Business laptops as the backbone of MSME productivity

By Jomarc Angelo M. Corpuz, Special Features and Content Writer

Across all industries, a big portion of work relies on inputting sources, processing data, and creating outputs on computers. After all, accounting of invoices can be done on laptops, social media is a great place for marketing, and even orders can be made online.

This, in part, highlights the impact that digitalization has had on society, and also the necessity for a reliable and affordable personal computer or laptop for every business aiming to scale and be successful.

This sentiment is echoed in the Department of Trade and Industry’s MSME Development Plan 2023-2028, which aims to integrate digital tools, artificial intelligence (AI), and financial technology to boost competitiveness in e-commerce and supply chain efficiency.

Realizing this vision of digital empowerment depends on giving Filipino entrepreneurs reliable, secure, and AI-ready devices that can keep pace with today’s MSMEs.

“We’ve observed a massive shift in how Filipino MSMEs operate. Business owners work from anywhere — from stores, warehouses, cafés, airports, or while meeting clients on the go. Work is no longer a place you go; it’s something you do, often while juggling your fieldwork and remote coordination,” Francis Avila, business development manager and commercial business head of ASUS Business Philippines, told BusinessWorld in an email.

He noted that this hybrid reality demands business laptops to be the backbone of productivity, not only for communication, but for security, data management, and intelligent decision-making as well.

“It’s what keeps the businesses and customers connected, your data secured, and your decisions sharpened through AI-driven insights,” Mr. Avila said.

In today’s day and age, digitalization is a fundamental requirement for the daily operations and continuity of Filipino MSMEs. Mr. Avila revealed that MSMEs see the trend as a means of staying operational, with the business’ device as its most critical asset, whether they are managing inventory or securing digital payments.

“A slow, overheating laptop or device can literally delay operations or transactions, and a loss for business,” he shared.

Mr. Avila then noted how this pain point is factored in the latest devices of ASUS.

“For example, we developed the ASUS ExpertCool thermal solution, which uses advanced cooling technology to keep the system performing at its peak. This ensures that even under the heaviest workloads, your laptop can stay cool and responsive,” he explained.

Mr. Avila also talked about ASUS’s initiative to put their products through the most rigorous military-grade testing and integrated advanced AI features to ensure it’s more than just a laptop. For businesses, he said, reliability isn’t a luxury and is actually a requirement.

As MSMEs grow and take on larger markets, the role of business laptops is meant to expand as well, becoming the central hub for communication, collaboration, and client delivery.

“When your business starts to expand, business laptops become the primary workspace for communication, collaboration, data access, and client delivery. And now, business laptops keep on upgrading and become more reliable to MSMEs,” he said.

“That’s why we also integrate tools in ASUS ExpertBook business laptops like ASUS ExpertMeet, our AI-enhanced meeting assistant that improves remote collaboration with automatic notes, transcripts, and intelligent meeting summaries, helping businesses work smarter and faster in hybrid setups,” he said.

However, Mr. Avila warned that reliability should come with support when picking the proper device. He stated that reliable technology, paired with reliable support, allows MSMEs to scale with confidence, empower hybrid teams, and keep their business running worry-free.

ASUS Business, the executive shared, provides such after-sales support, which include next-business-day local on-site service, remote support and diagnostics, and customizable warranty on business laptops and desktops of up to five years, depending on business requirements.

“This minimizes downtime and ensures that any issue, hardware or software, is resolved quickly, so operations stay uninterrupted,” Mr. Avila said.

For many small businesses, cost is the biggest barrier to acquiring reliable, business-grade laptops. In this regard, Mr. Avila shared that government programs, private-sector initiatives, and flexible financing options play a critical role in helping MSMEs access better technology.

ASUS, for its part, has made its business laptops affordable whether MSMEs purchase them on select tech stories or e-commerce size, and they can avail them with 0% interest installment on major credit cards.

“This makes business-grade devices more accessible to sari-sari stores, startups, creative agencies, and growing e-commerce brands,” Mr. Avila added.

Shifting to new standards

Looking ahead, Mr. Avila suggested that the use of AI, cloud platforms, and automation signals that business laptops will play an even greater role in strengthening operational resilience and enabling MSMEs to meet the rising demands of a digital-first economy.

“In 2026, as digital platforms evolve, business laptops are no longer just an ‘expense.’ It is the engine of your business’ operational resilience. As AI, cloud platforms, and automation become the new standards in everyday operations, more MSMEs will depend even more on devices that can keep up with increasing workloads. The new standards are not just being connected to the internet; it’s about Edge AI — the ability of your laptop to think,” he said.

According to Mr. Avila, this shift means three key things for MSMEs. First, AI-powered operations will require faster and more secure devices. Also, mobility will become non-negotiable consideration for any entrepreneur, and so laptops are expected to support remote and hybrid work without interruption. Lastly, security and uptime will have a direct impact on revenue, as even a single data breach can jeopardize a growing business.

As technology keeps advancing, businesses equipped with laptops that match the demands of the digital economy will be the ones more capable of operating smarter and growing faster into more competitive enterprises.