Connecting ATM Networks of Thirty-one Banks in the Philippines: BancNet

Photo by: +John Jane Granada

On the 2nd of April 2013, we visited BancNet. The firm that connected thirty-one ATM Network Banks in the Philippines. Founded on 1990, BancNet has been running for almost 23 years now. What makes BancNet even more respectable is finding out that there are only about fifty (50) people running its operations since the past decade. Most of the time, they outsource to accomplish new projects and solutions that they innovate.

We were lucky enough to have the one of the senior employees, one who has been so dedicated to the company and have worked for more than 15 years, to speak for us. Though as you can probably guess by now, since there are only about fifty (50) employees, their office isn't as wide as the other companies we have visited like Brady, NetworkLabs, and JP Morgan Chase & Co..

On our way to Equitable Tower

BancNet's office is located at Equitable Tower near Ayala Triangle. Me and my friends took a cab to get there with an estimated fare of 150.00php from school (De La Salle University - Manila). We regrouped at a nearby McDonald's fastfood chain with our professor before proceeding. Upon reaching the front-desk, we were tasked to record our details in a spreadsheet as we call the elevators upstairs. BancNet's office is only a floor of the Equitable Tower. I forgot which one though.

When we reached the office floor, as usual, we were greeted with accommodating smiles. They only had two speakers but they both elaborated everything we need to know from the company. They talked about the company's background, history, vision and mission, the past, recent, and upcoming projects that they are developing or have developed, and some career opportunities, if any. They were hospitable and trusting enough that they even showed us valuable, fragile, confidential, and important information like their exact income in their previous fiscal year. I, as an Information Systems student, know how to value information, so records like these are really not for disclosure. What I can say is that, for a local company in the Philippines that has been operating for only 23 years, it is already a good indication of success.

One of the food for thought I've learned during their brief discussion is their core values. I think it is one of the most important factors that they practice in order to grow and progress to where they are right now. It is the foundation of their tradition, culture, and attitude towards success.

EXCITE

Now I have another confession to make, some of their talks were so business-oriented, to the point that they escalated to their banking processes that some of my IT classmates were no longer able to relate and fell...asleep.

Anyway, after the talk, we then proceeded to your most awaited portion, the office tour. Their office is not as spacious, and probably is the smallest among all the companies we've visited thus far. Cubicles? Check. Coffee Place? Check. Room for outsourced partners? Check. Server Room? Check. And we've learned enough not to take pictures of every company's Server Room for confidentiality purposes. They did not restrict us but conscience called and we complied. It was touching how they trust us that much.



It has been a wonderful journey and thank you for reading and anticipating my blog posts. Despite being an academic requirement for our course Information Technology Exposure (IT-EXPO), know that in every post I made, I always thought of my readers' (if there are any. Haha!) wellness and leisure. So I tried making each post as personal, interesting, and exciting as possible. Some of the  posts here took me three to six hours (with lazy breaks in between) just to finish. If you are looking for career opportunities, not only in the field of IT, and are living in the Philippines or would want to work here, you can try some of the companies we've visited. They are all good and each has its own style, culture, and tradition that they developed over the years. Your work environment and work style would be the first things that you would probably be thinking of when applying. So this blog is not only for my welfare but for you as well. Together we share knowledge and adventures. Maybe one day we would meet each other in a big company. :)

Our Class with Prof. Arcilla (leftmost; purple dress). Photo by:  +John Jane Granada 

JP Morgan Chase & Co. - March 26, 2013

Hi guys! It's been quite some time since I last updated my blog. I've got some good news and bad news for you.

My Name Tag

Good News: This company visit has the most interesting discussion out of all the ones we have attended pre-tour around their office. It took us roughly about two and a half hours, almost eating the entire duration of the stay, to conclude everything for the brief overview of the company because of various questions arising from the majority of the class (and me as well. Hehe...). JP Morgan Chase & Co. talked about their company background, some very, very, VERY interesting trivia about their history, and of course, career opportunities for aspiring job seekers like us. Finally, for the awe, it wasn't just an office tour; it was a building tour! Yep, that's how rich they are being a financial consulting services company inclined on banking.

So are you excited? I haven't told you the bad news yet:

They employ a strict "No Taking of Pictures Inside, Other than Rooftop" Policy. Otherwise, they would sue our institution, De La Salle University - Manila, any students who are specifically enrolled under the course Information System, to be permanently banned for internship and employment. In short, they would no longer consider any career opportunities for us.

Who would want to add insult to injury? Everyone complied and nonetheless, JP Morgan Chase & Co. was accommodating and professional enough to treat us as adults.

So this post is really going to be a challenge to me but I will do my best to have you visualize what it feels like inside. Without further ado, here's a brief overview:

JP Morgan Chase & Co. is one of the oldest financial institutions in the United States. With a history dating back over two hundred (200) years, JP Morgan Chase & Co. still remains to be one of the global leading financial services firm with assets of $2.4 trillion. It operates in more than sixty (60) countries, with four (4)  branches in the Philippines, and the one we attended to is located at Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. It has 260,000 employees.

We arrived there at eight o' clock in the morning and the call time was eight thirty. The entrance was a bit confusing because there were two: One in their lobby where the class grouped together and were subdivided to be lead by representatives from the company, and the other one was for the elevator entrance to their offices.

In our arrival at their briefing room, a group of professional speakers presented to us about the company. We were lucky enough to have the vice president of the Branch Infrastructure Services to speak for us. The first speaker talked about the company's background, history, and provided some interesting trivia.

Did you know that:

Monopoly Deal Character Tribute for Mr. Morgan

• The famous character icon in the board game Monopoly Deal was a tribute to Mr. Morgan.
• JP Morgan Chase & Co. was one of the firms that funded the establishment of the Statue of Liberty. 

  

  Statue of Liberty, USA

• JP Morgan Chase & Co. is also listed as one of the Most Admired Companies of 2012 by Fortune Magazine .
• Barron's Magazine also listed JP Morgan Chase & Co. as one of the Most Respected Companies of 2012.
• JP Morgan Chase & Co. Philippine branch was also given a Silver Mabini Award for being Disabled-Friendly with its facilities.
• JP Morgan, is included in one of the Men Who Build America according to a film.
• JP Morgan Chase & Co. Philippines is also awarded with Outstanding Energy Efficiency Award
• Finally, JP Morgan Chase & Co. Philippines is also awarded in 2009 as an Outstanding Employer of the Year.

The next speaker was a Quality Assurance (QA) Tester of the Branch Infrastructure Services. He began with a short introduction about himself, of how he started and ended up working enthusiastically in JP Morgan Chase & Co., he then followed with what he does in the company and how are some of their projects going.

I forgot to take note of all the names of the representatives that discussed to us but when we reached to the talk of the vice president of Branch Infrastructure Services, he discussed to us his story of rags to riches. He said that he used to just help his parents run their bakery when he was little. He was challenged in life by poverty and thus worked and persevered hard to reach his dreams. When the dawn of computers came in, his curiosity grew towards technology and turned into his passion that kept him to his feet until now.

Another interesting fact I've discovered during their talk is that JP Morgan Chase & Co.'s organizational structure under Information Technology (IT), specifically the people that composes such field, is vast. They set up teams for everything specifically rather than outsource them. Like for example, under their branch for IT Infrastructures Services, they have six (6) teams.

One team observes how JP Morgan Chase & Co. obtain, deploy, maintain, and dispose IT Infrastructures while managing costs efficiently (IT Asset Management); another team focuses on developing new applications (Software Development); there is also a team that manages the security of valuable information that JP Morgan Chase & Co. possesses (Network Security Management); for ensuring performance is always at its best, there is a team that conducts schedules for maintenance and other various tests for the assets of the company (Quality Assurance); finally there is also a team that is so feasible for Information Systems students. This team analyzes the company's business processes and when they spot a problem, inefficiency, or opportunity, they propose new solutions. (Systems/Business Analysts).

Moving on after the interesting talk, JP Morgan Chase & Co. started the tour around their building. This is the sad part because there is so much I wanted to show you too while we were toured around like their spacious food-court about as big as the ones we find in the malls with affordable meals, their mailing office, their silence rooms for peace of mind during difficult times of thinking, their rooftop (I got a picture below), and finally, their vending machines that provide all sorts of beverages ranging from cold sodas to hot coffees and milk for FREE. Our time was very limited and there was only a spare left, so we kind of rushed in with the main technologies that they use.

Since JP Morgan Chase & Co. is an international firm, they need to conduct meetings and conferences online. What makes this process unique is that they don't just use an Instant Messaging (IM) software like Yahoo! Messenger, Facebook Chat, or Skype. Rather, they use a TANDBERG Telepresence Interoperability and Business-to-business (B2B) Video Conferencing system.

Here's a video of how it works:

Cool, right? They showed us a demo and we enjoyed it a lot.

Rooftop. Find me! Photo by +John Jane Granada 

JP Morgan Chase & Co. provides plenty of career opportunities for different fields not only IT. Seeing the blissful and invigorating expressions of its employees makes me want to join the organization in the future. This might be my dream company. I love everything from its career opportunities, to its workstations,  policies and procedures, to its accommodating employees, to its vision and mission, until its training seminars held every fiscal year. I surely learned a lot and enjoyed this educational fieldtrip with my friends. If you happened to be seeking for career opportunities as you read this post, I suggest you give JP Morgan Chase & Co. a try. We might see each other in the future. Until next time! :)

Next Stop: NetworkLabs, Inc., UP - Ayala Land TechnoHub

Located at the heart of UP - Ayala Land TechnoHub, Quezon City, lies its very first branch in the country. NetworkLabs, Inc. is a joint venture of Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) with various partners to establish a Research and Development (R&D) center to support the operations of Nokia Siemens Network. It provides software solutions and application support for the many projects that NSN undertakes.

Photo by John Jane Granada

Looking more briefly into the company, NetworkLabs, Inc. is a collaboration of three (3) different organizations:

Nokia Siemens Networks is a telecom equipment manufacturer company that is one of the largest in the world in terms of revenue and size and provides a quarter of the world's telecom infrastructure.

Nokia is a communication and information technology company that manufactures mobile phones and portable Information Technology (IT) devices. Nokia also offers internet services like games, apps, music, and media.

Siemens is an electronics and electrical engineering company that manufactures products for the energy, transportation, and healthcare industry.

Still with me? Good! Because I won't bore you with a wall of texts anymore. In the next few scrolls, I'll take you to a place that is almost a paradise for IT, food, and environment enthusiasts. Sightseeing is a good leisure in the place because of the vast green fields. Foodtrip is also a good alternative because of the plentiful restaurants.

Here's a preview of some of the pictures we've taken last March 8, 2013 upon arrival at UP-Ayala Land TechnoHub.




We arrived at UP - Ayala Land TechnoHub at around 8am. The morning was a bit gloomy but good thing it eventually recovered. NetworkLabs opened its doors for us not long enough thereafter.

1st Speaker

Unfortunately, I was not able to get the name of the two (2) speakers that gave us a brief overview about the company background with a little bit of career talk.

The first speaker also explained some of their practiced policies, tradition, and culture. He said that they were trying to make everyone equally at level so that their employees would be more open especially to the top managers with their concerns. In implementing this, they made their executives reside among the cubicles and blend in with the employees.

The setup of their work environment is peaceful; mostly painted with warm bright colors with a touch of minimalist design makes everything less stressful in a very fast-paced IT environment. I'd like to work in a similar environment someday. Unlimited coffee drinks and shower rooms are also available anytime. They have no sleeping rooms however, as they do not encourage sleeping during working hours.

Warm Colours. Photo by John Jane Granada  

Their conference rooms, compared to Brady(see my previous post for my walk-through), are honeycomb-inspired. There were also Sauna-like rooms used for other discussions that include brainstorming.

Honeycomb Discussion Rooms

The room could accommodate up to five (5) persons only with my rough estimate. They have no electric fans nor airconditioners inside each room because they said that private discussions should not take that long to finish before one begins to feel the compressed hot atmosphere inside. The organization is composed of small teams, after all, that handle specific areas like maintenance, research and development, and IT infrastructures.

There were also interesting tables that we have encountered. These tables are particularly just for the casual chitchat with workmates because of its petite structure.

Hey look! It's a Canoe! Photo by John Jane Granada 

Despite the small composition, tables like this compliment the mood during leisure time especially coffee breaks.

Hole-in-One? Anyone?

Other than coffee tables for break time, they also have indoor mini-golf courses, a Boracay area(simulating the vicinity with a wallpaper, beach sand on the ground, and wooden beds for sunbathing) and an Xbox 360(no pictures, unfortunately). In using such for one's leisure time, they run an honesty system for moderation between work and play.

Moving on to their workstations, like what I've stated earlier, wherein they try to promote equality to encourage openness between the employees and top executives, their cubicles, including their boss' workstation, are all in the same area. There was no hint of distinction provided.

Workstations. Photo by John Jane Granada 

Finally, like any other big company, NetworkLabs also has its own storage room for its servers. Again, taking pictures was prohibited for confidentiality purposes. It was widely aircoditioned, secured with CCTV, and there were also experimental devices inside.

Class picture with our professor, Prof. Mary Jane Arcilla. Photo by John Jane Granada 

It was a fun-filled day with friends while learning new things. I really enjoyed this fieldtrip(more than Brady, to be honest) and got engaged more with my future. The last few inspiring words spoken by the second speaker, which was also a fellow Lasallian, were:

"Know what you love." and always challenge yourself "How do you make your boss trust you?"

NetworkLabs, Inc., being a Research and Development (R&D) Center, is focused on the future. They live for the future. The want to get there before us to welcome us. Likewise, I want my perspective as an individual to be the same - to think and plan ahead to make the lives of the upcoming generations better and more productive.

A Company Visit to Brady Philippines

"When Performance Matters Most." -Brady, Photo by Jan Marvin Tee

Hurray for our first company visit! On the 5th day of March 2013, Brady welcomed us to its main office in the Philippines located at the 3rd Floor of Worldwide Corporate Center, Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City. We had to be there by 7:30 in the morning but some of us were...err...late. And that includes me. Some of my classmates lost their way and I was one of the few people who know the directions but waited for friends for accompaniment. Getting there through commuting wasn't so hard at all with the help of Google Maps. An LRT ride to EDSA Taft Avenue station, then switch trains to MRT, drop-off at Shaw Boulevard station, and then finally, some few walks along the district.

In the next few texts, I'll be taking you to Brady Philippines, an Information Technology (IT) company globally known for its Call Centre Infrastructure Services. Are you ready? Then come, join me!

Photo by Jan Marvin Tee

We arrived there 30 minutes late because me and my friends waited for each other. Upon finding the place, a huge logo directed us that we were in the right place. Their office is expansive! The one in the right picture is only 1/3 of their whole office.  So as you could probably guess by now, there were three (3) of this to occupy their whole working environment. As we entered the place, accommodating staff employees welcomed us and lead us to the lecture room for the brief overview.

Fortunately enough, the talk was just about to start when we arrived there, I think. The speaker was Mr. Allan Goh, who resides in Brady Singapore Office. He had 17 years of IT experience - 10 years in the vendor environment, and 7 years in the user environment. He has been with Brady for 7 cumulative years and still continues to work until now.

Mr. Goh discussed about the role of Information Technology in our society, the status of Call Centre Infrastructure yesterday, today, and tomorrow, the company background, the top 5 technology trends from 2013 to 2015, and the key success factors in an IT career. I learned a lot from the talk and enjoyed his  final topic - the key success factors in an IT career - the most.

He said that to be successful in an IT career, one must possess the following values:

• Strong Work Ethic
• Positive Attitude
• Good Communication Skills
• Time Management Abilities
• Problem Solving Skills
• Interpersonal Relation
• Self Confidence
• Ability to accept and learn from criticism
• Flexibility and Adaptability
• Working well under pressure

As I am in the process of discovering and improving who I am, some of these, I think, I've already acquired while others still remain to be a challenge for me. Nonetheless, development and learning, I believe, is a never-ending process not only in the quotient of being Intellectual (IQ), but also in being Emotional (EQ), and Spiritual (EQ).

"Motivation gets you going and Habit gets you there."

Cubicles equipped with desktops and telephones

After the discussion by Mr. Goh, he then proceeded to circling us around the office. Inside were vast number of cubicles, each equipped with a desktop and a telephone. Of course, some of the cubicles were also personalized by their employees wherein they stick on top or sides of their monitor pictures of their relatives for inspiration and motivation at work.

Brady Philippines office also has discussion rooms named after different popular tourist spots (mostly beaches) within the country like Boracay, and El Nido.

Boracay Room

Lastly, Brady also has its own storage room for its servers and database where taking pictures is prohibited. The atmosphere of the room is very similar to that at school wherein it's airconditioned to prevent the IT infrastructures from overheating.

This company visit was surely a unique experience that made me have a preview of what it feels like to be in an environment of call centre. The whole place was accommodating and hospitable enough that they even provided us free Krispy Kreme doughnuts, C2 drinks, Brady T-Shirts, Notebooks, and Ballpens. Who would go home with an empty stomach, brain, or bag? We learned so much from the educational fieldtrip and we surely look forward to visiting more IT companies of different sector! :)

Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo (BMPM) Forum

What a day! Despite the fully-loaded schedule, somehow, I was able to make time for last Monday's (February 11, 2013) Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo (BMPC) Forum by ABS-CBN held at the 5th Floor of Henry Sy Sr. Hall. It was actually an impromptu attendance for me. I was bothered by a personal dilemma until my friends made me realize that I had no other choice because of a conflict in schedule.

The PCOS Machine

The forum was a worthwhile experience. There were plenty of professional speakers that discussed different matters regarding the upcoming senatorial elections 2013. I actually learned a lot and things were made clearer for me. At the start of the forum, the host, Nina Corpuz, asked for a raise of hands regarding on the number of registered voters. It was saddening to find out that there was only quite a few students who actually registered. The reason behind could either be because some students were not aware of the registration period or simply they ran out of time to register.

Every aspect of the upcoming elections was covered by the forum - from the core reason why every individual must practice responsible voting to securing the different locations for voting and finally the philosophy behind choosing our own bet for candidacy. The most interesting part for me was the demonstration of the PCOS Machine for the elections because I can somehow relate to it as an IT student. They say that it has plenty of bugs before; fortunately, those have been fixed now as they claim it to be. I learned from the demonstration that it uses a scannable sheet and stores each completed form as an image in its 4 GigaByte (GB) memory that is divided in two partitions. In addition, the ballots scanned are kept inside the machine for manual counting of votes.The machine also features a 128-bit encryption key that ensures security for each scanned form. To even spice things up, it is connected online to send real-time vote counts. What is left from it is for proofreading purposes made possible by a key that unlocks the machine and a printable summary report.

This new electoral system is captivating to know. The only flaw I see, in my own opinion, is the lack of memory for the PCOS machine. I feel like the 4GB of storage for images, regardless of the quality but most likely high quality, would not suffice for a vicinity that is more than 5000 in population.

If we do the math, say like if we assume that a high resolution image is at least 2.5 MegaByte (MB), and every registered citizen in a locality gets to vote via the PCOS machine, that is :

2.5MB x 2 images(for back-to-back scanning per ballot) =  5MB per person

5MB x 5000 people = 25,000MB or in GigaByte, if we divide the value by 1000 (1GB = 1000MB), overall, it's a whooping 25GB in a specific location.

I hope things would go well and that my math is wrong. :p

Of course, we all pray for a clean, safe and violence-free elections. Regardless if we are registered or not, eligible to vote or not, being a part of this country means getting involved in the happenings. We have to be aware of these things because the responsibility and the ability to change things lie in our hands. If we all share a vision of transformation for betterment and progression, we could make that change. Ako Ang Simula(I am the beginning). Bayan Mo, iPatrol Mo. Tayo Na!

Finally, here's a video by one of the most influential figures of the silent era to inspire us all this upcoming elections. :)

Sync in Progress. Do not Disconnect.

This post has no concern with my academics yet. So I'm writing this down out of pure personal interest.

Lately I've been boggled with reality. It is as if life is slapping me on the face and insisting me to open my eyes.

"What does it mean to live? And what is my purpose for even existing as a human being?"

Almost a term ago, I've met one of the most popular philosophy professors at school. I attended one of his talks in basic philosophy. The remnants of his opinions still remain in my head as I lament to them. It's really dreadful and intimidating. Sorrow wrapped me as I witness them bash over my faith and laugh at it. After his seminar, I was speechless - not because I was awed but because I was shaken and rocked out of confusion. For the first time in my life, I was trembling; desperate for an answer to the question above.

I'm only a human being. I have my weaknesses, too. One of them is that I get swayed easily by older people because I always assume they have more experience than me.

After another term of recovery, I realized that there is no absolute certainty for everything. But I need to make my own stand as a mature individual. Maybe I could never prove to you that my faith as a Christian is the generic "truth". I've never been good with arguments. I can only show how it has molded me into the person I am right now and leave you the final impression.

So what's with the title, you ask? Simple. As an IT student, I never expected such a basic reminder from my laptop would hit me like a truck.

"Sync in progress. Do not disconnect."

It is my faith; my philosophy. As I connect to it(sync/synchronize), I must consistently remind myself not to disconnect; else I'll restart all over again. And that's exactly what happened.

We could go over an endless debate with the beginning and the end. But regardless, one thing is for sure: Life is all about creating memories. Make them plentiful, fruitful, and meaningful.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

If you're like me, my deepest prayers and concern go to you as I write this down. May you find in life what you've been searching for. Know that whatever path you choose in this life crusade, always remember not to lose hope. Because the saddest thing that could ever happen in life is losing hope itself. Nothing is more dreadful than journeying a path of unknown cul-de-sac. Your dreams, fulfill them. It takes time, but build relationships with the people around you. Be aware of the significance of time and create memories with your friends that would last forever.

These weaknesses and vulnerabilities exist to remind us of our own limitations. Yet, at the same time, remind us that we're open for grace. A friend of mine once quoted that "the human mind could only think so much but it's still limited to its senses."

"If you're not busy being born, you're busy dying." -from the movie, It's Kind of a Funny Story

In the end, you are the author of your life. You have the option to believe over an Omnipotent being. He eases my fears. That's all I can say. Just be happy and do whatever you love. Finally, remember not to disconnect. ;)

NOW LOADING...

PERFORMING OPERATIONS...DONE...ESTABLISHING NEW NETWORK CONNECTIONS...DONE...COMMENCING NETWORK VALIDATION...DONE...REBUILDING COMPUTER CACHE...DONE...SYNCHRONIZING...ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE.

Sorry for the technical intro. I just felt like I had to do it. Haha. Anyway, welcome to my technical blog! I'm so glad you stopped by! (Even if I'm certain that majority of you, my fellow readers, would discontinue reading from hereon onward.) Nonetheless, I'm happy that you are still reading this now, word per word, even after I assumed you would stop already. Huehuehue...

Seriously speaking though, this blog, as the title says, was intentionally made for anything IT-related. Worry not, however, as I will try to balance formality and informality to keep your eyelids open and you guys hooked! Come join me in exploring and learning new things in the world of Information Technology! :)