ManageEngine positions for Philippines’ P2.25-T digital economy

ManageEngine, the IT management division of Zoho Corporation, is expanding its footprint in the Philippines as digitalization across finance, government, healthcare and enterprises drives demand for cybersecurity and unified IT platforms. The move comes as the Philippines’ digital economy reached P2.25 trillion last year and is projected to hit $150 billion by 2030, while cybercrime incidents continue to surge.

Arun Kumar, regional vice president for Asia-Pacific, said the Philippines has become one of ManageEngine’s strongest growth markets, posting 25 percent annual growth and over 500 organizations now using its products. The company considers the Philippines its fourth-largest market in Southeast Asia and expects continued expansion as both public and private institutions adopt cloud-based systems, AI and remote-work operations.

“This market is a very important market for us,” Kumar said. “We made strong investments in terms of cybersecurity capabilities because cybersecurity is also what we try to solve.”

Latest government data recorded 14,531 cybercrime complaints, P198 million in financial losses and 234 confirmed data breaches this year alone. Kumar said these threats are accelerating faster than the country’s cybersecurity maturity, noting that many attacks are now driven by automation and artificial intelligence. “You need to tap AI,” he said, emphasizing that the company is now deploying contextual AI, conversational AI and agent-based AI tools in its IT management platform.

The company’s growth aligns with major national policies, including the National Cybersecurity Plan 2023–2028, the Cloud-First Policy and the National AI Strategy Roadmap 2.0, which mandate cloud adoption, digital governance and responsible AI use across government systems. Under these reforms, all agencies are shifting to integrated digital systems, intensifying demand for identity protection, infrastructure monitoring and endpoint management.

ManageEngine, operating in the Philippines for nearly two decades, supplies a full stack of IT management services including unified service management, identity and access management, endpoint management and security, SIEM, infrastructure monitoring, DevOps and IT operations management. Its top Philippine clients include Bank of the Philippine Islands, SM Investments and Cebu Pacific.

Kumar said ManageEngine’s competitive edge is a fully in-house portfolio built without acquisitions or external funding. Zoho Corporation, founded in 1996, has 18,000 employees worldwide and nearly 80 data centers supporting global operations. “Anything when it comes to IT management, we have a platform,” Kumar said. “We listen to customers. Supporting your customers is a priority.”

The Philippines’ rapid digital growth has also widened the divide between large corporations with cybersecurity budgets and micro, small and medium enterprises. Kumar stressed that digital transformation will falter if MSMEs are excluded. He noted that ManageEngine now offers modular purchasing instead of forcing organizations to buy full platforms and continues to maintain free tools for MSMEs. “If you don’t have budgets for IT, you can always use our free version. If you want to scale, then you can pay,” he said.

Industry analysts expect the Philippines’ data center market, valued at US$633 million in 2024, to reach US$1.97 billion by 2030 as cloud infrastructure and AI adoption intensify. But the growth comes with risk. Kumar warned that the “AI eruption” requires synchronized, high-quality data, noting that inaccurate or fragmented systems lead to bigger cyber exposures. “Data has to be right, then automation becomes easier,” he said.

ManageEngine’s growth strategy in the Philippines will center on customer expansion, partnerships, technical talent development and deeper participation in the country’s digital governance ecosystem. The company expects continued momentum in banking, IT-BPM, healthcare, the public sector and education as these sectors modernize systems and prepare for stricter cybersecurity and compliance mandates.