Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “Business”

The latest business news in the Philippines.

Apple announces “One more thing” event on November 10

November 3, 2020
Apple announces “One more thing” event on November 10

Apple announce their event this November 10, which they’re calling “One More Thing”, a phrase that was popularize by former CEO Steve Jobs — in keynotes for major product announcements.

Apple is expected to officially announce the first Macs powered by Apple Silicon and the launching of macOS 11 Big Sur, which the company announced last June 22, 2020 at this years WWDC. As well as other products like new iPod Air and Air tags, as well as new programs that will come to the Apple TV+.

The event will be stream online via Apple.com and its social media channels, it will be held at the Apple Park on November 10th, at 10:00 AM, PST.

Sony finalizing deal to acquire Crunchyroll for $957 million

November 2, 2020

Sony is in the final stage of negotiation to acquire anime-streaming service Crunchyroll for more than 100 billion yen ($957 million). The deal once approve will combine Funimation and Crunchyroll properties to offer animes around the world.

Here’s the full report from Nikkei Asia;

TOKYO — Sony has entered into final negotiations to acquire U.S. anime-streaming service Crunchyroll, Nikkei learned on Friday, a deal that could catapult the Japanese icon into a global battle with the likes of Netflix.

Sony could end up spending more than 100 billion yen ($957 million) on the U.S. streamer, gaining its 70 million members around the world.

Sony has its own popular anime like “Kimetsu no Yaiba” (“Demon Slayer”), but has been licensing it to streaming services. Sony’s Aniplex, the studio behind “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” has a variety of content, including movies and music, that is mainly distributed by overseas companies.

If the acquisition is realized, global competition for content among companies like Netflix and Hulu will intensify.

Crunchyroll was founded in 2006 and has its headquarters in San Francisco. In 2018, AT&T, the U.S. telecommunications giant, became its parent company.

Sony recently obtained the exclusive right to negotiate for Crunchyroll.

After acquiring Funimation, an anime distributor, in 2017, Sony gained 1 million paying subscribers, mainly in the U.S., but came up against obstacles expanding this customer base.

Crunchyroll has 70 million free members and 3 million paying subscribers in more than 200 countries and regions, including the U.S. and Europe.

Crunchyroll would also give Sony more than 1,000 titles that it can use to vary its offerings.

Sony’s total operating income from games, music and movies is forecast to reach $4.79 billion for the fiscal year ending March, accounting for 60% of the group total.

The company once known for Trinitron TVs and Walkman personal stereos has grown into an entertainment colossus that plans to strengthen this side of its business by building on Crunchyroll’s membership base.

With the coronavirus convincing people around the world to entertain themselves at home, demand for video distribution services is swelling and competition for popular content is intensifying. Netflix, the largest streamer, is forming alliances with animation studios, while Disney last year took its popular library and began its own streaming service.

According to The Association of Japanese Animations, the global anime market in 2018 was worth about $21 billion, 1.5 times that of five years earlier. The overseas market accounts for nearly half of total demand.

Grab partners with Marriott International to offer “Premium” Hospitality service in Southeast Asia

October 29, 2020

Grab announces its partnership with Marriott International that will allow both parties to offer what they’re calling “Premium” hospitality service in six Southeast Asian countries; Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Thailand.

The hospitality services will include multiple verticals including food delivery, advertising, loyalty and rewards, payment and transport services.

Here’s a full text of the announcement;

SINGAPORE, 29 October 2020 – Grab, Southeast Asia’s leading super app and Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR), today announced a wide-ranging strategic partnership that will see both companies integrating their offerings to bring the premium hospitality experience into the hands of millions of consumers in Southeast Asia. This is Marriott International’s first extensive integration with a super app platform in Southeast Asia, and Grab’s most comprehensive agreement with a hospitality group to date.

Under the terms of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Marriott International will integrate into Grab’s platform in phases across food delivery, payment, transport, loyalty and rewards, as well as advertising. Marriott International will have access to Grab’s sizable customer base via GrabFood, GrabPay, and GrabAds, enabling them to serve a growing pool of customers who are increasingly transacting online.

GrabFood will feature approximately 600 restaurants and bars from Marriott International’s portfolio in six different Southeast Asian markets. In addition, customers will be able to conveniently pay for their dining experiences through GrabPay at selected Marriott International hotels. Customers will earn GrabRewards points for all transactions on the Grab platform, which can be converted to Marriott Bonvoy points (and vice versa). Marriott Bonvoy is the award-winning travel program of Marriott International that encompasses the company’s global portfolio of 30 hotel brands and premium home rental offering, Homes and Villas by Marriott International. Once in place, Grab customers will be able to redeem their converted points for exclusive member benefits at over 7,400 hotels and resorts in 135 countries and territories.

Through this partnership, Marriott International and Grab seek to digitally enhance the premium hospitality experience by making it more accessible, relevant and rewarding for their customers in the new normal.

“Marriott International is constantly looking for ways to innovate and bring value to travelers and Marriott Bonvoy members as part of our partnership strategy,” said Rajeev Menon, President, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International. “Our collaboration with Grab is one way we are designing a more seamless travel experience by leveraging the expertise of a super app in the region.”

Russell Cohen, Group Managing Director – Operations, Grab said: “We are excited to partner with a world-renowned hospitality group like Marriott International that is at the forefront of delivering customer-first hospitality experiences. The breadth of our collaboration reflects our value as a platform of choice in supporting global brands on their digitalisation journey in the new normal, and in particular represents a milestone for our fast-growing GrabAds business.”

Grab and Marriott International’s initiatives to bring customer experiences to a new level include:

  • GrabFood: Starting from November, customers will progressively be able to enjoy food delivery from approximately 600 different Food and Beverage (F&B) outlets across Marriott International hotels in six of Grab’s operating markets, which will be made available on the GrabFood platform in phases. This offers Grab customers access to a wide variety of premium dining options that they can enjoy from the comfort of their homes.
  • GrabPay: Piloting in Q1 2021 first in Singapore, travellers will be able to make cashless payments through GrabPay at participating Marriott International hotels. F&B outlets that accept GrabPay can soon also access Grab’s Merchant Discovery feature to notify guests in the vicinity of participating hotels about ongoing promotions and events. This will help businesses increase sales, grow customer loyalty and drive more foot traffic to physical outlets.
  • GrabAds: Grab and Marriott International will jointly create impactful marketing campaigns that are relevant and personalised to customers. With GrabAds’ solutions, Marriott International can connect with customers in a targeted way through audience data, integrate marketing communications across touchpoints, and track campaign performance in real-time.
  • GrabRewards: Grab and Marriott will link their respective loyalty programmes to offer expanded benefits to Marriott Bonvoy and GrabRewards members. Starting in Q1 2021, Grab customers and Marriott Bonvoy members will be able to enjoy two-way points transfer. This will allow consumers to convert GrabRewards points to Marriott Bonvoy points and vice versa, enjoying flexibility and benefits on GrabRewards, Southeast Asia’s largest rewards platform by users, with nearly 800 merchants.

Both companies will also launch more loyalty initiatives in the coming months, including dining rewards at Marriott’s F&B outlets. 

The strategic partnership will begin in Singapore in November 2020, with Marriott International and Grab to roll out more products and services across Southeast Asia in multiple phases.

Apple announced iPhone 12 smartphone line

October 16, 2020
Apple announced iPhone 12 smartphone line

Last Tuesday, Apple officially their next flagship smartphone line, the iPhone 12 mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The iPhone 12 line features a new squared-edges design, similar to the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4. All the iPhone 12 models supports 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave) and basically have the same screen, sans their size.

Apple also brought back the MagSafe as a charging solution for the new iPhones. Here’s what Apple said about the new MagSafe Charging Solution;

Charging solutions include the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger for use with iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as new silicone, leather, and clear cases that easily snap onto the back of iPhone, and a leather wallet. Customers can also expect innovative MagSafe accessories from third-party manufacturers.


iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12

Both the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 are basically the same phone except for their size. The iPhone 12 Mini is a 5.4-inch smartphone while the iPhone 12 measures at 6.1-inch.

The display of the iPhone 12 mini is 5.4‑inch (diagonal) all‑screen OLED display
2340‑by‑1080-pixel resolution at 476 ppi, while the iPhone 12 is a 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display with 2532 x 1170 resolution at 460ppi.

Both display features;

  • HDR display
  • True Tone
  • Wide color (P3)
  • Haptic Touch
  • 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio
  • 625 nits max brightness (typical); 1200 nits max brightness (HDR)

Here are the specs that both phone shares;

  • Ceramic Shield by Corning (4x better drop performance)
  • Apple A14 Bionic (5nm)
  • 64GB, 128GB, 256GB internal storage
  • Dual-rear cameras:
    • 12MP Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view
    • 12MP Wide: ƒ/1.6 aperture
  • 2x optical zoom out, 5x Digital zoom, Smart HDR 3, HDR Video, Night Mode, Night Mode Time-lapse, HDR video recording, HEIF raw file support
  • 12MP front camera with ƒ/2.2 aperture
  • 5G (sub-6 GHz and mmWave), 4G LTE, 3G, GSM/EDGE
  • Smart Data Mode (auto switches between 5G and LTE)
  • WiFi 6 (802.11ax) with 2×2 MIMO
  • Bluetooth 5.0
  • GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, and BeiDou
  • NFC, FaceID
  • MagSafe
  • Lightning port
  • IP68 Water and dust resistance
  • Wireless charging (MagSafe 15W, Qi 7.5W)
  • iOS 14
  • Black, White, Product Red, Green, Blue

Preorder for both the iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 mini will start this October 16th and will ship on October 23rd, with the following pricing;

iPhone 12;

  • 64 GB – $829.00 (SAR 3,109.67)
  • 128 GB – $879.00 (SAR 3,297.22)
  • 256 GB – $979.00 (SAR 3672.33)

iPhone 12 mini;

  • 64 GB – $729.00 (SAR 2734.56)
  • 128 GB – $779.00 (SAR 2922.11)
  • 256 GB – $879.00 (SAR 3297.22)

iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max

The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have all the specs of the iPhone 12 and to differentiate these two “Pro” phones are it’s camera module, LiDAR Scanner, starting storage capacity and colors.

iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will also differ in size, the iPhone 12 Pro is a 6.1‑inch smartphone, same as the iPhone 12, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max will measure at 6.7‑inch, which is already bordering phablet size.

Both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will feature a triple-camera configuration, the two cameras will be the one used in iPhone 12 with the addition of another 12-MP Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.0 aperture for iPhone 12 Pro and a ƒ/2.2 aperture for iPhone 12 Pro Max. Apple also included a LiDAR Scanner for augmented reality (AR) and better focusing.

The starting storage for the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max have been increased from the standard 64GB to 128GB. As for the colors, instead of 5 colors, both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will be available in 4 colors; Silver, Graphite, Gold and Pacific Blue.

Preorder for both the iPhone 12 Pro will start this October 16th and will be in stores on October 23rd, while the iPhone 12 Pro Max will available for pre-order on November 6th and will be available on a week later, November 13th.

Here are the pricing for both the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max;

iPhone 12 Pro;

  • 128 GB – $999.00 (SAR 3,747.21)
  • 256 GB – $1,099.00 (SAR 4,122.30)
  • 512 GB – $1,299.00 (SAR 4,872.49)

iPhone 12 Pro Max;

  • 128 GB – $1,099.00 (SAR 4,122.30)
  • 256 GB – $1,199.00 (SAR 4,497.40)
  • 512 GB – $1,399.00 (SAR 5,247.59)

MagSafe charging solution

October 16, 2020

Another new feature that Apple included in the new iPhone 12 lineup is that they brought back MagSafe, which is a new wireless charging solution that will support current Qi chargers. It offers high-powered wireless charging and an all-new ecosystem of accessories that easily attach to iPhone.

Charging solutions include the MagSafe Charger and MagSafe Duo Charger for use with iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as new silicone, leather, and clear cases that easily snap onto the back of iPhone, and a leather wallet. Customers can also expect innovative MagSafe accessories from third-party manufacturers.

Microsoft’s Project Natick

September 15, 2020

An interesting experiment by Microsoft, wherein they drop an entire data center (864 servers) to the bottom (117 feet deep) of the Scottish sea, aways from human’s physical interaction and away from the daily elements.

Earlier this summer, marine specialists reeled up a shipping container-size datacenter coated in algae, barnacles, and sea anemones from the seafloor off Scotland’s Orkney Islands. The retrieval of the Northern Isles datacenter launched the final phase of Project Natick, a years-long research effort that proved the concept of underwater datacenters is feasible as well as logistically, environmentally, and economically practical.

Souq is now Amazon.Sa

June 20, 2020

If you’re a user of Souq, you probably received an email from Amazon that “Souq is now Amazon.sa,” which of course have been a long time coming, since Amazon completed its acquisition of Souq in March 2017 for $580 million in cash.

Angkas introduces Angkas Food, a food delivery service to help their riders

March 25, 2020

Angkas, the ride-sharing motorcycle company, just introduced Angkas Food, a food delivery service wherein the riders will keep 100% of the delivery fees. Angkas said that this is their way of helping their drivers earn a living in this time of COVID-19.

The delivery fee will be Php60 on the first KM and Php10 in the succeeding kilometer up to 5 km.

The service will initially be available in Metro Manila area and will deliver from 10:00 in the morning until 5:30 in the afternoon. You can go here to checkout the list of restaurants and menus.

Honda to close its Sta. Rosa Manufacturing Plant

February 24, 2020

Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) just announced that they will close its Sta. Rosa Manufacturing Plant, effective March 2020. In their official announcement, Honda said “To meet Honda’s customer needs in the Philippines for reasonably priced and good quality products, Honda considered efficient allocation and distribution of resources. As such, after consideration of optimization efforts in the production operations in Asia and Oceania region, Honda decided to close the manufacturing operations of HCPI.”

HCPI will still continue its automobile sales and after-sales service operation in the Philippines, through the utilization of Honda’s Asia and Oceania regional network. To date, Honda Cars Philippines, Inc. (HCPI) employs 650 associates.

The Honda Sta. Rosa plant was established in November 1990 wit a capital investment of Php 1.9 billion and began its its operations in 1992.

Summit Media will now be a “digital-first”, stops print edition of its magazine

April 17, 2018

Here’s the full text of Summit Media Press release;

With over 20 million unique monthly users visiting its 15 websites and 33 million more fans following its brands on social media platforms, Summit Media is now the Philippines’ leading digital lifestyle network, and one of the top two local digital media companies in the country. Its expertise in creating data-informed quality content has allowed it to reach digital audiences comprising more than 25% of the country’s Internet population.

This month, Summit Media completes its full digital transformation. The 450-strong company can now be called “digital-first” as it bids farewell to its magazine past, closing the six remaining print editions of Cosmopolitan, Preview, YES!. Top Gear, FHM, and Town & Country. These brands are already thriving online as Cosmo.ph, Preview.ph, Pep.ph (for YES!), Topgear.com.ph, FHM.com.ph, and Townandcountry.ph.

Summit Media president Lisa Gokongwei-Cheng said in an official statement: “As we embark on our new journey towards a wholly digital future, we look back at the values that made us successful, and one thing that stands out is our respect for our audiences. Our brands, each with its own strong voice and well-defined identity, have resonated with our audiences because they stand for something, which is why for 23 years, Summit published the most successful and well-loved magazines in the country’s history.

Today, we embrace the way our highly connected audiences now prefer to consume content. As we follow them from print to digital, we will continue our relentless pursuit and delivery of quality, up-to-the minute content and a dynamic and engaging editorial experience—this time, aided by data, which now pervades and informs many of our editorial decisions.

Being highly data-informed arms us with an even better understanding of our audiences, enabling us to create more stories that appeal to their minds and passions, and empowering us to help our advertisers craft effective messages relevant to their audiences. In the past three years, Summit Media has become the leading creator of digital native advertising content in the country, generating more volume than all our competitors combined. On top of this transformation, the company’s other pillars, Outside of Home (OOH) media, book publishing, and content marketing remain robust.

Summit Media was born auspiciously in an era of pulp and ink. We will always owe a debt of gratitude to the medium, to the brilliant teams whose dedication and efforts created magazines that excelled in that landscape, to the generations of loyal readers who not only supported their favorite brands but even imbibed their tenets and values, and to our advertisers, without whose partnership with and belief in us we would not have succeeded. Moving forward and into the future, we are excited as we continue to reinvent ourselves to become an even more compelling destination in a digital era where opportunities abound.”

SEC suspends Rappler’s license to operate

January 16, 2018

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) cancelled the registration of online news organization Rappler for allegedly violating the Foreign Equity Restriction of the Philippine Constitution.

According to Foreign Equity Restriction of the Philippine Constitution, “(t)he ownership and management of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations, cooperatives or associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.”

SEC cites the funding that it received from Omidyar Network and from Marcus Brauchli’s North Base Media.

You can read SEC’s full decision here.

Since the cancellation of Rappler Incorporated’s license is not yet ‘final and executory’ online news organization will continue to operate.

Disney acquires 21st Century Fox for $52.4 Billion in stock

December 15, 2017

Disney just acquired 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion in stocks, the reported actual value the deal is approximately $66.1 billion. Once the transaction is close, shareholders of 21st Century Fox will receive 0.2745 Disney shares for each 21st Century Fox share they hold, this will give the Murdoch family trading control of 21st Century Fox for a 4.25% stake in Disney.

The deal is expected to complete in 12 to 18 months, once closed, Disney will acquire entertainment properties like the Twentieth Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures, Fox 2000, it also include movies like Avatar, X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool, as well as The Grand Budapest Hotel, Hidden Figures, Gone Girl, The Shape of Water and The Martian, and its television creative units, Twentieth Century Fox Television, FX Productions and Fox21, which is the home of popular tv series The Americans, This Is Us, Modern Family, The Simpsons. Disney will also acquire FX Networks, National Geographic Partners, Fox Sports Regional Networks, Fox Networks Group International, Star India and Fox’s interests in Hulu, Sky plc, Tata Sky and Endemol Shine Group.

Not included in the deal are Fox Broadcasting network and stations, Fox News Channel, Fox Business Network, FS1, FS2 and Big Ten Network, these will spun off into a new company called “New Fox”. Disney will also inherit an approximately $13.7 billion of net debt of 21st Century Fox.

Once completed, the deal will bring X-men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool back into the fold of Marvel, also owned by Disney, and possibilities of Avengers, X-men, Fantastic Four and even Deadpool doing a movie together is very high.

Lazada to open official Apple ‘Shop-in-Shop’ for Southeast Asia customers

December 9, 2017
Lazada to open official Apple ‘Shop-in-Shop’ for Southeast Asia customers
Apple Official Online Store on Lazada Philippines

Fans of Apple can now buy their favourite Apple products on Lazada, Southeast Asia’s leading eCommerce company.

As an authorised online reseller, Lazada’s customers can choose from a wide range of Apple products including iPhone, MacBook, MacBook Pro, iPad, iPad Pro, Apple TV, Beats by Dr. Dre, and other accessories.

Start shopping this holiday season
Consumers can start browsing this holiday season when the Apple ‘Shop-in-Shop’ on Lazada officially launches today (8th December) in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. This will be followed by Malaysia on 11th December, and then in Vietnam.

By shopping on Lazada, customers can choose to pay for their Apple devices through Lazada’s 0% financing instalment plans. Exciting surprises also await Lazada customers looking to score savings from deals offered during the finale of Lazada’s Online Revolution shopping event, the 12.12 Final Sale. More details will be announced later.

The “preferred choice” for global brands
Lazada Group Chief Executive Officer Max Bittner said the Apple ‘Shop-in-Shop’ concept is a testament to Lazada’s reputation as the undisputed and trusted online shopping and selling platform in Southeast Asia. “Lazada is the preferred choice for global brands who, like us, want to drive the explosive growth of eCommerce in Southeast Asia,” said Mr. Bittner, adding: “It also underscores our commitment to give consumers better and convenient access to the world’s best brands and products, especially those from Apple.”