PLDT and Smart Communications are accelerating enterprise-wide AI adoption in a new partnership with Microsoft, moving artificial intelligence from pilot to core operations.
The telco group has invested in 1,000 Microsoft 365 Copilot seats as the foundation for the transformation. The initiative embeds AI directly into daily workflows — from drafting communications and summarizing meetings to analyzing data and supporting faster, more informed decision-making — rather than treating it as a standalone tech project.
Rewiring How Work Gets Done
According to PLDT and Smart, the impact is already being felt across business units. In finance and procurement, teams are completing reviews and analysis with greater speed and confidence. In customer-facing functions, Copilot is helping synthesize customer feedback and accelerate response times. Across HR and internal teams, routine tasks that once consumed hours are now completed in minutes.
By reducing time spent on manual work, the companies say employees can focus on higher-value priorities like customer engagement, innovation, and growth.
“Our partnership with Microsoft allows us to accelerate this transformation at scale, embedding AI into everyday processes and building new capabilities across the organization. This is about driving real impact, improving how we work, and unlocking new opportunities for innovation,” said Gilbert Gaw, First Vice President, Head of Information Technology and the Transformation Office at PLDT and Smart.
Built for Long-Term Scale
PLDT and Smart said the rollout is paired with training, governance, and a focus on measurable outcomes to ensure responsible adoption. That foundation is enabling more complex use cases in network operations, enterprise solutions, and AI-driven automation.
“What stands out about the PLDT Group’s approach is that they’re focusing on real work and real outcomes. They’re embedding AI into the flow of everyday work, unlocking meaningful productivity gains while building long-term capability,” said Mayank Wadhwa, ASEAN President, Microsoft.
Looking ahead, the next phase of the partnership will deepen usage across teams, develop more advanced AI applications, and translate early productivity gains into broader business impact — positioning the telco leader not just as a connectivity provider, but as a model for AI at scale in the Philippines.
