GETTING ON the Web will hopefully drive business for the firms targetted in the Google-STI initiative.
Its Business Stimulus Package, Google Southeast Asia head Derek Callow said, will hopefully encourage MSMEs "to use the internet as a platform to find new business."
"We want to help businesses get online and promote themselves especially since the past 24 months have been very difficult. Basically the aim is to get more businesses on the internet and harness it," Mr. Callow said in a briefing.
Businesses can sign up for websites that will be created by STI students. The first 200 firms that register will have their websites created for free, while the rest will need to shell out a P3,000 one-time fee. Google will provide P2,000 worth of free credits for its AdWord program, which uses keywords to generate website traffic.
The websites will be hosted on Blogger, a publishing service owned by Google.
Mr. Callow said they hope to attract 800,000 MSMEs in the country to register.
STI President Monico V. Jacob, president of STI, said the initiative would not only help businesses but the students as well.
"The students are being trained nationwide, our senior students. What the project brings is ... training ... and experience," said Mr. Jacob.
The fees paid STI will be given to the students, who will work in teams of threes. -- E. N. J. David
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