AMDATEX BECOMES SAM-CERTIFIED
Manila, Philippines, October 23, 2006 -
Related news: BSA awards certificate of immunity to 133 qualified companies
The Business Software Alliance (BSA) is pleased to celebrate Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Week with IP Philippines and the rest of the IP Community by announcing the recipients for this years SAM Advantage Certificate.
The Business Software Alliance (BSA), the foremost organization dedicated to promoting safe and legal digital world, announced that only 133 companies were certified under its SAM Advantage Program, a campaign that recognizes companies that have successfully implemented a software asset management (SAM) practice. They received a SAM Advantage Certificate which guarantees one year immunity from BSA- initiated enforcement actions.
The small number of companies that qualified for the SAM Advantage Certificate is a reflection of the need for more education and actions to raise awareness on SAM in the Philippines. While we congratulate the 133 companies that qualified for the SAM Advantage Program, the small number compared to the thousands of business organizations operating in the Philippines is alarming. This is a hard fact that many companies remain complacent and ignorant about managing their software properly. They leave a lot of security risks including the possibility of using unlicensed software. Company officers should learn to be conscious of software installed on their computers and how they are used, as they will be the ones liable if their company I caught using pirated software, said Hwee Chong Ng, Chair of BSA Philippines Committee.
The BSA has been promoting SAM adoption to help companies take full advantage of their IT resources. Software should be considered an investment which a company needs to properly plan for and manage. We have seen the ugly consequences of using unlicensed software such as virus attacks that could destroy important data, possibility of legal actions that could result in imprisonment or hefty fines, and the embarrassment it brings to the companies, said NG.
Law enforcement agencies such as the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have already raided many companies for violating Philippines copyright laws. Under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines, officers of companies caught using pirated software may face up to nine years of imprisonment and a fine up to 1.5 million pesos.
The result of the SAM Advantage Program revealed that although the 133 certified companies came from various industries such as business process outsourcing, construction/engineering and manufacturing, the percentage is very low amongst the total number of companies in their respective industries. While most of the participating companies belong to the manufacturing sector, there is little participation from big industries such as banking/finance, telecommunications, and call centers.
Companies should recognize that the software they utilize in their business operation is an important tool which increases productivity. We would like to see more companies getting certified for proper software management. We hope that the 133 companies weve certified will serve as role models to their respective industries, said Ng.
Almost All businesses have become reliant on computer software for their growth and productivity. Through proper SAM practice, companies will be able to take full control of their software and avoid installation of unlicensed software. The SAM process involves a set of policies that includes assessing and auditing of software use, setting side a budget for software procurement and issuing a company policy on use of software.
Resources and tools on SAM implementation are available on the BSA website, www.bsa.org/philippines.
AMDATEX is awarded Pioneer Award for Third-Party Back office Services Provider
Philippines, June 26, 2006 -
Computerworld Philippines along with the Commission on Information and Communications Technology has awarded AMDATEX the Pioneer Award for Third-Party Back office Services Provider for being a pioneer global company in providing back office outsourcing services from the Philippines.
The award was presented to the CEO of AMDATEX, Mr. James M. Donovan on the 26th of June, 2006 at the Crowne Plaza Galleria Manila during the celebration of the Philippinesf National ICT Month as declared by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
AMDATEX Pursues Second Certification......ISO 27001:2005
June 5, 2006
In 2005 AMDATEX recognized the importance of 'Customer Satisfaction' with our year-on-year success and initiated the certification of the Quality Management System to the requirements of ISO 9001:2000. The continuation of these efforts, in 2006, has been the commitment to pursue 'Information Security' as a foundation element toward exceeding our clients' compliance and regulatory related issues. With the desire to be a top-tier global solutions provider in the highly competitive Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) arena, AMDATEX recognizes that these certifications will be ever-growing requirement in the global business community.
With the mindset to continually 'exceed our clients' quality expectations', together with the firm belief that information security is part of exemplary customer service, AMDATEX has recently launched its drive toward Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification, complying with the requirements of ISO 27001:2005. The ISMS project was formally initiated April 3, 2006. Third party audit and certification is expected within the last quarter (Q4) of 2006.
Equipped with the full support of Top Management led by the CEO, CFO and QMR, the project team aims to build and implement the ISMS, including the harmonization and integration of the previously ISO Certified Quality Management System (QMS). The team is composed of dynamic, industrious and forward-thinking Business Process Professionals of AMDATEX, comprising a wide background of departments.
AMDATEX ISMS certification will provide the following benefits:
1) Protection of business and customer data
2) Compliance to contractual, legal and regulatory requirements
3) Protection and security of information systems
4) Organizational risk-awareness
"Having Information Security in one's organization has become a necessity rather than a competitive advantage. Adoption of ISO 27001:2005 at AMDATEX is a demonstration of how much importance we place on providing a secure environment for our clients' information, information that has been entrusted to us." mentioned AMDATEX Inc CEO, James M. Donovan.
About ISO/IEC 27001:2005
In July 2005, the British Standard, BS 7799-2:2002, was updated and released as a final draft standard in support of the June 2005 update to ISO/IEC 17799. On October 15, 2005, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) released the final version of the standard as ISO/IEC 27001:2005. ISO 27001 is the formal standard against which organizations may seek independent certification of their Information Security Management Systems, meaning their framework to design, implement, manage, maintain and enforce information security processes and controls systematically and consistently throughout the organizations. The final version of ISO 27001:2005 is available now from ISO or BSI. More information is available at www.iso.org.
AMDATEX is Awarded Prestigious ISO 9001:2000 Certification
Industry-wide Certification Affirms AMDATEX's Commitment to Superior Quality of its Services to Customers
AMDATEX, the market leader in
providing customized global outsourcing solutions to clients worldwide, announced
today it has been awarded ISO 9001:2000 Certification by TUV Hong Kong Ltd, of the
TUV SUD Group. This accreditation signifies AMDATEX' continued success of
its process on the "Provision of Global Business Process Outsourced Services"
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification vigorously
measured AMDATEX' Quality Management System, evaluating a broad spectrum
of industry practices, including but not limited to procedures, documentation,
policies, communications, personnel and infrastructure.
"AMDATEX' attention to detail and passion for consistency in processing and
metrics, where it's found throughout our Business Process Associates and processes,
have certainly eased the ISO certification challenge," said Mitch J. Kaminski,
Quality Management Representative, AMDATEX. "This has been a proven success
factor in helping AMDATEX attain this certification."
The ISO 9001:2000 Certification is the first of several strategic initiatives that
will further enable AMDATEX to deliver the highest quality of products and
services to its customers.
James M. Donovan, president and CEO of AMDATEX, states: "We are extremely
proud of achieving this industry benchmark, validating our commitment to delivering
the highest quality products and services to our customers worldwide. The ISO
accreditation further elevates AMDATEX's leadership role in the BPO market space and
we will continue to be pacesetters when it comes to exceeding industry expectations."
AMDATEX will expand its service offering capabilities while focusing on quality
customer satisfaction by launching its second strategic initiative of obtaining ISO 27001:2005,
a widely recognized international standard for information and physical
security controls since 2003. The ISO 27001:2005 covers Information Security Management,
including a comprehensive coverage of electronics security issues, and a wide range
of physical control requirements to help bolster AMDATEX's delivery of its world-class
security processes and practices to its customers.
"AMDATEX's core mission is built on the principles of customer satisfaction, continuous
improvement, and management's commitment in order to ensure the attainment of set quality
targets," said Donovan. "With the BPO projected to grow over 50 percent in 2006,
especially across Australia, the US, China and the Philippines, customers will look to
organizations such as ours to keep pace with industry standards. With this in mind,
AMDATEX will continue to pursue additional industry certifications, such as ISO 27001:2005 while
focusing on exceeding our customer expectations."
The ISO is the source of the ISO 9000 family of quality management standards. ISO is
a network of national standards institutes from 148 countries working in partnership
with international organizations, governments, industry, business and consumer
representatives. The ISO 9000:2000 standard is among ISO's most widely known standards
ever and has become the international reference for quality management requirements
in business-to-business dealings.
AMDATEX has demonstrated compliance with this standard through a rigorous audit
performed by TUV Hong Kong Ltd.
About AMDATEX
AMDATEX, a US-based company, is the market leader in providing customized global
outsourcing solutions to clients worldwide. With vast industry knowledge and proven
experience in outsourcing, AMDATEX is committed to delivering seamless, customized,
innovative solutions that are scalable, efficient, and cost-effective to meet the
specifications of your business.
AMDATEX has delivery centers consisting of 5,000 personnel worldwide, with offices in the
Philippines, the U.S., Australia, and China. AMDATEX offers a wide range of Business Process
Outsourcing Solutions, Document/Process management Solutions, HR Solutions, Accounting/Financial
Solutions, Litigation/Legal Solutions, Healthcare Solutions, Mortgage Banking and Title Solutions,
Worldwide Staffing, and remote Manpower Services.
ABOUT TUV Hong Kong
TUV Hong Kong Ltd. was established in Hong Kong in 1991, and is subsidiary of the TUV SUD Group,
established over 140 years ago in Germany and now the largest auditing & certification body in
the world with over 130 offices around the globe staffed by leading safety and quality assurance experts.
Together with TUV SUD Group worldwide, their 11,000 international experts serve clients in almost
all business areas. In Asia, offices and laboratories are located in Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong
Taiwan, Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Qatar, Sir Lanka and United Arab Emirates.
TUV SUD certification marks have a high market value for consumers in the European Community, and TUV
SUD Group is a preferred partner organization of leading international testing and certification agencies.
