*Coder Extraordinaire: Offshoring Inc.'s Niño Ronda Bags Back-to-Back Victories*
It's not everyday that a person gets lucky but Niño Rey “Oninkx” T. Ronda perhaps doesn't need luck, anyway. Oninkx, Web Designer under Offshoring Inc., relies more on his amazing talent honed through eight years of web designing to be on top. Today, his stellar achievements outside the office reflect his excellent work at Offshoring Inc.
Oninkx proudly displayed the amazing talent and skills of Filipinos once again in the 2009 Top Coder Studio Design Competition held in Las Vegas last June 1 to 4. He was the defending champion of last year's competition. This time, he slipped into second place, having been defeated by a contestant from Australia. His dynamic and powerful design lost by merely .8 points. Offshoring's prodigy didn't go home empty-handed, however. Aside from $5,000, Oninkx went home with an even bigger name in the world of web development.
Web designing is a complex and meticulous process. Oninkx though, is so used to it that he's able to create the most astounding artworks within a very limited period of time. Last year, he pitted his skills against 11 other formidable finalists worldwide: 5 from Indonesia, 3 from China, and one each from Poland, Canada, Romania, and Venezuela. He did it again this time, proving once and for all that he is the man to beat in Web design.
What it Takes to be the the Top Coder
TopCoder is a company that hosts computer programming contests. Contestants compete in single round matches or SRMs, as well as weekly competitions in development and design. The competition produces effective software which TopCoder then licenses.
Competition in TopCoder tournaments is intense. Oninkx went against the best of the best in Web designing in two rounds. Scores in both rounds are added to identify the winners. For the second time in a row, Oninkx' great designs clearly showed why the skills of Filipinos are world-class.
The Secret to Oninkx's Success
Sure, Oninkx is gifted, but the high level of his skills now is also a product of the long and dedicated practice of his craft. Oninkx has been designing websites for 8 years, without his interest even diminishing a bit. In fact, he believes that nothing in this world has ever been accomplished without passion.
While Oninkx has mastered many types of software to create websites, he still trusts his three best friends: Adobe CS3 Master Collection, Corel Draw 14, and last but not the least, the classic notepad. Oninkx, like all other Web Designers, usually employ the simple application when doing web design projects.
As great as he is, Oninkx still looks up to others to improve his work. He is a big fan of Nik Ainley's digital designs and Eric Jordan's motion graphics. With Oninkx's successive victories and recognitions however, these artists may just applaud him and become his fans one day.
*Safeguarding Employees' Health:
Flu and Pneumonia Vaccination*
Today, 69 countries all over the world has confirmed cases of infection by the A(H1N1) virus, commonly known as “swine flu.” The Philippines' Department of Health insists that the virus is not deadly, but Offshoring Inc., the leading provider of staff-leasing services, is pulling out all the stops to prevent the virus from spreading within the company premises. One of the measures the company recently applied is the Flu and Pneumonia Vaccination of its employees.
Ms. Aimee Charis R. Corsame, company nurse of Offshoring Inc., explained that the flu and pneumonia vaccination greatly helped both the employees and the company. The rainy season meant that common seasonal flu is rampant in communities once again, and of course, the threat of the A(H1N1) virus is also present. Employees were able to guard themselves from these diseases through the vaccination that Offshoring Inc. offered. The company also ultimately benefited from the vaccination because less employees will file sick leaves, resulting in smooth and stable operations.
The big success of the Flu and Pneumonia Vaccination would not have been possible without the coordination of the administration staff of Offshoring Inc. The vaccination is the first of the planned regular vaccinations to be conducted for the maintenance of the employees' health.
A Timely Response
“One of my roles here in the company is to secure the health of our employees. Providing employees with consultation services and giving them medicines is not enough. I must also look forward to find ways to secure our employees' health,” Aimee said. She explained that the company had already decided on rolling out measures, like vaccinations, to promote the health of their employees even before the virus spread. The growing number of cases worldwide and the rainy season merely made the event more urgent.
On May 22, 2009, medical professionals from Home Health Care, a local health care service provider composed of fully accredited physicians and other medical workers, arrived at Offshoring Inc.'s headquarters in Ortigas City to administer the flu and pneumonia vaccines to all the employees. Vaccination started as early as 6:30AM so night shift employees could avail of the service before going home. When the activity ended at about 11:00 AM, the number of employees who received the vaccination doubled the number of those registered.
Healthy Employees, Healthy Company
The flu vaccine that was administered will last up to a year while the pneumonia vaccine will last for three to five years. Many people have been asking Aimee if the medications are enough to prevent swine flu. “They're not 100% effective. The swine flu virus was just recently discovered and the production of vaccines specifically for it is still ongoing. However, the symptoms of seasonal flu and swine flu are almost the same. This means that prevention strategies for the seasonal flu are somehow similar to that of the swine flu. The flu vaccine that we administered may not be made specifically for the swine flu, but it helps to some extent.”
A second session of flu and pneumonia vaccination is slated to be held on June 11. This time, employees and their family members are all encouraged to avail of the vaccines. They could get vaccinated at the company headquarters or at Home Health Care's clinic.
Ready for Anything
While A(H1N1) has been observed to be mild by many medical experts, Offshoring Inc. is not taking the threat lightly. Aimee revealed that the company is ready to administer more specialized drugs should a case be confirmed among the employees. Mr. Angelito C. Cruz, Chief Operating Officer of the company, pushed for the procurement of the medicines himself.
Aside from the vaccinations, Offshoring Inc. is also developing policies to prevent the possible transmission of A(H1N1), seasonal flu and other diseases among its employees. Aimee also reminds everyone to do everything in their power to protect their own health. Indeed, “Prevention is better than cure,” and Aimee together with the whole team of Offshoring Inc. is committed to safeguard the employees' health for smooth and stable operations even in these troubled times.
*Domainers Dominate Amsterdam: The 2009 Targeted T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Convention*
According to Sean Stafford, domainer and author of “Domaining: Tapping the Online Mines,” domaining is almost exactly like real estate. The difference is that instead of buying and selling brick and mortar real estate, people are buying and selling virtual real estate in the form of domains. Perhaps another difference is that while the housing industry is on a slump, the domain industry is booming.
Domainers, parking companies, ad networks and agencies, brand managers, and other entrepreneurs on the World Wide Web gathered in the stunning city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands from June 1 to 4 for the 2009 Targeted T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Convention. Offshoring Inc., the leading provider of staff-leasing services, joined the biggest names in the domain industry along with representatives of Web-based businesses in the event.
What is the Targeted T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Convention?
The Targeted T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Convention was co-founded by Rick Schwartz and Howard Neu and has been hosting shows since October 2004. It has more than 500 attendees, including leading experts and executives who control over 20 million domains that have some 50 million daily unique visitors. Among those privileged to join this premier domaining conference is Offshoring Inc.'s very own Jodi Chamberlain.
Amazing Amsterdam
Amsterdam is known for its many scenic sites, including its serene canals and picturesque brick houses. According to Jodi, the city, which is the largest in the Netherlands, was nothing short of amazing. She found the city very unique, especially the architecture. There were also shops on every street and the atmosphere was laid back and cool.
Jodi enjoyed Amsterdam very much, and she also had fun at the convention. “The rooms were full of domainers who were happy to share their ideas and visions,” she said. Jodi was in charge of Offshoring Inc.'s booth in the busy and energetic conference, as well as helping Mr. Rick Latona's team greet the enthusiastic guests.
Broadening Horizons for Offshoring Inc.
Why was it important for Offshoring, Inc. to be represented at the Targeted T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Convention? Jodi was very clear on the matter. “Any business that is Web-based needs us,” she said. “We are the only staffing agency that steps up to the domain industry with development services. Every person who owns a website understands development is needed, all the time or sometimes.”
Services offered by Offshoring Inc. and the needs of the domain industry fit perfectly. Domainers buy and sell domains or websites. These websites may have no content in them in the first place, just a catchy URL, which people may flock to in the future. Offshoring Inc. leases out developers (Web Designers, Programmers, Writers, Web Master etc.) who are essential in building websites that could be worth much to buy and sell.
Jodi is very busy attending events similar to Targeted T.R.A.F.F.I.C. Convention – events that broaden the horizons of Offshoring Inc. She will be attending the Affiliate Summit East on August 9-11, 2009 in New York City. The conference will feature networks, vendors, affiliate merchants, as well as several educational sessions covering the latest information and trends from affiliate marketing experts.
*Unleashing the Writers in Everybody: Offshoring Inc.'s Writing Seminars*
“Miscommunication is bad for business,” said Carlito Casas seriously.
Carlito, better known in Offshoring Inc.'s headquarters as “Sasi,” is a jolly, bespectacled man who often hosts and brings life to company events, such as parties and holiday celebrations. Aside from his warm personality though, Sasi's intelligence and talent make him a very important resource of the company. Sasi, at least at one point in his life, had been a branch manager for a real estate company, an events manager, even an actor and a director. Today however, Sasi is an accomplished Senior Writer in Offshoring Inc. where he produces high-quality articles that are both creative and informative.
Although Sasi is a top-notch writer, he believes his greater strength lies in conducting writing seminars for Offshoring employees. He's an excellent writer who clears the path for other writers in the company so they may achieve more in their careers.
When SEO Specialists Become Writers: “Unleash the Writer in You”
Seminar
Sasi has conducted several writing workshops. He spearheaded the “Unleash the Writer in You” Seminar, which was unique because not one of the attendees was a writer. In fact, the “class” was composed of Offshoring Inc.'s Web Designers, Web Masters and SEO Specialists.
The obvious question is, “Why do Web Designers have to learn how to write?”
Sasi has a simple answer to that question. “Well, for one thing, it's because they also communicate with their clients,” he said matter-of-factly. “They usually communicate through e-mail, YM, ICQ, and Skype. Communication is really essential for them. If these Web Designers, SEO Specialists, Web Masters can't communicate well, then there will be miscommunication, which is bad for business. Usually, miscommunication is the root of misunderstandings. That's why Sir Paul (Paul Christian C. Ruiz, Recruitment Manager) had this program, so I could teach employees how to enhance heir grammar skills.”
The devoted writer and trainer points out that communication doesn't only happen in writing. Oral communication is also necessary in the execution of an employee's duties, whether he's a writer or not. In order to teach participants in the seminar how to speak better, Sasi asked them to write an essay about themselves. They then were asked to stand in front and read what they have written. “Sometimes, you can see them breathing heavily. It's like they almost want to cry,” he said smiling.
Sasi believes that the participants took home some important things with them from the seminar. “You can see their hidden confidence. They spoke well and you can see their interest in telling everybody about themselves.”
Revealing the Taken for Granted Realities of Writing: The “Pen Commandments” Workshop
Unlike the “Unleash the Writer in You” seminar, the “Pen Commandments” workshop that Sasi currently conducts deals exclusively with Offshoring Inc.'s writers. According to him, it is a way for old-time writers in the company to know and develop their gift and for the new writers to acquire new skills. These writers are already talented and productive on their own, but Sasi says they still can learn more.
But how can one improve an already talented batch of writers?
Sasi said that a good writer almost always writes on automatic. The final product, an article or an essay for example, usually sounds good and has high quality, but when the writer is asked how exactly he wrote the article, he cannot describe the writing process. The “Pen Commandments” Workshop tries to expose the “secret method” applied to these articles so that the writer will be conscious of them. Sasi believes that a writer will greatly improve once he knows what he's actually doing.
After the Pen Commandments Workshop, Sasi is going to conduct another seminar about editing. With seminars like these, Offshoring Inc.'s employees will surely be able to increase the quality of their work.
“Learning is the largest room in the world.” Sasi said. Indeed, it is impossible to run out of space with learning.
*Developing Hidden Potentials: Introduction to Digital Photography Seminar*
The headquarters of Offshoring Inc., with its growing team of talented Web Designers, Web Masters, Programmers, SEO Specialists, Writers, and other highly skilled employees, is also home to budding photographers who have bright futures in photography. Recognizing the huge potential in their employees, Offshoring Inc. recently rolled out a seminar entitled “Introduction to Digital Photography”
to hone the skills of these amateur photographers. These skills may prove useful in the future for the employees and the company itself, since pictures are essential in web development, a service which Offshoring Inc. provides.
Photography from Professionals
Last May 30, Offshoring Inc.'s employees from different accounts attended the seminar led by professional photographers Mr. Robert E. Regala and Mr. Carlo B. Roderos II. “Robert” and “Carlo” are both from 100 United Photographers (100UP), an organization of photographers that specializes in the fields of modeling, makeup artistry, and fashion design.
Carlo is a living proof that Offshoring Inc.'s employees have more talent and skills outside of their workstations. Carlo is a former employee of Offshoring Inc. with a huge background in fine arts, IT, product branding, and website-building. The multi-talented photographer was happy to share with the seminar attendees some of the knowledge he gathered during his 7 years of experience in the IT industry. His talent in photography has helped him create numerous websites and earned him various recognitions.
Robert has honed his fascinating skills in GlamArt and Fashion photography. He's been molding his talent since high school and has come to learn that character is paramount to skill. He believes that the most important thing is that a person must develop the proverbial “artistic eye” and become a “Master of Light” to create art out of an ordinary image. Occasionally doing freelance photography, he shoots everything from landscapes to models and even dabbles in photojournalism.
One Shot Closer to Photographic Perfection
We talked to one of the attendees, Mr. Victor L. Guerrero (HR Specialist), regarding the seminar. Vic is a familiar face in the headquarters of Offshoring Inc. He handles his duties as an HR Specialist excellently, but not many people are aware of his passion for photography. The truth is Vic had just bought his Nikon D40 DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) camera three months ago. He's now currently doing his best to master the features of his complex gadget. The “Introduction to Digital Photography” seminar provided him with a perfect opportunity to further refine his photography skills.
Through lectures and various activities, such as taking sample photographs of different subjects, Vic was able to learn so much from the seminar. He learned the different settings used to optimize the performance of different models of SLR cameras, as well as how to play with light.
“This seminar is a big help for a beginner like myself,” he said. “I'm now able to apply everything that I've learned from the seminar to my hobby and work.” Vic continues to take photographs for Offshoring Inc. and his pictures are getting better and better each day. He posts samples of his work on websites like flickr and Multiply to build his online portfolio. The day of the interview, he even had a scheduled photo shoot.
“I hope that someday, I'll be able to push my photography skills to the highest level.” he said. With seminars like the one Offshoring Inc. just rolled out, Vic is surely one shot closer to his goal.
*iWeblympics 2009: Competing Hard, Building Camaraderie*
Last May 2009, Offshoring Inc. held the very first iWeblympics sports festival, where employees of the company competed against each other in various games. The event was held at the RFM Gym in Mandaluyong City which is about 15 minutes away from Offshoring Inc.'s office. iWeblympics has two major events, Fiesta Games and Basketball Tournament. These two events happened on May 9 and May 16 respectively. The games brought the employees closer and pushed them to show their athleticism for fun in the spirit of friendly competition.
Offshoring Inc. congratulates all the winners!
Basketball Tournament:
1st Place – Admin Team
2nd Place – Morning Shift Team
3rd Place – Night Shift Team
Most Valuable Player – Rian Jay G. Hernandez
Fiesta Games:
1st Place – Dark Green – 34 Points
2nd Place – Light Blue – 26 Points
3rd Place – Light Gold – 25 Points
Most Valuable Player – Joel E. Regondola – Dark Green
Best Team Captain – Derick V. Mendoza – Light Blue (His team members are from different accounts, shifts and floors, but they were still able to deliver thanks to his outstanding leadership skills).
Best Assistant Team Captain – Mike C. Manuel – Light Blue
Best Muse – Daniella Francine L. Velasquez - Orange Team
Teams with the most members before 9:00AM
1st Place – Light Gold
2nd Place – Yellow
3rd Place – Royal Blue
Awarding the Winners
Awarding of prizes to the Winners was held at a bar near the office called the Watering Hole Restobar. Watering Hole was rented for exclusive use by Offshoring Inc. last May 16, 2009. Employees had a great time eating, drinking and dancing while getting to know each other better. There were live musical performances as employees partied the night away. The party was a refreshing and exciting way to end the competitive sports festival.
Looking Forward
Everyone had fun in the iWeblympics, competing and cheering for their respective teams. Camaraderie is very important in smooth business operations and the sports fest served as a venue to build stronger bonds among Offshoring Inc.'s talented employees. Meia C. Hernandez of the Qool Media account said she really enjoyed the event. “I met people from different teams, so now it's easier to talk to them” she said. Meia's team, Light Blue, won 2nd place in the Fiesta Games, which included games like Sack Race, Pinoy Football and Chinese Garter. Charlie L. Loma, Dark Green Team, from The Search Agency Account also had a blast in the sports fest. “Aside from the games, I really liked the food. I hope that we will have more events like this in the future to develop teamwork and leadership qualities among employees,” Charlie said. Offshoring recognizes that the wellbeing of its employees is essential to business growth, so Charlie's wish will surely come true.
Offshoring Inc. extends their gratitude to the following sponsors: Helius, Smart/PLDT, Globe Telecoms, Pioneer/MEDICard, Le Comsys, and Arlo Gilbert.
