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Pioneering progress Pioneering initiatives have long been an Ayala principle, as well as a continuing promise, fulfilled on several fronts over the recent decades.
New developments in Makati’s commercial area have raised the bar of retail infrastructure higher than it had ever been, with the construction of Greenbelt 1 to 5, in quick succession. The entire profile of the Ayala Center has been dramatically transformed by new structures and studded with new establishments. Ayala Land, already widely spread out in areas such as Laguna and Cebu, has acquired a controlling stake in the massive Fort Bonifacio development in Taguig, to the immediate east of Makati. Ayala has made pioneering steps toward overseas expansion, with its overseas investment unit AG Holdings charting new investments in enterprises in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and later on, in the United States.
With BPI’s purchase of a majority stake in Ayala Life came the opportunity for timely synergy and breakthrough innovations. The convergence of its banking and insurance business through electronic and online consumer channels have allowed insurance transactions through ATMs and the Internet, and continue to create larger value for both sets of customers through cross-selling and product integration. Ayala has also made pioneering forays in technology, shared services, and business process outsourcing industry through its investment arm Azalea. Its portfolio grew to include major investments in information technology services through Ayala Systems Technology; HR services through HRMall; and BPOs through LiveIt.
LiveIt is involved in pursuing BPO investments, among them have been AffinityExpress, which is focused on graphics and design solutions; Integreon, a document, content, and knowledge management services company; and eTelecare which provides complex voice and non-voice customercare services. The Ayala spirit of innovation is also very much alive in Globe Telecom which has revolutionized its industry by introducing secure GSM standards and text messaging to consumers. A few years later, Globe became the first telecommunications company to offer Internet connectivity, raising the bar further by offering broadband technology to enterprises and consumers. Today, it has evolved into a highly convergent medium that allows users to access information, generate personalized content, and even make financial transactions. Globe continues to develop and deliver communications technology for a market that is steadfastly growing, especially along its base. By providing products and services to larger and larger segments, Globe has reached the average Filipino—and thus, so too has Ayala.
But Ayala’s innovations have not merely been on the business front. Through all its 175 years, the company has always nurtured the Filipino culture and way of life, funding, supporting, and developing programs to support schools, charities, livelihood projects, and cultural programs. By actively participating in the social and cultural aspects of the industries Ayala is involved in, and by initiating corporate thinking that takes into account the larger community, Ayala has locked step with the demands of the changing times and set a powerful working example for the business community.