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FOUR years
after joining Microsoft Philippines as sales manager for
enterprise accounts, Rafael “Pepeng” Rollan literally
climbed to the top of the corporate ladder and is now
managing director for the local unit of the world’s
largest maker of software for personal and business
computing.
Along the
way, he became director for the subsidiary’s Enterprise
Partner Group. In that role, Rollan received the Microsoft
Circle of Excellence and the Microsoft Gold Star—awards
given to individuals with exceptional records in sales.
Before
joining Microsoft
Philippines,
Rollan was the sales manager for Oracle
Philippines
and—prior to that—public-sector manager for Unisys
Philippines.
An
industry stalwart for the last 18 years, Rollan
understands the value of growing business for the money,
as well as in terms of social responsibility and nurturing
the best people in town.
His
interview with the BusinessMirror also reveals a man of
penetrating insights when it comes to his role and that of
his company’s contributions to the everyday life of people
and enterprises.
First of
all, tell me what you do for Microsoft and what are your
responsibilities?
As
managing director of Microsoft Philippines, I oversee all
the aspects of the business—these include establishing
more partnerships with our customers, resellers and
deployment partners. My main responsibility is to grow the
different business groups we have in Microsoft, not only
in terms of revenue but also in terms of our manpower, all
with the end goal of boosting the local software economy.
I also plan to triple the headcount of Microsoft
Philippines in three years. I believe that none of
Microsoft
Philippines’
achievements would have been possible without the
exceptional work of our employees, and I am very proud of
them. Microsoft is constantly looking out for ways to
improve the workplace and provide the best work
environment for our employees.
Business
aside, part of my role as well is to strengthen and
continue our existing community programs. Microsoft
Philippines takes pride in its citizenship programs that
aim to enable underserved groups of society by making
technology and technology training accessible to them.
Some of these initiatives include our Unlimited Potential
Community Technology Skills Program like Tulay, which is
focused on overseas Filipino workers; Pag-Asa, which
reaches out to Amerasians; Kapit-Bisig, an initiative for
nongovernment organizations; and Step-UP, or Stop
Trafficking and Exploitation of People through Unlimited
Potential, which seeks to give former victims of human
trafficking a new lease on life through the computer
skills they acquire under the program.
On the
education front, we have Partners in Learning, which
provides technology training and tools to public-school
teachers with the objective of enabling them to improve
their teaching and enhance students’ learning experience.
I personally believe that these programs we have in
Microsoft contribute to the company’s overall growth as a
corporate citizen.
What is
your vision for Microsoft
Philippines in conjunction with the global vision of the world’s largest software
maker?
My vision
for Microsoft
Philippines
is simple, that is to enable Filipino individuals and
organizations throughout the world to realize their
potential with the help of technology. This is aligned
with the global vision-mission of Microsoft to empower
people through technology. We are constantly striving to
achieve this vision by making our products as people-ready
as possible—making individuals the main drivers of the
organization, with technology working only as a complement
to human skill. Microsoft believes in Filipino talent, and
through our various initiatives here in the Philippines,
we are working very hard to nurture that talent to
encourage the growth and development of Filipino leaders
and innovators.
In this
day and age, how do you see computing for the individual
and the enterprise, and how does Microsoft figure into the
equation?
Computing
has already been deeply integrated into our activities,
may it be personal or professional. As I mentioned in my
previous answer, technology is the enabler and tool used
by individuals for their computing needs, and Microsoft is
continuously delivering these enhanced tools to optimize
the way people work and communicate. Microsoft is also
committed in providing enterprises with the technology
needed to maintain a competitive advantage in this new
world of work. We make sure that our products address the
growing needs of individuals and organizations, allowing
them to make better decisions and produce better results.
Your
company is now in the midst of launching new versions of
the Windows Server, SQL Server and Visual Studio. What is
the most salient, or, in this case, core feature of these
products that makes them “a must” for enterprises to adopt
for the first time?
We are
moving toward a highly digital workplace wherein IT is no
longer considered as an added cost, but more as a
value-added investment, and these new products are exactly
the tools that will lead our customers to a more dynamic
IT environment. Microsoft is delivering these tools to
help customers optimize their people, processes and
technology.
We have
identified four pillars that would represent the
strongest features of the three server flagship products
we will be launching, namely, Secure & Proven Platform,
Next Generation Web, Virtualization and Better Decision
Making.
Being a
technology-driven economy, we have to be sure that all
systems are secure and reliable, and this is where the
first pillar comes in. At Microsoft, security is our main
concern, and we have designed the latest server products
based on the security needs of our individual and
enterprise customers. We are providing companies a
platform that will enable them to grow their business by
ensuring that all their data and information are protected
and safe and readily available to those who need them.
With the
improved features of the three products, we are also
providing end-users the complete experience of the
next-generation Web, wherein you can do almost all of your
transactions online and the look and feel boast of high
adaptability and the best quality Web experience.
One of the
most talked-about features of our server flagship products
is enhanced virtualization. This allows organizations
to make the most of their existing hardware
by allowing them to run multiple operating systems using a
single physical machine. It also contributes in making
applications run faster and better.
The last
pillar is actually more of the result of the combination
of the three other core features, since all these features
work well together to enable better decision-making. If
your systems and data are reliable and secure, individuals
will be equipped with the information they need to arrive
at better decisions that will contribute to the overall
business growth and success.
How would
you describe virtualization to nontechie individuals? What
does it do and how critical is virtualization for today’s
individual and enterprise?
Virtualization, put simply, is the power to run multiple
systems and applications in just one machine. You can have
multiple users with different setups who need only a
single computer. Virtualization is critical, especially
today when organizations are very keen about cutting
operating costs. Having enhanced virtualization
capabilities leverages the use of existing company systems
and hardware, thus increasing cost-effectiveness.
Especially
with the advent of call centers, this feature is essential
to the productivity of employees with consideration on
cost savings. For instance, a call center has only 100
seats (or 100 desktops), and these 100 seats are being
used by 300 agents at varying shifts. With virtualization,
the ratio of hardware to the user need not be 1:1 since
multiple users with different application requirements
could use one machine.
What would
you say is the basic threat to today’s IT environment? How
is Microsoft addressing this issue?
The lack
of respect for intellectual property is one of the threats
that I see, as it hampers the growth of the IT industry.
The Philippines is among the top 15 countries that have a
projected fast-growing IT sector, and we have the
potential to grow even faster if the piracy rate is
lowered. We are working to provide awareness and education
for consumers, as well as corporate clients on the
importance of respecting intellectual property, especially
since this has a direct impact on the growth of our
economy.
Another
threat I see is the lack of Filipino IT professionals in
the country, partly due to the high demand for skilled IT
professionals around the world. There is a need to
increase the number of these professionals to be able to
fully serve the needs of the domestic market. It would be
great if we could encourage our Filipino professionals to
make use of their talents here in the country first before
providing their services to other countries. We are
working closely with our certified partners in developing
programs that would encourage local developers and IT
professionals to make use of their expertise here in the
country.
Last,
there is also the issue of low PC penetration, but
Microsoft is working with the government and other
public-sector agencies to provide technology access to
various communities in the Philippines.
How do you
see personal and enterprise computing 10 years from now?
Ten years
from now, I think computing will be more streamlined,
connected and mobile than it is right now. People will be
able to work better together using a slew of different
gadgets in the office, at home, or even when they’re on
the go. Enterprises, on the other hand, will leverage on
standardized systems to enable better collaboration and
alignment within their growing organization.
How would
computers look like 10 years from now?
Computers
would probably be more compact and sleeker than they
already are. All their capabilities are geared toward
allowing the user to enjoy the digital life and work style
whenever or wherever he pleases. I am certain that there
will be more and more innovations in technology and trust
that Microsoft will always be at the forefront of this.
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