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The Malta Independent | Thursday 13 November 2014
MITA signs agreements with local companies for a €2.5m ICT investment
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ast Monday MITA signed a number of contracts with local companies for a total ICT investment of €2.5 million. This was the result of an outsourcing framework through which private companies have been trusted with the maintenance, support and upgrades of some of Government’s ICT systems. The signing was presided by Hon Chris Cardona Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business and Hon José Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth. MITA’s Executive Chairman, Mr Tony Sultana, explained that this procurement consists of software development and operational services on applications managed by MITA. “This is the first time that such services are being requested on such a wide spectrum of business areas that amongst others include statistics, government administration, health, social services, taxation, and funding.” Earlier this year, after consultations with the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, MITA had issued a public call for companies to join an outsourcing framework for various services on
more than forty systems. A total of ten suppliers are now participating in this framework. More recently MITA issued three tenders which were divided into different lots and these were won by five of the participating companies and the respective contracts were signed today with the selected suppliers: 2i, Alert Communica-
tions Ltd, iLab Malta, Loqus Public Sector and Seasus. Mr Sultana added that through this outsourcing framework the Agency will be able to dedicate more time and resources on other programmes and initiatives which bring about an improved quality of life for citizens. Hon Herrera explained how
government, through MITA, will be outsourcing 44 ICT systems to the private sector for a period of five-years, providing MITA with the opportunity to think long term about the development and upgrades required by these systems. Hon Herrera said that, “some of the systems included in the framework are key to Government and
this shows our trust in the maturity of the private sector. This procurement shows that we want the private sector to participate more wholly in the development of the digital economy.” Hon Herrera concluded by pointing that although Internet penetration is very high in Malta, the take up of eGovernment services is still one of the lowest in the EU. “Through such investments we will be enriching these services and thus paving the way to increase takeup.” Hon Cardona said that small and medium sized companies (SMEs) have a major role in Malta’s economy. Government has in fact introduced a number of measures aimed at increasing the participation of SMEs in its tenders and today’s announcement is just one example of how Government is partnering with the private sector. “We believe that the private sector has a critical role in assisting us in the delivery of our services in a more efficient manner.” Hon Cardona said that, “some of the systems will be co-financed by the European Union and thus we’re providing these companies with the opportunity to work on systems which will be in use throughout the European Union.”
Strategic cooperation between MITA and SAP to empower Maltese talent
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ast week MITA signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SAP Hellas, Cyprus and Malta. SAP specialises in enterprise application software and is one of those companies at the centre of today’s technology revolution that develops innovations helping their customers run at their best and improve the lives of people. Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economic Growth Hon. Dr Jose Herrera presided the signing ceremony between MITA Executive Chairman, Mr. Tony Sultana, and
Chief Operating Officer for SAP South Europe & Managing Director for SAP Greece, Cyprus, Malta, Mr. Manos Raptopoulos. Through this MoU, students and startups working at the MITA Innovation Hub have the opportunity to take advantage of specially designed programmes by SAP. These programmes are earmarked to encourage local startups to learn about gamechanging innovations in Social, Cloud, Big Data, and Mobile. The programmes are designed to provide startups with the appropriate support in terms of mentorship, distance learning fa-
cilities and access to the latest SAP technology. Furthermore, students will be able to connect with the SAP network through classroom sessions, networking opportunities, design thinking workshops and other ad hoc resources such as the in-memory computing platform HANA. “This agreement is in line with Government’s vision to support and encourage students and young entrepreneurs to become global players with innovative yet marketable products,” said Hon. Herrera. “It is through such transformation of talent and ideas and thanks to global play-
ers such as SAP, that Malta can actually become more of an international hub in innovative solutions.” “It is a privilege for SAP to be working with the MITA Innovation Hub and Maltese entrepreneurs in programmes that complement the vision of the Government of Malta. The close collaboration between startups and SAP is part of our innovation and growth strategy,” said Manos Raptopoulos. “By providing startups with SAP HANA, they get the opportunity to easily master the big data challenge and develop applications that have been unthinkable before and not possible with conventional technologies.” Mr. Tony Sultana stated that it is an honour for MITA to see its Innovation Hub achieving yet another milestone in its mission to
provide relevant programmes through various international technology partners. “After the success we had during the last days with the Majjistral Park App, we believe in our local talent. This is therefore why we are continuing to invest heavily in creating these key partnerships.” SAP and MITA Innovation Hub also organised a two day Startup Forum on the 6th and 7th November giving promising startups in the Big Data, predictive and real-time analytics space, the opportunity to learn how to develop new applications on SAP HANA. For more information about how you can benefit from SAP technology at the MITA Innovation Hub visit www.mitainnovationhub.gov.m t/collaborations
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The Malta Independent | Thursday 13 November 2014
Roderick Spiteri
Roderick Spiteri is Marketing and Communications Manager at MITA and editor of Malta Independent ICT feature
The Malta Independent ICT Feature
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hrough its Innovation Hub, MITA is providing the digital community a supportive platform and a collaborative environment. It’s a place where students, startups and innovations will find all the help they need to develop their ideas into a marketable product or service through digital technologies. The MITA Innovation Hub has just signed a Memorandum of Understanding with SAP Hel-
las, Cyprus and Malta. Through this, members are able to take advantage of specially designed programmes by SAP in social, cloud, big data and mobile innovations. They will also get the appropriate support in terms of mentorship, distance learning and be able to access the latest SAP technology. Earlier this week MITA announced that it will be working with a number of local ICT companies through an outsourcing
framework. These companies will be trusted with the maintenance, support and upgrades of over forty ICT Government systems, ranging from health to social services, taxation and funding. Vodafone has just opened its first destination store in Malta. The store offers customers a hands-on approach towards all their mobile services. It includes three different service areas: one of customers, another one for
businesses and another one for any type of technical service and repairs. All ICT Features are available on www.mita.gov.mt/ictfeature
Vodafone opens new destination store in Malta O n Monday, Vodafone opened its first Destination Store in Malta. The new store is spread over 417 square metres and is situated on the Birkirkara bypass. It builds on the customer service that Vodafone offers in its other four retail outlets by introducing a new concept of effectively meeting a different range of customer needs. Mobile technology and related services are becoming increasingly complex with an ever expanding range of options available to the consumer. Thus, the Vodafone Group has rolled out a global initiative to look at how to deliver a customer experience in all their retail outlets that recognises this changing reality. The aim is to provide a service that is based on what today’s customer expects when looking for any type of mobile-related service. The starting-point for the development of the Destination Store concept was in fact extensive market research to ensure that the design and layout of all stores are in line with today’s customers’ expectations. Design and lay-out The results of the research highlighted six key attributes of an ideal retail outlet: modern, hands on, welcoming, relaxing, warm and calm. The design of the store takes these attributes on board and translates it into an open and distinctive physical space that is as inviting as possible to the customer. Vodafone’s aim is to achieve is a complete departure from the traditional queuing approach and a shift to a retail experience where the customer is fully in control of the situation. Service areas: The Destination Store offers three dedicated areas that are geared towards meeting specific customer needs.
Consumer area: Covering 180sqm, this area is aimed at empowering customers to browse and take a hands-on approach to the products on display. Touchscreen facilities for purchasing services (such as mobile top-ups) are also available. Business area: This area is a first for any Vodafone store in Malta and Gozo since it introduces a dedicated touch point for business customers focused on
their particular needs and issues. Service centre: Specialised staff are available to provide technical assistance on both hardware and software issues. They are also ready to assist customers on how to set up any mobile device and to get the best out of these devices. The Destination Store includes parking facilities. For more information, visit www.vodafone.com.mt