Globe Telecom builds an innovative culture through AWS Skills Guild

Editor’s note: Learn how Globe Telecom, a telecommunications company and mobile network operator in the Philippines, changed its business and company culture through company-wide cloud skills training. Through focus on its people’s skills development, Globe has positioned the company for agile adaption and innovation in the telecom space.

Globe Telecom, a telecommunications company and mobile network operator in the Philippines serving 90 million customers, is using AWS Skill Guild to accelerate cloud fluency and upskill employees across its business. The pressure to solve digital complexities is key to the success of telecommunications companies. The challenge is that consumer expectations frequently change more quickly than businesses can adapt.

With Globe’s simple vision to improve the lives of all Filipinos, and its commitment to train its employees in cloud, the company has diversified its business beyond telecom and now offers financial technology, digital marketing solutions, venture capital funding for start-ups, virtual healthcare, and entertainment.

Cloud-first policy and investment in its workforce

The company announced its cloud-first policy in 2014 using Amazon Web Services (AWS) and achieved what they termed a “Cloud Native Maturity Model” in 2018. Since adopting the AWS Cloud, Globe has reduced their manufacture provision time from 80 days to two days, and its uptime increased to 99.99%. Greater provisioning efficiencies and application performance have accelerated Globe’s ability to bring high-quality products and services to market faster.

In order to meet the ever-changing challenges of the telecom industry, it became clear to Globe that its investment in the cloud would be not be complete without an investment in their people.

In 2021, Globe launched a comprehensive cloud training program that they named, “Athena,” using the AWS Skills Guild framework to increase the speed and effectiveness of cloud adoption across the company.

“The innovator mindset is very much burnt into the company—interest in newer technologies, not for technology’s sake, but technologies that will help the company get faster, get better, and also help consumers improve their lives through digital solutions,” said Ernest Cu, Chief Executive Officer, Globe Telecom.

Cloud is for everyone at Globe

Globe’s Athena initiative has been instrumental in encouraging innovative thinking by empowering employees from all parts of the business with comprehensive cloud training. The program offers various training events for all levels of cloud fluency, such as workshops targeted toward cloud novices or deep-dive sessions for more technically-skilled employees.

Non-technical employees have reported that foundational cloud knowledge and an understanding of cloud-first thinking was a valuable precursor to more technical training.

“I’m so excited for Athena’s events and would like to learn, build, and contribute to the community, which will encourage me in my journey. I also love the incentives that can motivate us to study more,” said one Globe Telecom “Athenian”.

Globe encourages time to learn during business hours, driving crucial momentum and ownership for Athena cloud champions. Collaboration and sharing successes is also important, as it allows staff to teach each other, building their cloud knowledge, expertise, and as Cu says, “increase the collective knowledge of Globe as a cloud community.”

As a result, the program has produced a dynamic community of individuals who are passionate about cloud technology and AWS. In the first six months of the program, Athena has achieved the following results:

• Enabled 2,800+ employees through Guild learning sessions

• Trained more than 400 people with self-service AWS Cloud trainings

• Driven a 25% YoY increase in Globe employees who have AWS Certifications

• Trained 100% of Information Systems Group (ISG) employees on AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials and 50% on the AWS Associate level trainings

Permission to innovate

By training staff in cloud, Globe is equipping its employees with the knowledge and skills they need to innovate—and to help Globe stay competitive in the rapidly changing telecom marketplace. Cloud technology makes it faster to build proof of concepts, test whether an idea will work, and make a change. In fact, a pivotal part of Globe’s cloud-fluent culture is the permission to experiment because it nurtures the confidence to test remarkable ideas with minimal failure impact. In doing so, Globe is empowering its people to depart from traditional thinking, which opens new opportunities.

One idea that has emerged is the invention of the GCash app, a micropayment service for customers to secure fast and convenient money transfers, as well as purchase products and services. In 2020, one in three Filipinos had at least one GCash app, which is an impressive figure in the competitive app marketplace that wouldn’t have been possible without innovative thinking.

Investment in its future by investing in its people

Globe is poised to cultivate even more opportunities like this, thanks to the company’s investment in its people through Athena. “Guild will create a blueprint for future cloud and digital projects within Globe,” said Paul Pili, Head of Globe Solution Chapters and Guild Executive Sponsor.

Looking forward, Globe will continue to empower and engage its technical workforce, led by cloud champions. Globe’s commitment to cloud practice and to Athena has helped to accelerate the company’s adoption of the AWS Cloud across its large multinational business. Globe aims to build on its cultural transformation, nurture continuous learning within the business so it can continue creating amazing customer experiences, and build new products and services at the pace of consumer expectation.

Learn more about AWS Skills Guild.