BlastAsia Introduces an Innovative Cloud-Powered Platform to “Uberize” Businesses

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Empowering Companies with Ordering & Fulfillment Automation, to Build DIY Customer Self-Service Apps backed by Connected Back-end Processes


(The various ordering & fulfilment activities that can be automated using Steer)

BlastAsia, a leading Philippine software product engineering company, recently announced a powerful new platform called Steer, which enables companies to build apps for customers to order/check status using their smart phones, as well as for internal teams to manage workflows and records using their phones, tablets, or laptops. These apps are fully integrated to back-end processes and systems and are built in a short time - with no coding skills needed.



“We saw a gap between what businesses need and how they can adapt technology to suit those needs,” explained Arup Maity, President and CEO of BlastAsia. “Custom software development is not for small and medium enterprises (SMEs)—it takes too long and has a high upfront cost and risk associated with it. Steer is our response and solution to help businesses “uberize” their business model. To uberize, as the Cambridge Dictionary describes it, is to change the market for a service by introducing a different way of buying or using it, especially using mobile technology”.



BlastAsia wanted to provide a solution that would cater to the specific needs of SMEs—and so the Steer platform was born. Their research found that 86% of consumers prefer not to talk with customer support and would rather use a self-service app. Yet, only 2% of companies successfully address this issue. This is why SMEs can lose critical business to larger and more digitally transformed enterprises.

“We wanted to build a software as a service (SaaS) product that is secure and reliable, one that our clients can sign in on their own, set up their apps, and roll out these apps across their organization without even the need to talk to us,” explains Maity. “We envisioned Steer to become a powerful go-to platform for any business that relies on its customers placing a phone call to get a service to go digital.”

Using the cloud to power platforms and empower SMEs



To bring their vision to life, BlastAsia knew it needed a powerful cloud service to support its users. The software company turned to Microsoft Azure, building from its experience as a Microsoft Gold Partner for Application Development and Cloud Platform. It initially used the free version of Microsoft Azure to understand how to take advantage of Microsoft cloud technologies.

“Azure is one of the easiest cloud technologies that we've come across,” says Roy Saberon, IT Head at BlastAsia. “It’s also one of the most comprehensive in terms of all the different products that you can find in one place.” Maity agrees and adds, “In building Steer, we used different tools and services such as Service Bus, Cosmos DB, and Cognitive Services. Azure allowed us to choose from a range of the latest technologies for Steer.”

It took three years to build Steer into a dynamic, flexible and user-friendly tool that allows businesses to digitize their operations. Throughout the development process, BlastAsia worked closely with Microsoft.

Microsoft provided full support and with the depth of knowledge on Microsoft products and use, BlastAsia launched Steer at the right time—right before COVID-19. Today, Steer is helping businesses go digital and adapt to work-style changes triggered by the health crisis.

“The help we received from Microsoft in building Steer was instrumental. They are very responsive,” says Saberon.

A world where everyone can build digital solutions



BlastAsia hopes to democratize digitization across businesses both big and small. It designed Steer to let non-programmers easily build customer self-service apps without paying high costs and investing too much time.

“The best thing is that you can build an unlimited number of apps under the same license,” Maity explains. “We are hoping that this will encourage our clients to not just stop building one or two apps, but continuously build more solutions and go completely digital.”

BlastAsia is confident that they will be able to help a larger number of companies with Steer. “Moving forward, our goal is to help about 2,000 companies to go digital by the end of next year. Not only in the Philippines, but all over the world.”

In the next three months, the BlastAsia team will be making Steer even more efficient and easy—to the point that its clients won’t even need to call the company for help when setting up. BlastAsia wants to continue transforming businesses, one do-it-yourself (DIY) cloud solution at a time.

Fundamental bitcoin trading aspects need to be known

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By and by, practically any item or administration that can be bought with dollars or different monetary forms can likewise be bought with bitcoins. Then again, the high unpredictability of bitcoins is a major danger for certain individuals who might need to utilize this cryptocurrency, yet fear the value contrast. By the by, the highlights of Bitcoin make them ideal for web installments. Actually the davidicke.com is one of the best way to get all the bitcoin trading tips and tricks.

Quick exchanges 

A Bitcoin exchange is handled in 10-15 minutes. On account of a bank move, it can require hours or even days to move cash starting with one record then onto the next. Some may say that PayPal or other Evolts are much quicker. Valid, this can be circumventing however not except if you're a nerd who understands what he's doing. 

Privacy 

At the point when you send bitcoins to an accomplice on the Web, the exchange will be recorded in the blockchain. The rundown of exchanges is public, and can be confirmed on a unique site. Just ID number, sum and time are entered. It’s absolutely impossible for anybody to know where bitcoins come from, and where they go. This is an element of Bitcoins that has pulled in many individuals. Indeed, some of them are keen on it since they can purchase illicit merchandise with them, however most of bitcoin clients are individuals who need to purchase lawful products and enterprises, yet who have their own character. Try not to need to show Porn and betting destinations might be deceptive, yet they are not illicit, so the individuals who wish to buy in to these administrations can safely pay in bitcoins on the site that acknowledges this cash. , Realizing that their standing won't be influenced. 

Little commissions 

The normal commission for the exchange is 0.002 BTC. This is altogether more modest than PayPal or the Financial Commission. Additionally, you'll be disposing of messiness you needn't bother with. By paying a commission, you "secure" the pool's computational force (or if nothing else a bit of it) to handle your exchange quicker. You will most likely be unable to pay the commission. For this situation, you may need to stand by a few days to deal with your exchange. On the off chance that you are not in a rush, this might be the best chance to bring in a cash exchange with zero expense. 

Utilizing bitcoin

Obviously, there are likewise inconveniences to utilizing bitcoins, for example, the chance of losing them. In the event that somebody takes your bitcoins, or in the event that you erase your wallet records, it's difficult to recuperate them. Except if the bitcoin is managed, there is no focal life for interceding between various parts. All in all, you can't say anything negative in the event that you lose or you're burglarized of your bitcoins in light of the fact that there's nobody to whine.

ITDI pursues backend innovation, inaugurates MMIC

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The Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) will be inaugurating the country’s first innovation hub on February 18, 2021.

DOST Secretary Fortunato T. Dela Peña, together with Undersecretary for R&D Dr. Rowena Cristina L. Guevara, and ITDI Director Dr. Annabelle V. Briones, will be opening to the public the Modular Multi-Industry Innovation Center (MMIC) or "InnoHub sa Pinas" located at the CED and MMIC Building at the DOST Complex in Taguig City.

The MMIC is one of several projects supported by the Science Department, through the Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD). 

With MMIC, the Philippines is joining the ranks of Canada, Malaysia, and Mexico in setting up an Innovation Hub for advanced scale up of researches on food and nutraceutical products.

The aim is to give back to Filipinos the experience and way of work and life that is made more functional, efficient, and cost-effective because of science. 

MMIC or "InnoHub sa Pinas" is the Department’s platform to innovate and meet growing industry demands. It is ITDI’s core R&D facility, which uses manufacturing by-products as raw materials, otherwise known as "backend innovation." It is equipped with modular equipment that are multi-functional. ITDI can retrofit these machines for use by different manufacturing lines, using both manual and automated processing.

These facilities, complete with handling support equipment, can be used by the local industry sectors as a venue for developing new products, product equivalents, product variances, and product reintroductions, as well as, pilot capacity production.’

And so while the country is slightly hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic, ITDI continues to pursue ways to boost industry competitivenesseven at the backend.