RARE FEAT. Smart President and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno (center) receives the three awards from Telecom Asia officials at the ceremonies in Bangkok, Thailand.
With him are Group Editor Joseph Warring, Global Technology Editor John Tanner, columnist Tony Poulos, and Managing Editor Jonathan Bigelow.
ANGELES CITY – Philippines’ leading wireless network Smart Communications Inc. won three major awards in Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday (April 18) from the influential Asian telecommunications industry magazine.
In a press statement, Smart described as “an unprecedented performance” its awards at the 15th Telecom Asia Awards.
Smart was cited as the Best Emerging Market Carrier, its President and CEO Napoleon L. Nazareno was selected Telecom CEO of the Year and its pioneering Health program called SHINE or the Shared Health Information and Network Exchange won the Best Community Telecom Project. Smart was also one of the
finalists in the Best Mobile Carrier category.
According to Telecom Asia officials, this is the first time that a single carrier has bagged three awards in one night. The winners were selected from over 200 nominees submitted by its readers.
A 20-person board of jurors made the final choices.
“We are humbled and honoured. These awards inspire us to redouble our efforts to better serve our customers and help propel our country’s development,” Nazareno said while accepting awards.
Smart won the Best Emerging Market Carrier award for its “continuing success in providing innovative, relevant, convenient and accessible services to a diverse subscriber base, as well as its continued financial success.”
Nazareno was cited for “being at the helm of one of Asia’s most successful operators, which is a finalist in four categories at this year’s Telecom Asia Awards – a testament to how dynamic and advanced the telecom industry is in a country that still counts as an ‘emerging market’.”
Nazareno’s pioneering and visionary leadership has previously been recognized through awards and citations for individual and corporate performance.
For three straight years, (2004 to 2006), Mr. Nazareno was voted Corporate Executive of the Year in the Philippines (as President and CEO of both PLDT and Smart) at the Best-Managed Companies and Corporate Governance Polls conducted by Asiamoney Magazine. PLDT or Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company is the parent firm of Smart.
SHINE was recognized as this year’s Best Community Telecom Project “for enabling government and private healthcare facilities to increase efficiency by sending health records, referrals and other information to the right people via the web and mobile phones in a timely, accurate and interactive manner.”
SHINE is a cloud hosted electronic health information and referral system. It can be accessed by a mobile phone or a computer with Internet connectivity and enables medical practitioners to record patient encounters, easily find and retrieve patient records, remind patients and healthcare providers, facilitate referrals among facilities, and more efficiently generate government required reports.
Initially implemented in Iloilo City and province in mid-2011, SHINE has since been deployed in Quezon City and Caloocan City. It will also be used in other areas of the Visayas and Mindanao.
Smart has been known for its significant contributions in the field of telecommunications. Its cutting-edge world-firsts such as Smart Load, Smart Money and the Netphone, have democratized access to telecommunication services in the Philippines, and have provided Filipinos with relevant communication services such as calling, texting, internet connectivity, mobile commerce, among others.
To date, there are about 50 million mobile subscribers on the Smart network who enjoy the suite of Smart communication services, over 1.6 million broadband subscribers using Smart Bro—the wireless internet service of Smart subsidiary, Smart Broadband, Inc.; more than ten million Smart Money users who enjoy mobile commerce services; and over a million Smart electronic load resellers whose lives have improved with the help of Smart load retailing.
Telecom Asia is a Hong Kong-based publication specializing on developments in Asian telecoms business and technology.
