Entrepreneur: Allan B. Jarlos
Position: President /CEO
Company: AH-Advance Communication System, Inc.

By: ROULEE JANE F. CALAYAG
Reporter

If you think capitalizing on the wealth of ideas that come freely is not worth your time, think again.

Just ask Allan B. Jarlos, president and chief executive of AHD-Advance Communication System, Inc. (AHD-ACS) a company that leverages its strength in the mobile telecommunication Industry.

From capital of only P90,000 IN 1997, Mr. Jarlos generated revenues of P5 million that same year and grew this to P156 million in only seven years.

While this may strike one as quite extraordinary, this is no big feat for Mr. Jarlos, who believes that any enterprise will grow for as long as the entrepreneur has the passion and the know-how to do what he wants.

In an interview with Business World, the man who engineered the success of AHD-ACS said he anchored his entrepreneurial edge on technology-his expertise and passion.

“I am more into technology. That is my passion. My five years background in technology brought unexpected opportunities I did not dream of it. It was accidental-no plans, no strategies. I was doing (the business) as a sideline then, It was four years in the making.” said Mr. Jarlos. “I started working with some local and international companies and trained in the fields of engineering sales and management.”

His perseverance and patience to build on his ideas later steered him to a new direction: entrepreneurship. “One must have the passion. It is different to manage a company without a background on it, “he shared.

After a long ago and careful thought Mr. Jarlos decided to leave the comforts of the corporate environment and plunge into business.

While it seemed quite unnerving at first, the venture proved profitable and inspiring for Mr. Jarlos who proceeded patiently and precisely until he reached the pinnacle of his dream. Now that AHD-ACS has created its market niche, Mr. Jarlos said his vision is to expand his company’s reach further to underdeveloped countries while promoting “Pinoy” expertise.
Who would have thought that the cellular phone, introduced in 1993 by foreigners, would be a vehicle for progressive ideas and an area of expertise for a Filipino engineer?

In four years, Mr. Jarlos patiently took the time to discover the power of cellular phone, later developing applications that would change the lives of many people in such a short time.
Through his leadership, the company installed more than 3,000 base and mobile and microwave relay stations nationwide. But the firm’s achievements go farther. In less than decade, it came up with innovative with cutting edge ideas that thousands of subscribers enjoy using.

“We were the ones who came up with the four-digit SMS (short messaging service) code. We also automated a service for applications, inquiries, examination dates and others for applicants of the Civil Service Commission to reduce traveling and queueing,” said Mr. Jarlos.
ADH-ACS also pioneered the Campus Text, which allows students and administrators to interact with peers from 11 universities, providing services that allow students to check for classes in times of typhoons.

The company also spun off four subsidiaries, foremost of which is Commzgate, 51% owned by AHD-ACS and 49% by a Singaporean partner.

Focused on capturing a bigger share of the mobile engineering services market, AHD-ACS has grown to represent respected manufacturers from Europe, the United States and the Asia-Pacific partner.

It prides itself of being an expert in wireless technology, which spans radio frequency planning engineering designing and consultancy as well as project management.
AHD-ACS counts major cellular operators Globe Telecom Inc., Smart Communication Inc., Ericsson, Nokia and Nera as its customers.

Mr. Jarlos, always brimming with ideas sees optimistic prospects for the future, His commitment to learn and generate ideas go hand in hand as he charts the direction of the entities under his belt. In spite of his experience in telecommunications and information technology, Mr. Jarlos never tires from learning new skills that he adds to his burgeoning portfolio.

Aside from a master degree in entrepreneurship at the Asian Institute of Management and mini masters in franchise management in Israel, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong and Japan.
Mr. Jarlos‘ example shows that persistence pays off immensely over time. But any aspiring entrepreneur would want to know, success in one’s venture requires more than just a Midas’ touch, which forms only part of the equation. The rest requires more. “Those aspiring to be entrepreneurs must have the sufficient capital, great ideas, knowledge of the market, expertise and passion to do what they want, “said Mr. Jarlos.

Entrepreneurship is a commitment that entails the endless generation of ideas, the fruitful embodiment of principles that one believes in, and perseverance to stick through in good and bad times.

Classic entrepreneur that he is, Mr. Jarlos is biding his time for future ventures that may catapult him and his company to a wider spectrum of mobile users not only in the Philippines but also in other key cities across Asia.

Instead of resting on his laurels, he is stepping up his campaign to get more exposure for AHD-ACS’ products that originated from a flurry of ideas that snowballed into profitable ventures in the end.

How he multiplied hi P90,000 capital to the nth power with his ideas should inspire like-minded people to plunge into unknown, armed only with ideas and convictions.
One may not know what lies ahead but the well of ideas should help one plot his future. It is all about ideas, ideas and ideas. That is what keeps successful entrepreneurs, like Mr. Jarlos, moving that leads them to greener in the realm of business.

‘We were the ones who came up with the four-digit SMS (short messaging service) code. We also automated a service for applications, inquiries, examination dates and others for applicants of the Civil Commission to reduce traveling and queueing…’