Author: JL Aquino

Caltex continues growth in 3rd Quarter of 2021, expands into auto & motorcycle aftermarkets

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Caltex opens 6 new retail service stations, 15 new Caltex Havoline autoPro shops and 14 bike Pro sites

For the third quarter of the year, Caltex, marketed by Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), further strengthens its network and brand growth with six new retail service stations, 15 new Caltex Havoline autoPro shops and 14 new Caltex bikePro shops all over the country.

To service and provide quality, safe and clean fuels and lubes to motorists, Caltex opened stations in Metro Manila, Bukidnon, Leyte, Zamboanga and Camarines Norte, which are all key cities and provinces in the country.

The first retail site is in P. Cayetano Blvd, Taguig City, which houses Bonifacio Global City, one of the leading financial centers in the country. Another Caltex site that recently opened in Metro Manila is located in Eusebio, Pasig City. Primarily, a residential and industrial area, Pasig has increasingly become a commercial area in recent years with the establishment of the Ortigas Center Business District.

Caltex opened more retail stations in key provincial areas across the country as well. In Bicol region, Caltex recently opened a retail station in Brgy. Pamoragon, Daet, Camarines Norte, a popular surfing spot among surfers worldwide. Beginners and pro surfers often visit this area due to consistent waves and soft sand beach throughout the year.

In the Eastern Visayas region, Caltex recently opened a retail station along the Diversion Road, Cogon, Ormoc City. It is a coastal port city that serves as Western Leyte’s economic, cultural, commercial and transportation centre.

Caltex also opened retail stations in key areas in Mindanao, one of which is located along the National Highway, Poblacion, Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon. Known as the region’s food basket, it’s the leading producer of rice and corn. Pineapples, bananas and sugarcane are also grown on plantations in the province.

Lastly, Caltex opened a retail site at Zamboanga West Coastal Road, Gusu, Zamboanga. Dubbed as the Sardines Capital of the Philippines, about 70% of the city’s income comes from sardine fishing and processing. Zamboanga City is a natural harbor for vessels visiting the rich fishing grounds of the Zamboanga Peninsula and the Sulu Archipelago, located near the western extremity of the Mindanao continent.

Continuously Delivering Top Quality Lubricants and Services

For motorists looking for high quality service and products for their cars’ needs, 15 new Caltex Havoline autoPro shops recently opened in the following locations: Quezon, Isabela, Angeles, Pampanga, Batangas, Bacoor, Cavite, Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Iloilo City, Iloilo, Roxas City, Capiz, Cebu, Misamis Occidental, Zamboanga and South Cotabato.

Caltex also opened 14 new Caltex bikePro shops in the following stations: Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, Batangas, Cebu City, Zamboanga del Norte and North Cotabato. These autoPro workshops and bikePro sites provide top notch Caltex lubricant products and services like maintenance checks and car repairs to make one’s journey hassle free.

CPI Country Chairman Billy Liu said, “We will continue to strengthen our growth by opening more Caltex stations at the most needed areas so that local motorists and travellers can have a joyful ride with high class quality fuels and lubricants together with first rate services.”

Despite the pandemic, Caltex has opened 25 retail sites and 55 combined Caltex Havoline autoPro workshops and Caltex bikePro sites around the Philippines since the beginning of 2021.

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TP releases new wave of digital solutions for first-rate CX in the new economy

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Teleperformance, a global leader in digital integrated business services, has been supporting the surge of the new digital economy through an array of customer experience or CX solutions developed from its Technology, Analytics, and Process Excellence (T.A.P.™) innovation framework.

A new economy is dawning and digital transformation is key for enterprises and brands to harness growth from a resurgent market of on-demand services. With people doing more and more activities online, companies should look into leveraging convenient and reliable digital channels.

As a committed business partner, Teleperformance is offering a comprehensive suite of customer solutions to help companies adapt to this changing economic environment. Included in its armory of digital solutions are customizable tools that allow brands to leverage robotics and AI in optimizing the value of analytics to ensure every customer interaction is done safely and efficiently. The idea is to decrease human effort while delivering responsive and empathetic service that makes life easier for consumers.

Among these solutions are TP Interact, TP Time Tree, TP Digital Assistant, and TP Voice2Messaging. For instance, TP Interact is an automated performance management solution that combines automation, data analytics, and applied intelligence to process all customer verbatim (exact words and sentiments), and agent behaviors, allowing us to capture the full journey of each interaction and implement effective solutions.

TP Time Tree that integrates people management principles with robotic process automaticn (RPA). This expedites assigning, monitoring, and reporting tasks, especially for back office, non-voice operations. As a productivity tracking and case management app, TP Time Tree fills the productivity gaps and opportunities in both work-from-home and brick-and-mortar setups.

For its part, powered by Natural Language Processing (NLP) and Design Thinking, TP Digital Assistant provides a customer-facing chatbot serving as the go-to touchpoint for queries and requests, a digital resource providing real-time knowledge and technical support to agents, and an Internal Support Bot that automates back-office processes and manages performance.

Meanwhile, a package of call conversion solutions called TP Voice2Messaging covers different stages of the customer journey and unifies the experience by integrating all channels – voice, email, chat, SMS – into a single platform to create a highly advanced digital customer experience. This solution can speed up an enterprise’s digital transformation by promoting and offering messaging services in different stages of the customer’s call.

TP has provided explainer videos for TP Interact, TP Time Tree, TP Digital Assistant, and TP Voice2Messaging to illustrate the features and benefits of these tools for the benefit of everyone interested in exploring the innovations introduced by the industry. The videos help people appreciate the value that latest technologies bring to elevate a new type of customer experience.

“When things work well, the high-tech platforms allow customers to enjoy a high-touch experience that demonstrates how brands are taking care of them and their needs. Interactions such as changing travel details, for instance, or getting support for a new gadget or finding out how to return a purchase can become positive experiences. Supporting customers and actively providing solutions through a channel they prefer will strengthen their relationship with the brand,” says Teleperformance Philippines Chief Operations Officer Joey Marquez.

A recent Teleperformance Customer Experience Lab research revealed that there is a dramatic effect on loyalty when customers are satisfied with the channels offered by a brand, with a loyalty intention that is 43% higher than dissatisfied customers. By offering customers the channels they prefer to use, brands increase the opportunity to achieve increased customer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.

 Converge Debuts First “Fiber Fast” Business Center in Greenhills

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Keeping its promise to continuously innovate its services, leading fiber internet services provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc., together with its marketing services provider, Myriad Real Properties Unlimited, Inc, on October 22, 2021 unveiled the Fiber Fast Lane – consisting of the Park N’ Apply facility, and its first ‘Drive-Thru’ payment avenue – in its flagship business center in Greenhills.

This ensures quick and efficient line application while limiting contact between subscribers and service personnel.

In line with the goal of Converge to Go Deep in Luzon – further expanding its reach in existing markets – it fast-tracked the rollout of several business centers this month, key among them an innovative new branch in Greenhills, San Juan City.

“This is a novel way for us to serve the rising customer demand in a fast, efficient, and more importantly, safer manner. With the Park N’ Apply facility, you can apply for a Converge line in just a few minutes in a virtually contactless manner,” said Converge CEO Dennis Anthony Uy.

A customer can apply for a Converge broadband line in three steps:

A customer may roll in and transact with a business center officer in the Park ‘N Apply slot, where he will be given a menu of broadband plans and services. Upon choosing, the officer will check necessary requirements.

  1. The customer may then fill out an application form. The business center officer will validate the area serviceability and application details, after which the application is considered in-process and the customer may exit.
  2. The business center will email a confirmation of the subscription and the schedule of installation.

These quick and convenient facilities complement the standard application and payment processes done inside the business center.

“For our customers who still want to talk to our customer service representatives, they can also walk-in to the company’s newest full service business center. Every Converge business center offers sales, payment, and after-sales services, plus a self-service payment kiosk to limit contact,” said Converge Chief Operations Officer Jesus Romero.

The Greenhills Business Center will soon make available its drive-thru payment avenue for easier, on-the-go bills payment.

“We fully support Converge’s commitment to serve more and more Filipinos through innovation and service improvements such as this unique drive-thru business center that will provide customers with ease and convenience in their transactions,” said Myriad General Manager William Sia.

The 2-storey business center in Connecticut Avenue, within the Greenhills shopping district is equipped with the standard health and sanitation equipment such as a thermal scanner and alcohol stations.

Converge began increasing its business centers starting 2020 to meet the surge in demand from both residential and enterprise customers.

Online Bonding and Fun Leveled Up with the Xiaomi Redmi 10

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As quarantine restrictions continue to prevent us from being physically together, it’s easy to be consumed by loneliness and boredom at home. All our interactions are limited to being virtual only but that doesn’t mean it won’t be as fun as it could be face to face.

Introducing the Redmi 10, a smartphone packed with flagship-grade features to deliver performance that exceeds expectations, allowing you to stay better connected during the pandemic. Here are some reasons why this device is a must have most especially now.

See each other in stellar detail with Redmi 10’s killer camera and display


The Redmi 10’s 50MP ultra-high resolution main camera means people can see you in utmost quality during video calls and conferences and its large 6.5” screen with FHD+ resolution means you will also see who you’re talking to in the best quality possible. Conversations don’t have to feel distant because with the Redmi 10’s camera and display combination, it will feel like there is no screen dividing you from being with your loved ones.

The Redmi 10 is also accompanied by an 8MP ultra-wide camera, 2MP macro camera, and a 2MP depth sensor that gives you perfect tool to capture important moments of your life and share with your friends and family. The device also packs a suite of stylish filters to add flair for your shots, as well as panorama selfies perfect for selfies with all your family members.

Long lasting battery and fast charging feature equals longer conversations and shorter waiting time

Video calls can sometimes last for hours, especially when you’re talking with your family and friends who you don’t get to see or bond with often because of quarantine. And if there is one thing to expect from long hours of using your phone, it is a drained battery and a long waiting time for it to recharge. This is a big hassle, especially if you’re really into the conversation and you don’t want it to end.

Well, with the Redmi 10’s massive 5000 mAh battery, you can have hours of video calls, virtual hangouts and endless messaging without worrying about your phone running out of charge. It’s also equipped with AdaptiveSync technology – meaning that the Redmi 10 automatically adjusts its refresh rate based on your content, keeping your battery alive longer as it’ll boost refresh rates only for those moments when you need it. And when the time comes that you need to plug it in, it’s 18W fast charging and in-box 22.5W charger will have your phone ready and you can reconnect with whoever you want to in no time.

Dual speakers and unique reading mode feature to add color when you feel gray during isolation

in case you want to have a dance party at home, here’s the perfect sound system to blast your favorite tunes as you dance the night away. Redmi 10 comes with MIUI 12.5 out of the box and offers an immersive audio experience with its dual speakers. Or, maybe you’re in the mood for a Netflix watch party with your friends – just grab some popcorn and enjoy as many films as you want with crystal clear audio. But if you’re just in the mood to surf through the internet and explore the vast world of social media, Redmi 10’s Reading Mode 3.0 feature is perfect to relax your eyes as you flip through your favorite content. Whatever your in the mood do, Redmi 10’s got your back!

Large storage, Maximum performance with an elegant design in the palm of your hand

With two variants available – 4GB+64GB and 6GB+128GB, the Redmi 10 can store any and as many apps as you would like. There’s also no need to worry about lagging or overheating as the Redmi 10 is powered by a 2.0GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio G88 processor. Designed from the ground up to perform with its lightning-fast GPU, Redmi 10 takes your mobile performance to new heights with powerful hardware and next-level features.

All of this contained in a device with a sleek design that is a joy to hold. It’s available in 3 beautiful colors; matte Carbon Gray and Pebble White with a classic, smooth fingerprint-proof finish, and a beautifully textured glossy Sea Blue.

The Redmi 10 is available in the official Xiaomi Lazada and Shopee. The 4GB+64GB and 6+128GB variants can also be availed through Home Credit at 0% interest in 6 months for as low as ₱913/month and ₱1,033/month respectively.

About Xiaomi Corporation


Xiaomi Corporation was founded in April 2010 and listed on the Main Board of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on July 9, 2018 (1810.HK). Xiaomi is a consumer electronics and smart manufacturing company with smartphones, smart hardware and Internet of Things (IoT) platform at its core.

With an equal emphasis on innovation and quality, Xiaomi continuously pursues high-quality user experience and operational efficiency. The company relentlessly builds amazing products with honest prices to let everyone in the world enjoy a better life through innovative technology.

As of the second quarter of 2021, Xiaomi is the No.2 smartphone brand in the global smartphone market. The company has also established the world’s leading consumer AIoT (AI+IoT) platform, with over 351.1 million smart devices connected to its platform, excluding smartphones and laptops. Xiaomi products are present in more than 100 countries and regions around the world. In August 2021, the company made the Fortune Global 500 list for the third time, ranking 338th, up 84 places compared to 2020.

Xiaomi is a constituent of the Hang Seng Index, Hang Seng China Enterprises Index, Hang Seng TECH Index and Hang Seng China 50 Index.

QURE: A teleconsultation & wellness website made by Filipinos for Filipinos

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QURE: A teleconsultation & wellness website made by Filipinos for Filipinos

A teleconsult website that promises to make medical consultations easy and convenient for many Filipinos was finally launched today, October 20.

QURE.ph, an all-Filipino-made website, provides a platform for online video consultations, connects doctors and patients for easy scheduling of appointments, and makes available a directory of pharmacies and other health and wellness providers.

QURE.ph offers a free platform for doctors who want to expand their services via teleconsult amid increasing demand for virtual consultation.

“We created this platform with the Filipino patient in mind. It’s a simple website and it does not complicate the teleconsultation process. Even those not comfortable with technology will find these consultations easy to do. This is our new normal and QURE is here to help you navigate the future of healthcare,” said Gary Libby, QURE Chief Technology Officer.

A trip to the hospital may also be burdensome these days, as the COVID pandemic persists. QURE will help Filipinos find their way through this public health crisis while keeping their health in check.

“This will definitely benefit doctors and patients. No more overbooking for doctors, and no more long lines for patients waiting for their turn at clinics. Whether via teleconsult or face-to-face check-ups, the scheduling system of QURE helps both patients and doctors,” Libby added.

Andrea Trinidad, Chief Executive Officer of QURE, said the idea of the teleconsult platform started last year when the lockdowns extended and it became difficult for patients to see their doctors.

Trinidad, who has a life-long disorder called hemophilia and is the president Hemophilia Advocates-Philippines, said the pandemic really affected patients.

“When I was approached by my friends last year and they shared with me their idea of a telemedicine platform, I told them it was brilliant. We envision QURE to be an e-mall of health services where you can book consults, buy medicines, book laboratory appointments and even book a consult with the veterinarian for your fur babies,” she added.

More to know about QURE:

The platform is data-safe, both for patients and doctors. Registering is FREE for patients and doctors. Consultation fees range from P500 to P1,500, depending on doctor’s specialization. But for its introductory price, QURE is offering a 50 percent discount for consultations.

Registered users can look for doctors for their tele-consult. Specialists have expertise on:

Cardiology; General Surgery; Obstetrics and Gynecology; Integrative General Medicine; Internal Medicine, Dermatology; Otolaryngology (ENT); ENT Specialist Head & Neck Surgery; Psychiatry-Adult; Physical Medicine/Rehab; Pediatrics; Allergy & Asthma, Immunologist; Urology; Sleep Medicine/Insomnia; Ophthalmology; Family & Occupational Medicine; Cardiology; Pediatrics-Pulmonology; Family Medicine; Lifestyle Medicine, Orthopedic Surgery and Hematology/Oncology.

Also in QURE’s pool of experts: Nutritionist Dietician; General Dentistry/Orthodontics; Dentistry/Prosthetic and Esthetic;

The website lets you know who is online.

Is the doctor in? No need to guess or call the doctor’s secretary. Through the QURE website, you can easily see if the doctor is available to take consultations.

Find doctors in your area or teleconsult with a specialist anywhere in the Philippines

QURE has a growing number of specialists from all over the country. The drop-down menu on the website shows that many doctors have already signed up. Many more are joining QURE in the following weeks.

It’s a growing health and wellness community.

In the coming months, expect more health and wellness features. You will also soon see reviews of doctors done by patients themselves.

For more information about QURE, you may contact us at support@qure.ph or 0991.398.8781. To check our pool of specialists, visit https://qure.ph/search-doctor

Converge taps First Gen clean energy for Manila headquarters

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Leading fiber broadband provider Converge ICT Solutions Inc. is switching to 100% renewable energy to power its main office in Pasig City, committing to purchase a total of 2.5 megawatts (MW) of geothermal energy up to 2023 from pioneering clean energy company First Gen Corporation.

“The clean energy that First Gen will provide for our head office in Pasig complements our business in more ways than one. It reflects our choices as a responsible company that wishes to do its share for the environment,” said Converge CEO Dennis Anthony Uy in a virtual signing ceremony held recently.

“Thank you to our newest partner Converge for sharing the same vision and values as us by choosing 100% clean energy and sharing our goal of achieving a low carbon future. The 2.5 MW of purely renewable energy from Tongonan geothermal power plant owned by our subsidiary Energy Development Corporation will bring Converge one step closer to reducing its carbon footprint, and as we’d like to say – Powered by Good,” noted First Gen Chairman and CEO Federico R. Lopez.

“The Philippines is especially vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, and this has direct implications on the future of our business too. We have chosen to take decisive action now. This is the first major step in our journey to becoming carbon neutral,” added Converge Chief Strategy Officer Benjamin Azada.

In inking the two-year supply contract, which became effective September 26, Converge is making strides on its sustainability commitment where it aims to pursue greener options in its operations.

The clean energy will be sourced from Tongonan geothermal power plant in Leyte (which is owned by First Gen’s subsidiary, EDC), with the energy firm providing a maximum of 1.5 megawatts during the first year, increasing to 2.5 megawatts through its second year.

This is in participation with Department of Energy’s (DOE) Retail Competition and Open Access (RCOA) program which allows consumers deemed to belong in the “contestable market” to choose their electricity supplier.

“Aside from helping save the environment, we also expect operating cost savings, although this isn’t the primary reason for the switch. Our driver for partnering with First Gen is to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and give back to the planet.,” said Converge President and Chief Resources Officer Grace Y. Uy.

First Gen Corporation currently services a growing list of direct clients shifting to green power all over the country and is among the first Renewable Energy Supplier approved by the DOE for the Green Energy Options Program (GEOP).

This shift to renewable energy is the latest sustainability initiative of Converge in recent months as it expands its corporate social responsibility agenda.

First Gen Executive Vice President Victor Emmanuel B. Santos, Jr. said: “We are truly happy to collaborate and partner with like-minded customers who value a sustainable future and believe that all of us need to take progressive steps towards it.”

“Consumers now buy LED lights instead of traditional light bulbs. Efficiently-powered appliances lower electricity bills. Electric vehicles shuttle employees to work. Businesses like Converge are realizing that wasting less energy isn’t just good for the planet, it’s also good for business,” Santos added.

Crowdfunding an Alternative for Funding Medical Needs

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Paying for medical bills has been burdensome for more people across the globe especially during this time of the pandemic. More than ever many people lack the capacity to finance a love one’s medical needs, worst is that most government fails to help at all. Where do people turn to when most of their family and friends are barely making it to survive? The advent of crowdfunding platforms practically solves most of this problem. Crowdfunding is designed to gather small help from a larger number of people via the internet through a different virtual platform. Should the traditional sources of funding be limited, crowdfunding might be the answer.

Airfunding, a global crowdfunding platform has been helping thousands of people get immediate funding for their medical bills. In 2020 alone, they have reached more than $300,000, and thousands of projects were created. Through different medical projects created on its platform, many are guaranteed to get help from its 10 million-plus subscribers. At present, Airfunding goal is to help more people achieve their aspirations of helping that love one finance that medical need or journey and that no one will be able to lose a loved one because there is no source of funds to continue treatment and medication.

Southeast Asian countries have a combined population of 550 million with very low health insurance coverage. Most government does not cover hospitalization and treatment at all, with this dilemma it is sad to note that majority of the people here are hopeless when it comes to hospitalization and medical care. Most people from this region do not have access to traditional funding and just let tragic fate take its toll. Crowdfunding sites such as Airfunding, understand this clamor for change wherein people can get help from non-traditional means such as crowdfunding.

F(DEV) marks first year, launches start-up portfolio targeting underserved markets

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F(DEV), the premier corporate-led venture builder in the Philippines, marks its first anniversary by launching its new venture portfolio targeting big gaps in the market with technology-driven business models.

As technology takes on a more pivotal role in the country’s economic recovery, the venture builder aims to introduce digital innovations and disruptive platforms to empower Filipinos and Filipino businesses toward boosting the country’s digital economy.

F(DEV), or FUNCTION DEV, is backed by the Filinvest Group of Companies and has been under the radar since its establishment in October 2020, quietly growing and strengthening its portfolio of new businesses. Its first three digital startups address gaps in the Fintech and eCommerce space, with a heavy emphasis on enabling local businesses, especially the hard-hit MSMEs, to accelerate towards a digital future. With MSMEs accounting for more than 99 percent of businesses in the country1, F(DEV) believes that technology is an essential driver for recovery and growth as the country tries to bounce back from the effects of the pandemic.

F(DEV) is led by its CEO and Managing Director, Xavier Marzan, who himself has been a startup CEO and previously led new digital product development and scale-up for two of the Fintech unicorns in the region. “Our mission at F(DEV) is to venture into technology-based businesses that serve and empower underserved markets as well as disrupt traditional industries. We have shown in the past year that we can take a startup idea from the ‘venture lab’ to market commercialization and scale-up quite rapidly – and we’ve done all of this in a lockdown environment.”

Venture builder ecosystem


F(DEV)’s core team is a diversified group of seasoned entrepreneurs, product specialists, venture operators, data mavens, designers and engineers, operating under a lean startup and innovation architecture. F(DEV) also taps on the extensive ecosystem of the Filinvest Group to support its ventures. The group has a strong presence in several industries, including banking and finance, real estate, hospitality, F&B, infrastructure, energy, and technology. By mobilizing its team in an ecosystem, fueled by its startup DNA, the venture builder is able to accelerate time-to-market for its startups before opening it up to the broader market.

The team is also exploring strategic investment opportunities in other startups that have disruptive business models to solve real-world problems and uplift the country’s digital economy at scale.

Building a Massive Portfolio of Digital Businesses


Although still very young in the industry, F(DEV) is already supporting a growing list of digital startups with a combined mission of serving underserved segments and transforming brick-and-mortar industries with technology-based business models. For the past year, the venture builder identified key market gaps and executed on these opportunities. In its portfolio today, the F(DEV) team is proud to have launched the following:

● Investree Philippines, the country’s very first SEC licensed crowdfunding platform, has already provided more than Php100 million in financing to local MSMEs on its platform. It aims to address the Php11 trillion MSME credit gap in the country;

● Qwote, a B2B e-commerce startup that seeks to disrupt the buying experience for businesses and make it extremely easy. Today, the Qwote platform already has more than 30,000 product listings and close to a thousand suppliers, providing goods and services to a fast-growing network of multinational and local corporate brands such as Amazon and Toyota;

● Fastwire, a new innovative Software as a Service (SaaS) solution that aims to make financial transactions smooth and simple for businesses;

● The team also supports its various group ecosystem ventures including Komo, the first exclusively digital banking service to be offered by a local bank, and a soon-to-be-launched digital service by the group’s hospitality unit.

Marzan remarked, “We are both humbled and inspired by what we have accomplished in such a short span of time. But we know there is so much more work to be done. At the end of the day, we also believe that the Philippines needs more startups to drive innovation and growth in the digital economy. Growth in the digital economy means a stronger Philippines in a regional and global landscape.”

Worldwide sales of OMRON blood pressure monitors tops 300 million units

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OMRON Healthcare Co., Ltd (Head Office: Muko, Kyoto, Japan, President & CEO: Isao Ogino) has announced that cumulative global sales of home-use blood pressure monitors reached 300 million units. It was 1973 when OMRON released its first electronic blood pressure monitor. And now, OMRON blood pressure monitors are available in more than 110 countries/regions across the world including the Philippines.

“We are celebrating this remarkable milestone by strengthening our commitment to serving our customers here in the Philippines even better. We are working hard on forging more partnerships and making our products more accessible so that OMRON can help more Filipino families in maintaining good heart health from home,” said Mr. Yusuke Kato, General Manager for OMRON Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd – Philippine Branch (Healthcare Division).

In the Philippines, for example, OMRON has collaborated with Philippine Society of Hypertension in educating Filipinos on how to prevent high blood pressure and heart disease by changing a healthy lifestyle and monitor blood pressure regularly at home.

Since the release of the first device, it took OMRON 36 years to achieve cumulative global sales of 100 million units in 2009. In the 2010s, people became more conscious of managing their own health, and at the same time, the number of patients with lifestyle-related diseases dramatically increased on a global scale. Just around the same time, the guidelines for home treatment of hypertension were officially established　by leading medical societies, and a new behavioural pattern – monitoring blood pressure at home – became more popular. As a result, it took only 7 years to sell the next 100 million units. Ever since, OMRON has expanded across global markets consistently, accommodating the increasing demand of blood pressure monitors not only in America, China, and Europe, but also in developing countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, India and Brazil, and it took only 5 years for marking the 300 million-unit sales this year.

An estimated 1 billion adults worldwide have hypertension, and the number of individuals with cerebro-cardiovascular diseases caused by hypertension accounts for 17.5 million. In the Philippines, the latest Preyson study released in 2021 by the Philippine Heart Association showed that the country has a progressive rise of high blood pressure among Filipinos, with the prevalence of hypertension climbing to 37 percent in 2021.Cerebro-cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death globally, and even when patients manage to survive after an event, there are still high risks for becoming bedridden or causing them to have serious side effects. Not only patients, but also their families can be impacted mentally and financially, and the level of their health-related quality of life (QOL) is jeopardized.

With the mission of “helping realize healthy and comfortable lives for people around the world”, OMRON Healthcare heralded its Going for ZERO vision (achieving zero cerebro-cardiovascular events) for its cardiovascular business in 2015, and has expanded the business domains focusing mainly on home blood pressure monitors. Now, taking this opportunity as a milestone for the new chapter, it will continue to identify the market demands and user needs, while responding to them swiftly with innovative solutions. Furthermore, the service business, such as the development of health-management apps for smartphones and a remote patient monitoring service will be accelerated. OMRON Healthcare will support both home health managements and healthcare professional’s patients treatment with its devices and services; helping to realize healthy and comfortable lives for people around the world.

Journey of OMRON Healthcare

In the 1970s, when measuring blood pressure had formerly been regarded as a medical procedure performed only by physicians and nurses, the first OMRON electronic blood pressure monitor was released. Since then, OMRON Healthcare has been devoting efforts to explore the easy-to-use and highly accurate blood pressure monitors and has introduced innovative devices including a wearable blood pressure monitor and an upper arm blood pressure monitor with EKG function into the market. More recently, OMRON has taken on the challenge of introducing the remote patient monitoring services on a global scale as part of the infrastructure in the New Normal, and developing AI technology to prevent the potential events of cardiovascular diseases.

Rankings by Revenue Places Kingston No. 1 with 78.02% Market Share

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Kingston Technology, a world leader in memory products and technology solutions, today announced it has been ranked top third-party DRAM module supplier in the world, according to the latest rankings by revenue from analyst firm TrendForce (formerly DRAMeXchange). Kingston retains its number 1 position with an estimated 78.02% market share on $13.2B (USD) revenue. TrendForce states that Kingston increased revenue by 2.03% YOY marking the 18th consecutive year that Kingston has held the top spot.

Kingston maintains its competitive advantage by working closely with its suppliers, partners, and customers to remain flexible and adapt to ever-changing needs and market conditions. A driving force to Kingston’s success is their working attitude of ‘Kingston Is With You’. As one of the leading buyers of DRAM chips in the world, Kingston saw an early need for memory chips in certain markets and took a proactive approach to secure additional components needed for the potential demand such as purchasing component inventory that was bogging down their partner’s warehouses. The popular thought in early 2020 was that the technology sector would slow down due to the pandemic, but Kingston took the initiative to be prepared for those segments that would require additional DRAM; work from home PCs, gaming memory, and server farms that needed more memory for the onslaught of online purchases and activity.

Additionally, with the next generation of DDR fast approaching, Kingston is primed to provide customers with the cutting-edge speeds of DDR5. Kingston’s strong relationship with Intel will help ensure “stride for stride” solutions with Intel’s latest product launches.

“TrendForce’s findings reflect the company’s continued growth and flexibility to tackle a challenging business climate” said Kingston. “Our leading position in the market allows us to collaborate closely with our partners and vendors, and to provide education and guidance on new technology, like 16Gbit modules and the upcoming DDR5 launch, to our customers.”