Letter From the CEO: 8layer at Three: Why are we still here?

Letter From the CEO: 8layer at Three: Why are we still here?
Written By: Meric B. Mara
Date: March 30, 2008

Tis the time to be Happy. Happy New Year, Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary to 8layer.

Time to be happy....

We walked, we stumbled, we stood up and climbed and as we hike we saw and experienced how bumpy, rough, narrow and deceiving the road is as we go on our journey.

But We are happy.

A New Year...

Going on four, we are at the forefront of bigger responsibilities. New learnings every year that we urgently heed and act upon thus make us stronger. At Three, we are firm of who we are, as a team, as an IT player and as people believing that there is still hope, just as we hold on to make each day a little better than yesterday.

And so, We ought to be happy.

It's 8layer's Birthday...

Last year, I mentioned to you in passing that the Launch of an Integrated Solutions Program will be borne. And was I just fooling or dreaming? That program is now known as the PLDT Snap!. PLDT Snap! is a PLDT product conceived and put together by Industry Leaders, PLDT, Intel, IBM Phils. and 8layer which was launched in October 2007. I'd like to make special mention that 8layer is also supported by Mr. Yatin Kantak and Mr. Greg McClement and their team at NIAP and Net-Integration Technologies for the NITIX Operating System bundled with this PLDT Snap! offering.

Likewise, this year is also the birth and launch of our 8layer homegrown solutions (such as the Avi8tor ERP Suite , CLIX Back-up Solution and WeBCre8 v.1.0) . I suggest that you visit our site often for a clear grasp of this developments.

Thus, We should be happy.

Three Years and Counting...

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We got a bigger office; one that is more conducive for 8lien learning, work and play.
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New Set of Board of Directors; for a leaner but meaner structure whose belief and values seats on respect and responsibility for the organization and its employees
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Yes, more homegrown solutions for all segments; majorly credited to our Best of Breed RND team.
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Not to mention, that we are heaping to be ready with our 8layer Support System to respond and address these IT nitty-grittys on solutions that we do provide.
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We have now started to engage with government projects, whose proponents do realize the gains it will reap for its organizations and the people they serve.
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Continuously, we will uphold and build our advocacy for IT awareness and education on Open Source Technologies. This means more trainings and modules for schools and other organizations.

As always, we will be happy.

Truth is at three, I am more delighted to share with you the essence of our happiness and our existence—our reason why 8layer is still here, standing and would like to soar for us to achieve our goal of freedom.

We are happy. That 8layer coagulates the right mix. I feel more lucky than those with so much money because I found great people, with great values to work alongside with me (Hindi ako Nag-iisa!) living a simple life yet achieving the goals of other companies and sharing themselves to others.

We are happy. That at the onset, I really felt disappointed at how companies and people decide on what solutions and providers to take on for their organization. It was a strange feeling for me that our foreign partners and foreign companies believed and entrusted their work to us rather than to those with bigshot names. I kept on bugging our other IT practitioner friends (really good ones!) to come back to the Philippines because of lack of resource and talent but I can't blame them, they have more valid reasons than money. And so, We take our hats off to the men and women of multi-national and big companies for more than believing and seeing through our team that we can still spell and make a difference.

We are happy. That despite fears and havoc brought about by ignorance and greed, we will never be swayed to be used and abused for personal gains. That we will never forget why we are still here.

We are happy. That slowly and meaningfully, people and companies are now becoming to be aware of the value of intellectual property, of value of time, of talent and of people.... and of understanding why they need IT.

We are happy. Because we are still here at THREE and Counting...

Meric B.Mara
CEO