The First Philippine Physical Internet National Symposium
In a groundbreaking initiative, a consortium of dedicated professionals and scholars successfully organized the 1st Conference on the Physical Internet, held on November 22, 2023, at the University of Asia and the Pacific in Pasig City. The conference, operating under the theme “Meeting the Global Logistics Challenge in the Philippines through the Physical Internet,” sought to address the pressing issues faced by the logistics industry in the country. The term “Physical Internet” (PI) refers to an “open global logistics system founded on physical, digital, and operational interconnectivity through encapsulation, interfaces, and protocols” (Montreuil et al, 2013). Drawing inspiration from the concepts of the ‘Digital Internet’ (DI), the PI model aims to revolutionize the movement and storage of physical products. This groundbreaking event was made possible through the collaborative efforts of a Special Interest Group (SIG) dedicated to researching the Physical Internet. Comprising scholars and industry practitioners, this SIG has been actively working towards implementing the vision of the Physical Internet for the logistics sector in the Philippines. The conference provided a platform for experts, academics, and professionals to exchange insights, share research findings, and explore innovative solutions. Attendees engaged in discussions on the challenges and opportunities posed by the integration of the Physical Internet into the logistics landscape of the Philippines. EACOMM’s Managing Director, Mike Torres, participated in the conference by sharing how it would be possible to build the System of Logistics Networks. The presentation highlighted the various technologies needed to realize the Physical Internet. EACOMM’s experience in AI, IoT, and custom software development are cited as examples of how Filipino companies, engineers, and developers are ready to help develop this groundbreaking revolution. For those seeking further information, the conference organizers invite interested parties to visit the official website for comprehensive details. The website serves as a valuable resource, offering insights into the conference proceedings, research materials, and ongoing initiatives related to the Physical Internet in the Philippines: https://sites.google.com/uap.asia/physicalinternetph/conference Download EACOMM’s Presentation here: The Physical Internet – Building a System of Logistics Networks
A practical guide to selecting your web frontend framework
When starting a new web application project, choosing the preferred web frontend framework can often be a long and serious point of discussion. In this article, we hope to provide developers with a guide to selecting a suitable web frontend framework for different types of projects. JavaScript or TypeScript When we talk about frontend web development in the year 2023 and for probably the next few years, we’re basically talking about a framework for either JavaScript or TypeScript. The two programming languages are fairly similar, with TypeScript being a superset of JavaScript. This means that all valid JavaScript code is also valid TypeScript code. They share the same fundamental syntax, which includes variables, loops, conditionals, functions, and objects. Arguably all frontend developers would know how to program in JavaScript. TypeScript is not as popular, but as it is fairly similar to JavaScript, most JS programmers can adopt TypeScript given enough time and willingness to learn. Framework Popularity and Community Support The next factor to consider is how popular the framework is and how active the support is around it. The popularity of a framework dictates how easy it is to recruit developers for your project, research and get answers in developer forums, find plugins and extensions for it, and how often it gets updated and upgraded. While there are easily dozens or more TypeScript and JavaScript frameworks around, most web developers would agree that the ones that are currently most popular and most actively supported are React, Angular, and Vue.js. All three are free and open-source frameworks used by a large number of applications and websites with active development and support communities. Hence, let’s focus our further analysis on these three frameworks. What is React? React was initially released in 2013 and is created and maintained by Meta (formerly Facebook). React is often used for creating single-page applications and mobile applications, but it can be applied to various types of web development. What is Vue.js Vue.js (often referred to as Vue) is an open-source JavaScript framework for building user interfaces released in 2014. It is designed to be a progressive framework, which means you can use as much or as little of it as you need, making it easy to integrate into existing projects or start new ones. Vue.js is often lauded for its simplicity, flexibility, and ease of use. Vue was created by Evan You, who also maintains it along with a core team of developers, unlike the other two frameworks discussed here, which are supported by large companies, What is Angular? Angular or Angular 2+ is a complete rewrite of AngularJS and was released in 2016. It is a comprehensive open-source framework for building dynamic, single-page web applications. Google and a group of developers are responsible for developing and maintaining it. Angular is distinct from React and Vue in that it provides a complete solution for building web applications, not just the view layer. It is also unique in its use of TypeScript as its programming language, as opposed to JavaScript for the other two. Comparative Analysis of Angular, React, and Vue Aspect Vue.js React Angular 2+ Initial Release 2014 2013 2016 Popularity Growing rapidly Extremely popular Widely adopted Learning Curve Easier, especially for beginners Moderate; JSX knowledge required Steeper learning curve Architecture Component-based Component-based Component-based, MVVM architecture Data Binding Two-way data binding One-way data binding (Uni-directional) Two-way data binding Rendering Virtual DOM Virtual DOM Real DOM Template Syntax HTML-based with directives JSX (JavaScript XML) HTML-based with Angular-specific syntax State Management Vuex (official state management) Flux/Redux (external libraries) RxJS and built-in state management Size & Performance Smaller bundle size, fast initial load Smaller bundle size, fast initial load Larger bundle size, slower initial load Community & Ecosystem Growing community, versatile ecosystem Vast and active community; extensive ecosystem Mature community, wide ecosystem Integration with Other Libraries Good integration with various libraries Easily integrates with third-party libraries Tight integration with Angular-specific libraries Development Speed Faster development due to simplicity Fast development with a large developer community Slower development due to complexity Official CLI Tool Vue CLI Create React App Angular CLI Selecting the right frontend framework While we have narrowed it down to three frameworks you can choose from, the table above shows that there are still decision points needed to select which three would be the most applicable for your project. Simple Projects = Vue Vue is often an excellent choice for simple projects due to its minimal learning curve. It’s lightweight and easy to pick up, making it a great option for smaller applications or prototypes that will help you reach the market sooner. React is also a viable option and has the advantage of popularity, which makes it easier to recruit and get community support. Angular might be overkill for simple projects that won’t be expanding any time soon. Medium-complexity Projects = React (Vue and Angular as a close second) For moderately complex system development, all three would have their merits for utilization, with React probably being the slight leader in terms of ease of support, developer recruitment, and platform maturity. Vue can still be viable for its faster learning curve, growing popularity, and community support; while Angular is a good option especially if scaling up the system in the near future is likely. High-complexity Projects = Angular Angular’s extensive features and strong architectural patterns make it a robust choice for large-scale enterprise applications. While React and even Vue can and have been used for larger systems, they’re not really designed for this type of scale, and long-term code maintenance and support might prove more difficult. Other points of consideration Team Expertise If your current team is already adept in one of the three frameworks, then selection would obviously skew toward what the team is already familiar with. Do keep in mind the caveats, especially when using Angular for simpler projects or Vue or React for highly complex ones. Integration Requirements If the project will be interfacing with third-party systems, then the choice of framework would
1955: The Year that Shaped Information Technology
An interesting factoid is the number of immensely influential personalities in the Information Technology Industry who were born in the year 1955. Coming of age in the 1970s these icons of IT were heavily influenced by the birth of microcomputers and how computers became something accessible to practically everyone. EACOMM pays tribute to these titans of Information Technology, without which the world would be a vastly different place than it is today. Steve Jobs Co-Founder/Chairman and CEO Apple Inc. Steve Jobs, born on February 24, 1955, was an entrepreneur and visionary who co-founded Apple Inc., one of the most innovative technology companies in the world. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential figures of the technology industry. Jobs was born in San Francisco, California, and was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs. He grew up in Mountain View, California, where his father worked as a machinist. Jobs showed an early interest in electronics, and he began tinkering with electronics as a teenager. In 1972, Jobs enrolled at Reed College in Portland, Oregon, but dropped out after just one semester. He returned to California and took a job as a technician at Atari, a video game company. Jobs left Atari in 1974 to travel to India, where he explored Eastern spirituality and meditation. Upon his return to the United States, Jobs co-founded Apple Inc. with Steve Wozniak in 1976. The company initially focused on building personal computers for hobbyists, but quickly expanded to offer more powerful machines for business users. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Jobs oversaw the development of several key products, including the Macintosh computer, which was widely regarded as the first successful personal computer with a graphical user interface. Apple went through several ups and downs over the years, but Jobs remained at the helm and continued to push the company forward. In 1985, Jobs was fired from Apple after a power struggle with the company’s board of directors. He went on to found NeXT Computer, which developed high-end computers for the education and business markets. NeXT struggled financially, but the company’s software and operating system became the basis for Apple’s Mac OS X. In 1997, Apple acquired NeXT, and Jobs returned to the company as CEO. Under his leadership, Apple developed several groundbreaking products, including the iPod, iPhone, and iPad. Jobs was known for his design sensibilities and his ability to anticipate what consumers wanted before they even knew it themselves. In addition to his work at Apple, Jobs was active in philanthropy. He donated millions of dollars to various causes, including cancer research and education. Jobs himself was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2003, and he passed away on October 5, 2011, at the age of 56. Eric Schmidt Chairman/CEO Google Eric Schmidt was born in Washington, D.C. in April 27,1955. He earned a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Princeton University in 1976, followed by a master’s degree and Ph.D. in computer science from the University of California, Berkeley. Schmidt began his career in the technology industry in 1983, when he joined the research staff at Xerox’s Palo Alto Research Center (PARC). In 1986, he joined Sun Microsystems, where he served as a technical leader and eventually became the company’s Chief Technology Officer. In 1997, Schmidt joined Novell, a software company, as CEO. He led the company through a difficult period and oversaw a successful restructuring, which helped to restore the company’s profitability. However, he left Novell in 2001 to join Google as CEO. Under Schmidt’s leadership, Google grew from a small startup into one of the world’s most successful technology companies. He oversaw the development of several key products, including Google Search, Google Maps, and Google Earth. He also helped to negotiate key partnerships, such as the company’s agreement to provide search technology for AOL. In addition to his work at Google, Schmidt has been active in philanthropy and public service. He served as a member of President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology from 2009 to 2017. He has also been a vocal advocate for renewable energy and sustainable development. In 2011, Schmidt stepped down as CEO of Google, but he remained with the company as Executive Chairman. In this role, he focused on building relationships with governments and regulators around the world. He also oversaw the development of Google’s self-driving car project, which later became Waymo. In 2015, Schmidt announced that he would be stepping down as Executive Chairman of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc. He transitioned to a role as Technical Advisor, where he continued to work closely with Google’s leadership team. Schmidt has received numerous awards and accolades for his work in the technology industry. In 2006, he was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering, and in 2016, he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. James Gosling “Father” of the Java Programming Language James Gosling is a computer scientist and software developer known for creating the Java programming language. He was born on May 19, 1955, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Gosling attended the University of Calgary, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in computer science in 1977. He went on to earn a Ph.D. in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University in 1983. After completing his doctoral studies, Gosling joined Sun Microsystems, where he worked as a software developer. At Sun, he helped to develop several key products, including the NeWS windowing system and the Gosling Emacs text editor. However, it was his work on the Java programming language that would make him a household name in the technology industry. Gosling began working on Java in the early 1990s, with the goal of creating a programming language that could be used to develop software that would run on any device, regardless of its hardware or operating system. He envisioned a world in which developers could write a program once and then run it on any device, without having to worry about compatibility issues. Java was released in 1995,
New EACOMM website with AI-powered chatbot
EACOMM Corporation launches its new website for 2023. The website is the 9th iteration of eacomm.com since 2001 and features our new Chatbot: Chaital (Chat AI Technology with Advanced Language). Chaital is powered by OpenAI and is trained to address initial queries about EACOMM corporation and direct these queries to the appropriate people. The website has much more animation, graphics and videos than the past decade’s iterations of EACOMM and brings back and showcases our two decades of leadership in Interactive Multimedia. For past versions of our website, check out Archive.org Version 1 of EACOMM was a 10 page plain HTML website deployed in 2001. Version 2 “Classic Black” (2002-2003) Featured a number of online forms developed in PHP and written to MySQL database. However, the main site content remained mostly HTML-based with some small flash animation elements. Version two also included our first efforts in Search Engine Version 3 “United Colors of EACOMM” (2003-2005) Featured a lively intro page and heavily SEO’d content. Some content was already content managed during the latter part of this version’s existence. Version 3 was also the first site hosted outside of EACOMM’s in-house web server for increased accessibility from the US/Europe. Version 4 “The Tree House” (2005-2008) This website was the first EACOMM website to fully utilize DO-CMS for content management and was heavy on Flash Animation. It features original artwork from Visual Artist Robert Deniega. Further additions to the site include this Blog website, a Japanese Version of the Website, and other division sub-sites. Version 5 “Film Noir” (2008-2012) This website features detailed interactive scenery with a retro, film-noir look developed in Flash. The website is managed through the latest version of EACOMM’s Dynamic Online Content Management System which features new features such as allowing for editing of Flash content as well as integration with Google’s Application suite. The site’s use of CSS 2.0 would also allow us to change the layout much more often and offer different layouts simultaneously in the future. The site is also designed to showcase the entire skill set of EACOMM Corporation from Interactive Multimedia and Animation as seen with the various Flash scenes, to High-end Web Programming as showcased in the various dynamic content and interactive forms. Version 6 “Pop-Art” (2012-2014) This version of the website pays homage to 50’s-60’s pop-art. The current site is running the beta version of DO-CMS version 4, the first complete rewrite of the DO-CMS engine. In this website, we have decided to forgo flash animation in favor of javascript/jquery/html5 to coincide with the trend in mobile and tablet web browsing. The site is also tightly integrated with Facebook (particularly the photo albums) and other social networking websites. Version 7 “Pixel Art” (2014-2017) While we have been deploying responsive websites for our clients for the past 2 years, it is only in 2014 that we finally had the time to convert our own site to a fully responsive design. This is in reaction to the ever-increasing number of website visitors that are smartphone and tablet users. As with our past websites, the site has a central “theme” that plays tribute to 1980s PC pixel isometric art. The site also shows a transition to a more mature “corporate look”, embracing the fact that EACOMM is no longer a new start-up set up by fresh grads in their twenties, but an established corporation led by a highly experienced group of entrepreneurs and professional managers. Version 8 “Video Time-lapse” (2017-2020) A minor redesign of version 7, this site’s banner is a timelapse video of Eastwood Cyberpark, EACOMM’s home since its inception in 2001. Version 9 “Vector Animations” (2020-2022) After using WordPress to power EACOMM.com for 6 years, this website marks the release and use of DO-CMS Version 5. DO-CMS Version 5 is a headless CMS and the site’s front-end is completely independent of its backend, giving more freedom to our graphic artists to design the frontend site. Meant to usher in EACOMM’s 20th anniversary, it also coincides with the CoVid Pandemic and EACOMM’s transition to the “new normal.” Version 10 “AI Tagcloud” (2023-) Version 10’s intro banner is a tag cloud of EACOMM’s products and services. This site, still powered by the same DO-CMS backend of Version 9, showcases more animation, interactivity, and EACOMM’s AI Chatbot: Aica.
FIXED: (13)Permission denied: Init: Can’t open server certificate file
If you’re renewing SSL certificates using a new certificate and intermediate files like yournewcert.crt and newintermediatecert.crt and your Apache isn’t restarting, then this might be the fix for you! First, check your error logs: If it’s showing an error similar to: The solution that worked for us is typing these commands to change the how SELinux sees your new certificate and intermediate certificate: The culprit of this issue is the Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux) which is a Kernel Security Module of various Linux distros. The chcon command assists in changing the SELinux context or TYPE of what is typically just one or occasionally a few files that may be quickly addressed with a wildcard. An erroneous SELinux context can be fixed using chcon, semanage, and restorecon.
Web and Software Division Website
The new Web and Software Development Division Website is now on-line! The site will focus on the products and service offerings of the web and software division of EACOMM Corporation. The site is powered (ofcourse!) by our very own DO-CMS Enterprise Edition ver. 3. Visit it here: http://web.eacomm.com Coming Soon is the 10th Anniversary Version of EACOMM’s Corporate Website!
DO-CMS Community Edition Version 3.03 Released
Major update of DO-CMS Community Edition that includes: 1. Clean URLs – Default support for SEO friendly URL’s. 2. Upgraded Newsletter Engine – Now includes reports and statistics on newsletters sent out (how many people read it, what links were clicked, etc…) 3. Integrated user’s manual – the User’s Manual can now be viewed from the CMS panel. 4. Contact Us Database – CMS Database of visitors who used the contact us page of the website. 5. Fixed some minor bugs and stability issues. Download it now at http://sourceforge.net/projects/do-cms DO-CMS Community Edition is the open source version of DO-CMS, EACOMM Corporation‘s award-winning website content management system.
Speed up your Website with this Simple Page Cache Script for PHP
For dynamic websites, database queries take up a significant amount of the CPU resources of your servers. For medium to high traffic websites in shared or virtual hosting services, this could mean significant loss of traffic due to too much database queries or over use of shared CPU time. As such, it is quite useful to have some sort of cache system for your dynamic pages, particularly those with content that don’t change too much or too often anyway. Below is a very simple and generic cache script for PHP web pages which you can copy-paste and use almost instantly in your website. What it does is store an instance of the dynamically generated web page as an HTML file and it then counter checks with a predefined time period that you set whether to display the cached instance or to dynamically generate the page again. The longer the time period between dynamic generation, the greater the savings in terms of CPU usage and database queries. 1. First create a folder in your hosting account where you’ll be housing the cached data. In this example the cache folder is located at http://www.yourdomain.com/cache 2. Next, copy-paste the script below at the start of the PHP page you want cached. We are assuming here that the dynamically generated page is utilizing the GET variable “id”, such as: http://www.yourdomain.com/index.php?id=XXXX: 3. At the bottom of your PHP page, copy-paste the code below: 4. You’re done! Upload and update your PHP file.
EACOMM is recruiting!
EACOMM is recruiting for the following positions: PHP/MySQL developer – full-time, regular positions available for experienced LAMP programmers. Applicants must be familiar with MVC and OOP. AJAX, CSS2.0 experience a definite plus. .NET/SQL developer – contractual, freelance and full-time positions available for skilled .NET/SQL developers. AJAX, CSS 2.0 experience a plus. Flash/Multimedia developer – Freelance/Contractual/OJT positions available for multimedia developers with strong experience in Flash and/or Macromedia Director programming. Web/Graphics designers – Contractual/OJT positions available for web/graphics designers with experience in W3c-compliant/CSS2.0 website design. Please email your resumes along with links to samples of your work to admin@eacomm.com.
PhilippinePropertyFinder.com
EACOMM R&D Labs has just released a proof of concept website: PhilippinePropertyFinder.com. This website is an example “mash-up” of Google Maps and Google Custom Search Applications. It was developed to showcase how two relatively easy to setup yet extremely powerful technologies can provide a powerful and useful tool for the general public. To use, simply use the map controls to zoom and pan across the map of the Philippines to a specific area of interest. Clicking on a point in the Map will initialize Google Map’s reverse Geocoding facility and indicate the specific region as stored in Google’s database. Clicking the “Search for Property in this Area” link will pass on the Geocoded data to Google’s Custom Search to search for property in that area using some of the more popular property listing websites in the Philippines. Alternately you can just enter the specific area you are interested in as text in the search box provided (but that takes away the fun part!). Note that we are looking to improve and offer more features in the near future so feel free to check back every now and then! VISIT PHILIPPINE PROPERTY FINDER NOW!
New look for the EACOMM Corporate Blog
After almost 5 years, we’ve finally gotten around to changing the look of the EACOMM Corporate Blog. We modified the Carrington theme to look a little closer to our corporate site. We’ve also upgraded our rusty WordPress 2.3 to the latest version (2.7.1). If you find any broken links, images or files, please don’t hesitate to contact us at support@eacomm.com or leave a comment on this post!
EACOMM Corporation is now offering Cluster/Grid-Server Hosting
EACOMM Corporation is proud to announce it is now offering Managed Cluster Server Web Hosting for its web clients. This is in addition to EACOMM’s current shared and dedicated hosting services. Cluster Server Hosting (or sometimes called Cloud or Grid Hosting) means that your website is hosted not on one server but is sharing the resources of dozens if not hundreds of servers with other sites hosted in the cluster. This provides the following distinct advantages: Reduced Downtime – By not being dependent on just one single computer, the risk of downtime is greatly reduced. For shared hosting, your website is hosted in a single server with a couple of hundred other websites and as such if that server goes down so does your website. By being hosted in a cluster, a single hardware failure will not mean your site will go down! Real-time Scalability – One of the greatest advantages of a cluster-hosted website is the ability to scale resources in real-time. For example, if your blog/news website has some breaking news that goes viral, the Cluster Server will automatically provide the resources to ensure that your blog doesn’t crash due to the sudden increase in web traffic. On regular shared hosting environments, the massive increase of traffic will greatly slow your website or worse force your provider to shutdown your site so as not to affect their other clients residing on the same server as you. Cheaper than Dedicated Hosting – As you’re still sharing resources with other clients, cluster hosting is a lot more cost effective than dedicated hosting where you have full control of your own server. Cluster Server Hosting is a ‘middle ground’ from dirt-cheap shared hosting costing as less than Php 250.00/month and dedicated hosting that costs upwards of Php 5,000.00/month. EACOMM offers managed grid-server hosting (meaning you don’t need to fiddle with any control panels or setups as we’ll do all the configuration for you and change them on your request) starting at just Php 880.00/month* with the following specifications: 20 GB 50GB of hosting space 500GB monthly bandwidth 50 email addresses 99.9% assured up-time Free domain name registration FTP/SSH Access Web-based e-mail Web-based database management LAMP/Ruby on Rails-ready CPU/Bandwidth Overcharge: Php 7.50 per excess GB or CPU-cycle at the end of the month Cluster Servers located in US-based Tier IV Data Centers Phone/Email Support from EACOMM Corporation For more information email us at info@eacomm.com or give us a call at +63 2 438 2986 *Minimum subscription contract of one (1) year
Choosing a Web Hosting Provider
Choosing a Web hosting provider is perhaps the most difficult task for the new webmaster. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of web hosting providers in the Internet and the sad truth is a vast majority of these are not very good. Additionally, we all have different criteria on judging whether a host is good or not. Here are some questions to ask to help you make this very critical decision: 1.      Quality of Service/Uptime Commitments – Do you need your site to be 99.99% up? Or are a couple of days of downtime in a year perfectly ok? Hosts that provide up-time commitments are typically more expensive than those that do not. 2.      Technical Support – Do you expect/need phone support? Or are you happy with just e-mail support? Regardless of your preference, make sure your hosting provider gives a fast reply to any technical support request. Response times of over 24 hours when your email is down is UNFORGIVEABLE, regardless of how cheap you’re paying your provider. 3.      Shared vs. Dedicated – Another critical question you need to ask yourself is whether you need a dedicated server space or you’re fine with shared hosting. Dedicated server essentially means you have a server all to yourself while shared server space means you share a server and its resources with several other clients of the company. For sites with heavy traffic, resource requirements or unique applications then a dedicated server would be more logical. However, sites getting only a few hundred visitors per day would usually do perfectly fine on a shared server. 4.      Company Reputation/Reviews – It is absolutely critical you research hard before settling for a web hosting provider. Ask friends their experience with their hosts, and google heavily for reviews and commentary on hosting providers you’re eyeing. Note that EVERY hosting provider has its good and bad points and it is really a question of what your own priorities are that will ultimately guide your decision. Luckily, sites such as Web Hosting Choice provides a helpful start for those of you looking for a new web host.
EACOMM Corporation Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine
EACOMM Corporation is featured in the July 2008 Issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. Entrepreneur Magazine is published by Summit Media and is available at most book stores, magazine stands, and convenience stores for Php 125.00. You can also check out the article below. The Interview was conducted last April, 2008. Technology Jul 02, 2008 Living yearbook By Katrina Tan After early gains in producing interactive yearbook CDs, this IT venture set up by a group of friends now offers a range of services to clients here and abroad The idea for EACOMM Corp. came up when five friends—Elias Ravillas, Arvin Sanvictores, Christiane de la Paz, Odnerolf Fajilan, and Mikhail Torres—chanced upon an interactive yearbook CD back in college. “Interactive CDs were just entering the market at that time and had limited features and functions,†says Torres, EACOMM’s current managing director. “Since four of us took up engineering at the University of the Philippines and had knowledge in programming, we felt we could improve the product. We wanted to add a creative aspect to the technology. Yearbooks are very nostalgic, and we thought that adding audio-visuals would be something viewers would appreciate.†In 1999, after their graduation, the five thus began their first venture as a semi-independent information technology arm of Universal Matrix Corp., a consultancy firm owned by Torres’ father, Ruben D. Torres. Torres recalls: “As part of Unimatrix, we were provided office space on Katipunan Avenue and given capital to acquire computers. Although we didn’t create a formal business plan, we learned a lot about conducting a business and about making presentations to clients.†The five had to learn online whatever programming skills they needed, such as Shockwave and Macromedia Director. “Some days we’d work from 10:00 a.m. till midnight,†Torres says. “We began with government projects. These were for database services, multimedia development, and other projects that took about six months to develop. One project went for about P700,000 based on the industry going rate, and we earned roughly 50 percent in profits from it.†EACOMM’s foray into the educational arena began when it was commissioned to create an interactive CD to complement the 2001 yearbook of the Ateneo High School in Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Says de la Paz, the company’s director for marketing and training: “There were a few companies making the products then, but since our company was relatively young, we found it difficult to convince clients to purchase our product. So we surveyed how many students were interested in purchasing an interactive CD with their yearbook. Most of them were interested, of course.†Torres credits EACOMM’s ability to win clients to its creative approach to projects and to the consistency of its communication with clients. Its first yearbook project, for example, had a 3D gaming theme that perfectly suited the graduating batch—a unique feature that led to several other yearbook projects. It was at this time that EACOMM decided to separate from Unimatrix. In August 2001, it relocated to a 55-square meter office at the IBM Plaza Building in Eastwood, Quezon City, but kept its Katipunan office as a production facility. Investing almost P1 million of its saved profits in office space and PCs, the company then established a 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. work schedule, formed departments, and began actively approaching clients. The company’s early years saw some managerial changes, with founders Ravillas and Sanvictores migrating to the United States and getting replaced by Francis Alincastre as director for Web development and by Joel Abelida, director for multimedia, respectively. As an independent entity, EACOMM initially focused on markets inside academe, handling about 10 yearbook projects a year. Says Torres: “Since we were able to do the computer programming ourselves, the first employees we hired were creative people. Manpower is one of the main difficulties in this industry. Skilled employees are hard to find, and their salaries are always growing.†In fact, 80 percent of EACOMM’s current expenses go to manpower, with the balance going to acquisition of PCs and software licenses. “We have about 20 full-time and part-time employees, split between creatives and programmers, and 20 to 30 individuals from whom we outsource certain jobs,†says Torres. Today, aside from making job postings on their website and a few online advertising placements, EACOMM no longer actively looks for clients. The company now gets two to three unsolicited project requests weekly. The nature of its business also enables the company to render its services across the globe. Indeed, 40 percent of its current revenues is generated from foreign clients. “We charge a standard of US$15 to $20 an hour,†says Torres. “A basic website is about $2,000 to $3,000, but prices really depend on the project. What’s nice about that is we don’t really view local companies as our competitors—in fact, we even outsource projects to them.†EACOMM has since expanded its services to include web design and development, multimedia development, integrated hardware and software solutions, and training. The company now runs the EACOMM Studio of Digital Arts (ESODA). Over the years, the company has established strategic partnerships with, among several IT companies, Indigo 21, a UK-based information technology and business process outsourcing (BPO) solutions provider; Zeus Networks, a local software development company; and Elisha Telecom Ltd., London-based voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) hardware and software provider. EACOMM saw its biggest growth during the period from 2001 to 2006, experiencing a 30 percent annual increase in revenues. In 2005, the company moved to still another location—a larger 155-square meter office in nearby Eastwood’s CyberMall in Libis, Quezon City—to accommodate its growing business. “A major challenge in the IT industry is to constantly innovate and keep up with trends,†says Torres. “We’re currently creating standard Web applications that can be used by several clients, as opposed to creating one website per client. This makes our operations more efficient and productive and allows us to optimize the use of our current resources.â€
Yourname.com Blog Hosting for just US$2.00/month
Yourname.com Blog Hosting for just US$2.00/month EACOMM Corporation is offering for a limited time only, Blog Hosting for just US$24 per year! Yourname.com (or .org, .net, .biz) 8 GB of Web Space 8 Email Addresses Pre-installed with WordPress Blog Engine FTP Access (ftp.yourdomain.com) This hosting service is not only ideal for Blogs but for small information websites which can be updated with little to no knowledge of HTML! Unique Web Page Layout for your Website/Blog For a one-time fee of US$150.00 we will provide you with a Unique Layout for your WordPress Blog/Website. Three (3) Layouts/themes will be presented to the client to choose from Inclusion of simple Flash banners/animation For more information about this limited offer email info@eacomm.com or call +63 2 438 2986.
EACOMM Corporation Website Version 5
Welcoming the new year, EACOMM is proud to launch the 5th version of its corporate website since the company’s inception in 2001. The new website features detailed interactive scenery with a retro, film-noir look developed in Flash. The website is managed through the latest version of EACOMM’s Dynamic Online Content Management System which features new features such as allowing for editing of Flash content as well as integration with Google’s Application suite. The site’s use of CSS 2.0 would also allow us to change the layout much more often and offer different layouts simultaneously in the future. The site is also designed to showcase the entire skill-set of EACOMM Corporation from Interactive Multimedia and Animation as seen with the various Flash scenes, to High-end Web Programming as showcased in the various dynamic content and interactive forms. For a blast from the past, visit the Web Archive which has our last three website layouts on record (for some reason the very first site was never stored). Version 1 (2001) was pure HTML and only had less than 10 web pages. Version 2 “Classic Black” (2002-2003) featured a number of online forms developed in PHP and writing to MySQL database. However, the main site content remained mostly HTML-based with a some small flash animation elements. Version two also included our first efforts in Search Engine Optimization of the website. Version 3 “United Colors of EACOMM” (2003-2005) featured a lively intro page and heavily SEO’d content. Some content were already content managed during the latter part of this version’s existence. Version 3 was also the first site hosted outside of EACOMM’s in-house web server for increased accessibility from the US/Europe. Version 4 “The Tree House” (2005-2007) This website was the first EACOMM website to fully utilize DO-CMS for content management. It feature original artwork from Visual Artist Robert Deniega. Further additions to the site includes this Blog website, a Japanese Version of the Website and other division sub-sites. Expect improvements and additions to the Current Website as we move forward through 2008 and beyond. Happy New Year to Everyone! EACOMM Corporation Web Team
PHP Everywhere! December 1, 2007
PHP User Group Philippines, Inc. (PHPUGPH), a non-profit organization established to provide support for LAMP (Linux Apache MySQL PHP) and open-source enthusiasts in the Philippines, will be holding it’s 1st ever PHP Developer’s Conference on December 1, 2007 (1-day event)/9am-6pm. This is in follow-up with last Aprils successful event, a gathering of professional LAMP developers, web freelancers and companies utilizing OSS (Open-Source Software) technologies for enterprise use. The goal for this upcoming conference is to spread the news of using OSS solutions such as Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP and some Web 2.0 technologies in wider audiences such as universities and training institutions. Many noted members of our group are certified and professionally affiliated with leading company in the industry such as Barclays, UN-IOSN, Yahoo! Singapore, Accenture, Mobius Asia and some semi-conductor/electronics like Intel, Atmel, Amis, which has some open source software deployed in production environment. Last Aprils event was sponsored as listed below that capture’s local IT industry attention and it is our aim to widen the coverage this coming December’s event with your support. Contact ajbatac–at–phpugph.com for more details.
CITEM launches E-payment
Developing various activities that strengthen trade, investments, and tourism, the ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) revolutionizes trade promotion via Information and Communications Technology (ICT). In a seminar conducted last November 2004 held in Singapore and March 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, AJC benchmarks the development of the business and technical framework of ASEAN trade promotion organizations’ websites. Evolving from the usual information-based website, AJC is embarking on an ICT project which would turn ASEAN trade promotion organizations’ websites to transaction-based with the integration of new website features such as a Japanese-translated website, e-payment system, and a 3D virtual exhibition. Website enhancement does not end virtually. Developments such as upgraded services and capabilities must be done to make the website eye-catching, information savvy, and convenient in response to clients’ needs and wants. One of which is putting up an online payment service common to transaction-based websites. This specialized feature allows users to do their payment at the convenience of their houses, offices, and wherever they are. In line with the ICT project, EACOMM, with AJC funding, designed and developed the online payment facility for the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM). This online payment facility will accommodate payments for trade exhibits, seminars and conferences. The CITEM e-Payment service is a hassle-free online payment facility that aims to give ease to exporter-manufacturers as they participate in CITEM events. Mozcom, the official Internet service provider of CITEM, powers the e-payment system. The new e-payment service will launch CITEM as an online transactional trade promotion organization. To learn more about this value-added service, CITEM will introduce e-payment at the Manila F.A.M.E. Merchandise Briefing to its participants at Exhibition Hall B, Philippine Trade and Training Center on September 18, 2006, 1:30 p.m. See more of its features as representatives from Mozcomm and EACOMM conduct an orientation. Experience faster payment transactions that are accessible to clients online, in real time anywhere in the world! Virtual showroom acts as marketing tool for over 2,800 SMEs A virtual showroom of Filipino products and services, Catalog Online (COL) served as a marketing conduit for some 2,860 SMEs generating 456 local and foreign buyers for the first half of the year. Catalog Online is a government-run website exclusive for clients of the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), where buyers can access basic information on company profiles and exportable products. COL features the country’s best in the food, gifts and holiday décor, home furnishings, industrial goods and services, IT- and IT-enabled services, organic, herbal and natural products, and wearable industries. Meanwhile, COL’s e business twin, the CITEM Trade Opportunities Program (CTOP), is a year-round market-match service where registered company-exhibitors regularly receive a listing of interested buyers by e-mail. In 2006, 1,440 exporters were referred to 149 inquiring buyers aside from 61 other company-, product- and service-related information inquiries under the program. The gifts, toys and houseware, furnishing and furniture, and fashion accessories sectors attracted 872 referrals, further strengthening the Philippines’ burgeoning reputation as a hub for design. In addition, Catalog Online generated 119,306 search engine hits using Google’s new traffic report tool. In the competitive marketing landscape of the Internet, “rankings†and “hits†play a huge part in a website’s search-engine success. COL boasts a consistent showing in both departments. The website is ranked number 1 when the keywords “Philippineâ€, “catalog†and “online†are typed on search engines such as Google and Yahoo!. Under the common keywords “catalog†and “onlineâ€, the website still places fir1st out of 170,000,000 results. Meanwhile, when Internet visitors type in the other keywords such as “Philippine†and “productsâ€, Catalog Online appears number 1 out of 1,080,000 match results in the webpages available in the Philippines and number 13 out of 2,120,000 in the entire worldwide web; and with “Philippine†and “exportsâ€, Catalog Online still finds success placing 6th out of 1,020,000 results on the web. Buying and selling “Paradise Mango Rum is the first of its kind in the world. Catalog OnLine helps a lot in terms of promoting our product to foreign buyers interested in Filipino products especially those that are unique,†Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc. President Olivia Limpe–Aw beamed. Destileria Limtuaco & Co., Inc., an exhibitor of CITEM-organized International Food Exhibit (IFEX), is the producer of 2003 Trendy-award winning Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur, the first of its kind in the world. The company has been exporting this Filipino product to Switzerland and China. Their unique spirit beverages have also been drawing interest from Canada and the United States. Mr. Benny Y. Aw, Senior Vice President for International Sales of the company added: “CITEM’s Trade Opportunities Program, as a complement, has given us an opening to further widen our export market; we are currently negotiating with a US-based company. Because of COL and CTOP, Paradise Mango Rum Liqueur and Destileria Limtuaco & Co, Inc.’s products have gone a long way.†Buying agent Raymond Calaranan, of Calaranan International Creative Group, Incorporated (CICG, Inc.), has been servicing gifts and houseware items from the Catalog Online. A valued client is Mr. Tokuyama who operates Jam Restaurant, an eatery cum souvenir shop in Japan. “He is an avid fan of Filipino design, making it a point to visit the April edition of CITEM’s Manila F.A.M.E. International every year along with me,†he said. “Filipino-designed gifts and houseware make for good souvenirs abroad.†The e-business twins COL and CTOP are managed by CITEM, the trade promotions arm of the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry. *Catalog Online, CITEM E-payment, and the Catalog Online 3D Virtual Exhibit are all projects proudly designed and developed by EACOMM Corporation.
FH-MSI.com Launched!
EACOMM Corporation is pleased to announce the newest DO-CMS Powered Website: Friendly Hills Medical Services Incorporated (FH-MSI). FH-MSI.com is one the first sites to utilize the newest, more user friendly, more secure version of DO-CMS. DO-CMS allows users with little or no knowledge of HTML to easily update and maintain a website. Find out how DO-CMS can make your website fully interactive yet easy to maintain by emailing us here: info@eacomm.com.
Sinski Website Launched
EACOMM announces the launching of the new Sinski Motorcycles Philippines Incorporated Official Website: http://www.sinski.com.ph. Features Javascript rotating product pictures and click to enlarge functionality. Another proud member of the ever growing DO-CMS family.
FormsPHILIPPINES.com
EACOMM has just launched the Live Alpha version of FormsPHILIPPINES.com. FormsPHILIPPINES aims to provide a comprehensive collection of Public domain, Philippine government forms all in one location. Visit the site at: http://www.formsphilippines.com. Formsphilippines.com is a joint collaboration between EACOMM Corporation, Universal Matrix Corporation, and former Executive Secretary Ruben D. Torres