy of acoustic quality and expertise that the brand is renowned for, the upcoming release of the NOTE Series will be enhanced by the Sound by JBL tuning along with the latest innovations from Infinix.
Users can look forward to an upgraded audio experience in the next generation of Infinix’s NOTE Series, thanks to this exciting new collaboration with JBL. Stay tuned for more information on the release date and features of the new series.
“We’re incredibly excited about our collaboration with the JBL brand here at Infinix. Our hardware expertise combined with JBL’s acoustic technology means we can provide an enhanced audio experience to customers worldwide. With a device that delivers upgraded sound quality, we’re confident we’re in exceeding users’ expectations.” – Liang Zhang, Deputy General Manager at Infinix.
Integrated with JBL Tech
When building the NOTE Series, Infinix collaborated closely with JBL engineers to optimize the software system of their new generation NOTE Series. The software processing within the Note series was tuned to deliver JBL’s signature sound that ensures well-balanced mid-tones as well as rich bass, along with high-quality and faithful sound reproduction.
Incorporating advanced audio processing engineered and perfected by JBL, the new Note Series with Sound by JBL will deliver enhanced audio with distortion-free volume, deeper bass and JBL’s signature sound that users will enjoy, especially when listening to music or watching videos. This technological breakthrough demonstrates Infinix and JBL’s commitment to providing innovative products with superior sound quality.
“The JBL brand is all about delivering the fullest sound experience, and we are therefore extremely proud to collaborate with the Infinix team to deliver superior audio through Sound by JBL. Rooted in a shared passion for sound, we know the Infinix team is committed to audio excellence in their mobile devices, and we will continue to work together bringing upgraded sound quality to more consumers as we look forward to deepening our cooperation with Infinix for more product development.” – Roumu Hu, Vice President and General Manager, HARMAN Embedded Audio.
Availability
Infinix intends to introduce this new technology in their upcoming phone models, starting with the next release of the NOTE series. The launch is scheduled for May, so customers can look forward to experiencing the enhanced sound quality of this innovative technology very soon.
Infinix Incorporates Sound by JBL to Bring High-Quality Audio to the Next Level of Smartphones
Shanghai, May 17, 2023 – Infinix today announces its new collaboration with HARMAN’s legendary audio and technology brand, JBL, to bring Sound by JBL audio excellence to the next generation of their highly-regarded NOTE Series. At Infinix, the user experience is a top priority, and sound quality plays a fundamental role in that experience. Together with the 75-year legacy of acoustic quality and expertise that the brand is renowned for, the upcoming release of the NOTE Series will be enhanced by the Sound by JBL tuning along with the latest innovations from Infinix.
Users can look forward to an upgraded audio experience in the next generation of Infinix’s NOTE Series, thanks to this exciting new collaboration with JBL. Stay tuned for more information on the release date and features of the new series.
“We’re incredibly excited about our collaboration with the JBL brand here at Infinix. Our hardware expertise combined with JBL’s acoustic technology means we can provide an enhanced audio experience to customers worldwide. With a device that delivers upgraded sound quality, we’re confident we’re in exceeding users’ expectations.” – Liang Zhang, Deputy General Manager at Infinix.
Integrated with JBL Tech
When building the NOTE Series, Infinix collaborated closely with JBL engineers to optimize the software system of their new generation NOTE Series. The software processing within the Note series was tuned to deliver JBL’s signature sound that ensures well-balanced mid-tones as well as rich bass, along with high-quality and faithful sound reproduction.
Incorporating advanced audio processing engineered and perfected by JBL, the new Note Series with Sound by JBL will deliver enhanced audio with distortion-free volume, deeper bass and JBL’s signature sound that users will enjoy, especially when listening to music or watching videos. This technological breakthrough demonstrates Infinix and JBL’s commitment to providing innovative products with superior sound quality.
“The JBL brand is all about delivering the fullest sound experience, and we are therefore extremely proud to collaborate with the Infinix team to deliver superior audio through Sound by JBL. Rooted in a shared passion for sound, we know the Infinix team is committed to audio excellence in their mobile devices, and we will continue to work together bringing upgraded sound quality to more consumers as we look forward to deepening our cooperation with Infinix for more product development.” – Roumu Hu, Vice President and General Manager, HARMAN Embedded Audio.
Availability
Infinix intends to introduce this new technology in their upcoming phone models, starting with the next release of the NOTE series. The launch is scheduled for May, so customers can look forward to experiencing the enhanced sound quality of this innovative technology very soon.
Go beyond galaxy to witness real Magic on June 8
Selling your verified digital wallet? Think again
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