Smart Communications bags 3 int’l awards

MANILA, Philippines—Mobile telecoms giant Smart Communications Inc. recently bagged three major international awards, including top honors as Operator of the Year, at the  2012 Asia Communication Awards (ACA), winning over Singapore’s Singtel and StarHub, Australia’s Telstra Global, and Laos’ Unitel.

The only Philippine telecom company recognized at the ACA’s Annual Awards Dinner held in Singapore, Smart reaped the biggest number of operator accolades. It also won awards for the Netphone (the world’s first smartphone backed by an operator-managed system) under the Innovation Award category, and Secured Health Information Network and Exchange (SHINE) (Smart’s flagship mHealth program), under the Best Emerging Market Initiative category.

Smart is no stranger to the ACA, having been recognized by the prestigious telecom tilt in 2011 as Operator of the Year and Best in Green Technology.

Its key programs made it to the list of finalists of this year’s ACA: Green Merchandising Program, under the Green Technology Award; Jump Experience Center (the Philippines’ first multidimensional experience center of Smart and mother firm PLDT) under the Customer Service Initiative category; and SmartCares (the country’s first customer care channel on social media for a telco) under the Social Media Initiative category.

Smart president and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno was also nominated for CEO of the Year.

Smart officials Perry Bayani and Gio Bacareza received the awards from Paul Michael Scanlan, Huawei vice president for solution, sales & marketing.

The ACA recognizes the achievements of Asian telecom companies and individuals responsible for the innovations, achievements and new services that are helping shape the future of the industry.

Organized by Total Telecom, the ceremony is one of the highlights of CommunicAsia, the annual information and communications technology exhibition and conference held in Singapore that showcase key and emerging technologies.