Two Big Brands Team Up to Bring Smarter Cars to the Philippines

This partnership between PLDT and Toyota is the latest in the list of efforts by large companies in the country to enable digital adoption for Filipinos.

PLDT, through its B2B solutions arm PLDT Enterprise, has partnered with Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) to bolster the latter’s newest suite of connected services—the myTOYOTA Connect. 

According to a report by the Philippine Star, this will be done with smart IoT (Internet of Things) eSIM solutions, which is powered by Smart and the first of its kind to be rolled out in the country. Smart is part of the PLDT Group.

The partnership “would further drive the benefits of smart connected cars and intelligent platforms technology for major fleet business operators and Toyota car owners,” per the report.

“Through this milestone, we are powering the changing landscape of the automobile industry to be more ‘intelligent,’ with newer and smarter solutions,” says PLDT and Smart President and CEO Alfredo Panlilio in a statement. 

How Does It Work?

Internet of Things (IoT) is defined as “the network of physical objects—’things’—that are embedded with sensors, software, and other technologies for the purpose of connecting and exchanging data with other devices and systems over the internet.” Through this process, everyday items are connected to the internet for seamless communication and easy access.

Thanks to PLDT’s Smart IoT Platform, TMP will be able to maximize the features and potential of its myTOYOTA Connect. The aim of myTOYOTA Connect is to provide “Toyota car owners and fleet business operators the ability to have more control over their vehicle for their safety.” 

myTOYOTA Connect allows users to monitor the location, condition, and even driver speed through the myTOYOTA app. The platform is already available and ready for activation in the select variants of the following models: 

• Fortuner
• Hiace
• Hilux
• RAV4

Importance of Digital Adoption

Panlilio notes that its partnership with TMP “reinforces how PLDT Group aims to enable digital adoption for Filipinos, which is key to inclusive nation-building.” 

“Through broader connectivity and technologies such as IoT offered by PLDT Enterprise, digital adoption can create opportunities across priority sectors of the economy, such as the transportation industry,” he adds.

But what exactly is digital adoption?

Digital adoption is defined by Forbes as the term that “refers to achieving a state within your company where all of your digital tools and assets are leveraged to the fullest extent.” Given how the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed companies towards digitization, maximizing these tools and assets is crucial in order to ensure their efficiency and that they’re worth the cost. 

When digital tools and assets have been upgraded to their full potential, these make the different processes within the company a lot quicker and easier to do. This, in turn, will make it easier for companies and institutions to be more efficient in providing products or services to their clients.