PLDT HOME and Microsoft partner to boost TVolution Stick; Powerful stick turns TV into a Windows 10 computer

MANILA, December 8, 2015 – After forging breakthrough partnerships with global entertainment leaders Fox International Channels and iflix, broadband and digital services leader PLDT HOME breaks new ground yet again as it brings to the Philippines another game-changing innovation on the TVolution Stick in partnership with global technology giant Microsoft.

 

The TVolution Stick by Microsoft is the next level in PLDT HOME’s pioneering portfolio of over-the-top (OTT) devices which started with the TVolution—the Philippines’ first OTT device which turns an ordinary TV into an Internet TV. Following the success of TVolution, PLDT HOME raised the bar with the recent launch of TVolution Stick—a dongle-sized device which transforms any HDMI-ready TV into a fully functional PC. It is based on the Intel Compute Stick and runs on Windows OS 8.1, letting users stream movies and videos, search the web, send and receive emails and do other activities that are normally done on a PC.

 

According to PLDT VP and HOME Marketing Director Gary Dujali, the overwhelming consumer response from the introduction of TVolution Stick by Intel last October inspired the powerhouse partnership with another market leader as PLDT HOME continuously innovate the product providing a powerful suite of connected home services.

 

“The TVolution Stick is compact and extremely efficient—two characteristics that today’s upwardly mobile users look for in their gadgets,” he said. “We’re honored to work with a globally renowned brand like Microsoft to continuously innovate this small but powerful device running on PLDT HOME’s most robust and powerful broadband connection of up to 1 Gbps. Together, we are confident that we can truly help create the strongest connections at home.”

 

Coming from a successful launch in the US and in India, the Southeast Asian debut of the TVolution Stick by Microsoft in the Philippines will see the beginning of a partnership between two industry leaders which is expected to level up the digital experience for millions of digitally active Filipinos.

 

The TVolution Stick by Microsoft is portable, plug-and-play simple and productive. Unlike other similarly designed sticks which “primarily functions as a casting & streaming device”, it transforms an HDMI-capable TV into a fully functional PC running the latest Windows 10 operating system. It enables subscribers to surf with the all-new Microsoft Edge browser and run the built-in and complete Office 365 suite, including MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote, One Drive, and Skype among other commonly used applications, for productivity.

 

Users can also find loads of entertainment options in the Windows Store and the Xbox PC Games application, access as much as 15 GB of files for free via the OneDrive cloud storage, and chat and video call via Skype.

 

With this powerful stick, users can watch YouTube videos on the big screen while lounging in the bedroom or browse the web and check social media accounts during commercial breaks. Those who bring their bulky laptops at home to finish up work can use the Microsoft Stick instead to reply to e-mails and do light document editing. It is also ideal for laptop-free business trips.

 

“It’s a full PC on a stick, so you can turn any HDMI screen into a get-it-done machine,” said Carlos Lopes, Microsoft Consumer and Channels Group General Manager for Asia Pacific. “Filipinos are among the world’s heaviest Internet users with a huge appetite for various forms of multimedia content, which is why the TVolution Stick by Microsoft is a perfect fit. This powerful device definitely needs the powerful connection of PLDT HOME to fully deliver the device’s exceptional performance to more Filipino homes.”

 

Lopes added, “We live in what we call a mobile-first, cloud-first world where people are always on the go and are using devices that are getting better and smarter. This what makes this partnership with PLDT crucial to our mission of empowering every individual in the world – we are bringing the convenience and innovation of Microsoft technology straight to the homes of our customers.”

 

The TVolution Stick by Microsoft is available to new PLDT HOME subscribers or existing subscribers who upgrade to high-speed plans 999 and up. All new PLDT HOME Fibr and DSL Plan 999 subscribers also get the stick for free, complete with iflix and Fox, until December 31, 2015. Visit pldthome.com for more details.

 

Dominguez Marketing Communications

Justine Bonilla
Senior Account Manager
M: 0918 902 0722
E: justine.bonilla@dominguez.com.ph

Mel Dominguez
CEO and President
T: 897 7088
E: mel.dominguez@dominguez.com.ph