Eastern Communications extends payment term, supports businesses with work from home and internet solutions   Eastern Communications, one of the premier telecommunications companies in the country, announces the extension of deadline for payments of its clients in light of the government’s implementation of enhanced community quarantine in Luzon due to the threat of COVID-19 outbreak. Customers are given 30 days after their due date to pay their bills. Eastern Communications ensure the safety and well-being of their employees, partners, and customers. While the company is on work from home arrangement, it will continuously provide Eastern’s brand of quality service through conference calls. Meanwhile, Eastern Communications has maintained a skeletal workforce to deliver service to their existing essential clients such as hospitals, government agencies, and other entities addressing the COVID-19 situation. Collaborate with Work from Home tools In support of work from home implementation of many companies, Eastern Communications will also provide cost-efficient and reliable ICT solutions such as Office 365, Eastern Cloud, and Web Protection to improve business continuity amid the pandemic. Office 365 is a cloud-based subscription to a suite of Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc. which is crucial for businesses to achieve productivity and collaboration while implementing work from home set-up. Existing clients will be guided by Eastern Communications on how to utilize the said program through sending series of educational information. Eastern Communications will also educate its clients on using Eastern Cloud service to help businesses run critical applications online and share company data while on remote work. Boost workplace connectivity and security Eastern Communications’ existing Fiber1 clients in Metro Manila and Cebu, particularly banks, hospitals, and other essential establishments, will be offered speed boost and free three (3) pieces of Wi-Fi Mesh. This device spreads a network connection across the workplace which allows users to connect to the Internet wherever they are in the premises. Wi-Fi Mesh eliminates dead spots in every corner and have been used in small to medium paces such as multi-story buildings. Hospitals that utilize Eastern Communications’ Internet Direct Service will also expect 30% cost reduction plus free Office 365 under the special renewal program. Lastly, clients will be guided on securing online business from cyberattacks with Eastern’s Web Protection that includes Internet firewall, web security, remote access, and cloud access, helping enterprises work efficiently at this time. “We understand the difficulty that our fellow citizens are experiencing right now. We, at Eastern Communications are committed to extending support and guidance to our clients in essential establishments and other companies in this challenging time,” said Eastern Communications Marketing Director Jedrek Estanislao. Eastern Communications monitors the situation closely and commits to maintain normal business operations until the situation improves. For more information, visit eastern.com.ph.

Here’s why cloud is the key to business continuity and growth The emergence of cloud service in the digital era is developing at an incredible pace. Locally, cloud computing is expected to take account for 13% of Philippine IT services market by 2020 driven by government agencies and SMEs according to BMI Research report. Businesses have started adopting cloud service which productively improves their operations and, soon, other companies will follow suit. With the evolving workplace environment, cloud proves to be an ideal solution for every enterprise. Eastern Communications, one of the premier telecommunications companies in the country, lists down reasons why cloud can be an asset for your business’ continuity and growth. Work flexibility Cloud storage, allows users to store files is such a way where members of an organization could access it anytime and anywhere. This offers significant help especially now that companies have started implementing a skeletal work force or work from home arrangements for their employees due to the threat of COVID-19. Businesses can continue doing their tasks from any location and conveniently access necessary data as long as an internet connection is available. Cloud allows employees to manage their workflows better with easier communication and team collaboration while accessing data from a central location. This can prevent organizations from halting operations even in challenging situations such as work suspension and calamity. Cost efficiency Simply put, businesses save huge amount of money by investing on cloud storage services. The purchase cost ensures maximum utilization of budget on the needed software features of the business. Overhead is the responsibility of the service provider. This big cut on overhead expenses could be used instead for business expansion. Secured data backup Official work files contain a lot of essential information. From images to documents, spreadsheets, and presentations, it is necessary for businesses to keep a secure copy and backup of these files. It is not advisable for businesses to depend solely on external servers and drives or on printed documents for data storage since these are prone to data corruption. By storing data in the cloud, businesses are guaranteed of file safety and data loss is no longer a concern even during uncontrolled environmental hazards such as natural calamities or accidents. Data will be saved safely in the cloud. Data Protection Through a virtual environment, cloud services provide protection in the event of primary operations failure. It does not only store data but also protects it from untoward situations. Cloud services offer ease of mind so businesses would not have to worry about permanent loss of critical data, like what Eastern Cloud-based Disaster Recovery provides. Increased productivity Cloud storage frees up spaces from resources such as desktops and servers. Having a clean, uncluttered, and well-organized workplace helps reduce waste while optimizing productivity. It is also useful for employees who work from home as necessary files would be accessible at the comfort of their home, making them as productive as they are when in office. With the fast-changing business environment, cloud services makes it easier for companies to access data and information more efficiently. It is also important to choose the right service provider for a reliable and satisfactory cloud experience for your business. Eastern Cloud is one of Eastern Communications’ latest ICT solutions offering world-class method of storing and sharing company data and applications securely over the Internet, hence advancing overall business performance. To learn more about Eastern Cloud, visit eastern.com.ph.

Keep your business safe from cyberattacks amid the COVID-19 outbreak and enhanced community quarantine The quarantine situation might be a big adjustment for companies that implement work from home as part of preventive measures to contain the corona virus. However, it should be considered that working at home does not equate to unproductivity of the workforce. While many things are currently put to a halt, businesses of any size can help employees get work done at the comfort of their home by equipping them with basic tools. Office 365, for example, is a collaborative cloud-based platform that brings together the best-in-class Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneNote, to name a few. This tool helps companies collaborate securely across many devices within the organization. To learn how Office 365 can efficiently transform businesses especially with a work from home arrangement, one of the country’s premier telecommunications companies, Eastern Communications, shares advantages of this suite. Collaborative work anytime, anywhere The cloud-based feature of Office 365 lets employees work remotely wherever and whenever work takes them. With this, collaboration with a team has become more efficient and reliable as features of the office suite, e-mails, and files can be readily accessed by users. This is extremely beneficial for companies who work with teams in remote locations. Office 365 also allows your teams to collaborate in real time. For instance, teams working together on a same document can view and edit the file at the same time. Tracking the progress and updates is made easier, not to mention that all of the changes will be automatically saved in the cloud, thus unintentional deletion of files is no longer a concern. Cost-efficient and flexible plans Software tools such as Microsoft Office require purchase to update to their latest versions. A subscription for Office 365, on the other hand, already includes automatic updates of the latest version, new features, and capabilities in the cloud with no extra fees, which saves money for businesses. Enterprises have different needs which is why Office 365 allows users to choose from the features and programs that it offers, depending on what is relevant for the company. In addition, switching to different plans are easy and straightforward so availing or unsubscribing to programs can be done with ease. Built-in security Office 365 also provides security to all the files and data uploaded on the cloud, so businesses can focus on the important things. With Microsoft’s Data Loss Prevention Policy, even e-mails and messages may be encrypted to ensure no threat or loss of data in your organization. Another security feature of the suite is Mobile Device Management where companies can control Office 365 on employees’ phone such as wiping the data on a lost device. Productivity tools such as Office 365 enables businesses to become more adaptable and efficient with the ever-progressing digital landscape. It is a proven essential for modern enterprises especially in times like this where safety is paramount. For more information about Eastern Communications products and services, visit www.eastern.com.ph.

Keep your business safe from cyberattacks amid the COVID-19 outbreak and enhanced community quarantine While companies are closely monitoring the pandemic and implementing their business continuity plans, hackers with malicious intent are also taking advantage of the situation. According to Eastern Communications, industries that are the busiest during the lockdown are the most vulnerable ones to cyberattacks, which includes healthcare, banking and finance, government, and media. “The COVID-19 crisis shows no signs of disappearing anytime soon. We have to make tough decisions rapidly as cyber criminals will also continue trying to exploit the situation and create more attacks. It’s important to stay as vigilant as possible to safeguard your business from getting hit,” said Eastern Communications Product and Innovation Head Edsel Paglinawan. Resources and workforce may be stretched at this time, but it also pays for companies to become proactive to secure their businesses. Eastern Communications, one of the country’s premier telecommunications companies, shares ways how to secure businesses from potential cyberthreats. Educating employees on online security practices Educated employees on online security practices can put your business at an advantage. It is best for employers to remind employees to be wary of and avoid opening suspicious e-mails to prevent malicious malware from threatening their software or data. Companies should also provide employees with organized business e-mail addresses and make sure that they refrain from using designated business e-mails to subscribe to unnecessary mailing lists. Securing online accounts with strong passwords We all know that in the cyberspace passwords are the first line of defense, they are the key to all our data and information. It is important to have a strong password that uses alpha-numeric characters and special characters. It is best to avoid using passwords that contain personal information like birthdays or anniversaries as it can be easily hacked. It is also important to avoid using the same passwords for different online accounts or websites and to change passwords regularly. Keeping operating system and security software up to date Choosing a reliable anti-virus and anti-malware software is also important when you have an online business. Keeping regular maintenance on updates on the software you use and checking for vulnerabilities can help prevent any threats in your computer that you use in accessing your business website. Distributed Denial of Service or DDoS attacks are one of the fastest growing threats in the cyber-attack landscape. A DDoS attack aims to make online services unavailable through overwhelming traffic from multiple sources. Eastern Communications’ CyberDefense protects businesses from basic to the most sophisticated attacks. It also provides Web Application Firewall (WAF) that blocks any Layer 7 threat like cross-site forgery, cross-site scripting, among others; while Content Delivery Network (CDN) generates faster loading of a website, which saves companies money yet enhances website performance at the same time. “As businesses continue to aim for mobile workforce, they should also consider to cloudify infrastructure and complex applications and defend investments against sophisticated cyber threats. It also helps to have a trusted expert at your side. Beyond connectivity, we provide end-to-end solutions, from access to the market leaders in cybersecurity to managing business security through unwavering customer support,” Paglinawan explained. Back up your data As your business stores important data about sales, customer information and more, it is important to secure all of your data and effectively back it up to avoid any loss or corruption of data. Setting up firewalls are necessary to control incoming and outgoing traffic. It secures internal networks from threats and will be helpful in keeping your critical data safe. Have a reliable and secure web hosting Make sure that you choose a reliable web hosting service for all your websites and all your e-commerce platforms to secure all your data and transactions. Should anything go wrong, and the company website is disrupted by cyberattacks, a reliable web hosting will properly support the business through it. Although the pandemic has already affected many businesses at this challenging time, maintaining the resilience of companies with awareness and technology against cyberattacks can aid in limiting the impact of COVID-19. For more information on Eastern Communications CyberDefense, visit https://www.eastern.com.ph/.