24th SM mall offers free Wi-Fi access in DAVAO

 I am impressed with SM now being a leader in getting its malls internet connected.  Congratulations.  But I wish they would continue in this internet world too and get all their tenants listed on their website for each mall so customers could easily find a computer store, restaurant, or appliance store just by looking at their website and getting the web address and phone number and email easily.  It would be good relations for SM to get all their merchants online and help them start selling online which none do now hardly and it would then match the pace of the new internet knowledgeable customer.  And it would be build business as well for both SM and its client renters.  And would be greatly appeciated by the customers as well! Getting online already are SM clients like SM appliance, Ace Hardware, CDR King, and Island souvenirs but sadly none has gone the extra step to sell online and its a logical move for SM stores with excellent shipping natiionwide and worldwide available!


DAVAO CITY — In a bid to attract more mall-goers, SM City Davao has turned its 79,000-square-meter structure into a "wireless fidelity" or Wi-Fi zone.
 
Debbie A. Go, SM regional manager for Mindanao who switched on the free Internet access service Friday night, said the company’s shopping complex in Cagayan de Oro City has also become a Wi-Fi zone.
Ms. Go said this would provide customers Internet connection whenever they are in the mall so they can surf the Web or check e-mail for work or other purposes.

"This is also good for our mall considering this would be an attraction," she said.
Jennifer D. Silan, Philcom Corp. sales and marketing head, said the wireless connection can accommodate 1,500 simultaneous users, noting that anyone can get Internet access practically anywhere inside the shopping mall.

Ms. Silan, however, said the management is studying whether to restrict connections by banning sites "not good" for customers. The Davao complex is the 24th in the SM group’s malls with wireless fidelity connections.

Joanne A. Abrogar, operations manager of Cyberzone, another unit of the SM Supermalls, said the wireless fidelity access is also part of the corporate social responsibility of the SM group.
She called on shoppers to harness Internet connection for "good use" and report those using it for "questionable purposes."

The Information and Communications Technology of Association of Davao called on other big establishments to follow the SM mall’s lead.

Erriberto P. Barriga, vice-president of the council, said the connectivity was a "milestone" and "a manifestation" that the mall is becoming the leader in pushing for the city’s development.
"This is already an advantage and we need to capitalize on this by putting it to good use," Mr. Barriga said.