DigitalFilipino E-Commerce Summit and Globe GCash

The DigitalFilipino E-Commerce Summit, an intensive 2-day educational seminar on e-commerce strategies that is scheduled to take place on November 12 & 13, 2009 at the Hotel Intercontinental, Makati City.

One interesting bit about the summit, besides sharing "best practices (what to do, what not to do, execution, measurement)", one of the sponsors, Globe GCASH and Ms. Rizza Maniego-Eala, President, G-Xchange, Inc. will talk about "Challenges and Opportunities in MOBILE MONEY TRANSFER: Implementation of GCASH" at the event. It will be a "look into Mobile Commerce in the Philippines and how its applications have evolved to be able to service both mainstream and unbanked markets. Insights on the challenges and opportunities of Mobile Money transfer within the mobile commerce ecosystems, and a specific look into its current role in the banking industry."



From my initial knowledge and a little bit of research, GCASH allows Globe and Touch Mobile subscribers to pay or transact for the following using their mobile phones:

- domestic and international remittances
- utility bills
- interest and amortization of loans
- insurance premiums
- donations to various institutions and organizations
- sales commissions and payroll disbursements
- school tuition fees
- micro tax payments and business registration
- electronic loads and pins
- online purchases via GCASH Click
- airline tickets

GCASH is tied-up to BPI Mobile Banking enabling Globe and TM subscribers to do various bank transactions through one's cellphone. GCASH is also used as a wholesale payment facility particularly for rural banks wherein various moeny transfer services are offered such as: text-a-deposit, text-a-sweldo, text-a-withdrawal, text-a-payment, text-a-remittance.

Also enabled by the GCASH platform is GCASH REMIT, the cash pick-up remittance service of GCASH. GCASH REMIT makes it easy for overseas Filipino workers to send their hard earned money from abroad, and their beneficiaries can instantly claim their remittance in over 2,500 GCASH REMIT pay out locations in the Philippines such as pawnshops, rural banks and money changers.

Globe also recently launched Immortal Load, the first load with NO EXPIRY via GCASH. You can use it to purchase load whenever you need it.

In this day and age, the use of cellular phones became a necessity, with more than almost every Filipino having at least one unit. Moreover, I think this is why companies such as Globe, together with different industries, like the banking industry, are trying to make available services that once was very tedious to do. Right now, it's just as instant and as mobile as it could get.