SMEs to benefit from Suki

Celebrating the inherent Pinoy entrepreneurial nature, PLDT-SME Nation is establishing Suki (www.suki.net.ph), the first business networking site that enables entrepreneurs to interact and transact with their digital customers in a social community networking set-up, reports Philstar.

With the onset of the digital market scene, small and medium enterprises (SME) now have the opportunity to tap into a wider customer base, both locally and globally through the Internet.

“SMEs right now are very competitive so they need to pursue every available channel to address their expanding market, and they should take advantage of all the help they can get,” says PLDT-SME Nation vice-president and head Kat Luna-Abelarde.

There is growing interest in open source software (OSS) in Singapore, led by demand from SMEs, states AsiaOne.

This trend is likely to continue over the next 18 months, according to a study by IT research agency IDC.

IDC's Ridhi Sawhney says verticals such as manufacturing, government, telecommunications and financial services are also either adopting or evaluating OSS in Singapore and elsewhere in the Asia-Pacific.

The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) ministerial meeting on SMEs agreed to establish the APEC SME Crisis Management Centre, according to Bernama.

The centre will provide the strategies for SMEs to prepare and undertake crisis management in an organised and timely manner.

The meeting also supported the implementation of the six priority areas under the APEC SME Strategic Plan, namely business environment, building management capability and promoting entrepreneurship, market access and internationalisation, innovation, financing and sustainable business practices.