D&B SCHEME OFFERS SEAL FOR WEBSITE INTEGRITY

By Danessa O. Rivera
Originally published in: The Daily Tribune
 
With the lack of transparency in online commerce hindering growth in global markets, Dun and Bradstreet (D&B) has recently launched its newest suite of solutions called Online Trust Solutions (OTS) in the Philippines, the second market in the Asean, to help companies establish credibility and find more opportunities in trade and business locally and internationally.
 
D&B noted that establishing trustworthiness with a new business partner is a challenge faced by most companies today and knowing who the company behind an offer can make a difference to close a deal to both customers and suppliers.
 
D&B Asia Pacific Patnerships vice president Nicholas Teoh said the current market environment has made it difficult to build trust on the authenticity of the information displayed on any company’s Web site.
 
D&B offers the D&B D-U-N-S Registered Seal that enables companies across the globe to confidently make informed business decisions.
 
“The D-U-N-S Registered Seal on a company’s Web site means D&B has verified the information of that company and this will facilitate trade and build confidence,” Teoh said, noting that the solution will help local companies not only find partners and opportunities locally but also globally.
 
D&B has provided the D-U-N-S Registered Seal for more than 28,000 global companies and all these companies are listed on its Global Directory.
 
Also included in the OTS are D-U-N-S Registered Electronic Certificate Solution, a page on a D&B Web site that displays the registered seal for businesses who do not have Web sites, D-U-N-S Registered Portal Solution, a display of the seals within the web portals, and D-U-N-S Registered Floating Seal (Email Seal), a D&B branded signature seal with the company name on it that links to the profile, for use in email signatures and electronic documents.
 
D&B Philippines executive vice president Sheila Lina noted that the D&B OTS will establish a company’s credibility, increase its visibility and transparency, and increase business opportunities locally and globally, making companies save time and effort in finding a good partner in business. She added that they do background checks on companies regularly and update their Web site constantly in a day.
 
Being the first OTS launched in the Philippines, the second Asean country after Thailand where the solution was launched, it can be a powerful tool for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Lina said they have been very successful in the rest of Asia, primarily in India and China, because of their SMEs. “We believe that the same could be true for the Philippines because the local business landscape is well suited for SMEs to thrive in,” she said.
 
In its launch, it has been purchased by roughly about 56 companies, which includes listed water utility firm Manila Water. Lina also said that D&B has partnered with three organizations to promote the D&B OTS.
 
Since it is just launched, D&B OTS is offered at $200 a year only for the month of June and will return to its original price $300 a year after the promo period. Requirements include certificates of registrations from the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Department of Trade and Industry, and filled up data collection form.
 
D-U-N-S Registered Seal has brought certain of legitimacy to companies in China, India, Taiwan and Thailand. Meanwhile, D&B has been present in the Philippines since 2004 with a record of 200,000 businesses using the previous solutions and services offered, with Lina saying they target to increase this dramatically.
 
D&B is the world’s leading source of commercial information and insight on businesses, enabling companies to Decide with Confidence for 170 years.
 
D&B’s global commercial database contains more than 195 million business records. The database is enhanced by D&B’s proprietary DUNSRight Quality Process, which provides customers with quality business information. This quality information is the foundation of our global solutions that customers rely on to make critical business decisions.
 
D&B provides solution sets that meet a diverse set of customer needs globally. Customers use D&B Risk Management Solutions to mitigate credit and supplier risk, increase cash flow and drive increased profitability; D&B Sales & Marketing Solutions to increase revenue from new and existing customers; and D&B Internet Solutions to convert prospects into clients faster by enabling business professionals to research companies, executives and industries.