The year 2007 kept i-Tech very busy reporting on the bustling ICT industry in Malta. Although several events were expected, some being unfinished business from the previous year, there were instances were developments could not have predicted at the beginning of the year.
If we were to shortlist the most important events we would certainly include the signing of the final agreement to start SmartCity Malta in Ricasoli, the launch of the new ICT Strategy for 2008-2010, the changes within Maltacom, the launch of wireless broadband internet, the opening of the new Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta and the effects of the euro changeover on ICT systems.
The year 2006 ended with a warning from IT Minister Austin Gatt that negotiations on SmartCity at Malta were leading nowhere. However, on April 23 all the clouds cleared away with the official signing and the start of the demolition works at Ricasoli a few months later.
However, i-Tech reported on different occasions on the challenges SmartCity will bring on Malta's human resources pool. A scoping study on the demand and supply of ICT skills in Malta compiled by consulting firm KPMG confirmed that there is still a shortage of high-quality ICT resources.
Human resources in ICT is tackled in the new National ICT strategy for Malta 2008-2010 named 'The Smart Island' that was launched a few days before Christmas.
"By 2010, Malta will become one of the top ten information societies in the world. The application of information and communication technologies will be ubiquitous, the internet will be a social equaliser and the ICT industry will be an economic pillar," the strategy sets as its main objective.
The document is the results of wide consultation twith the many stakeholders and puts forward specific targets to be attained by 2010. These include: each student will have access to real broadband in the classroom and there will be 1, 500 ICT graduates per annum from Mcast and University; all government services shall be placed online immediately as they happen; an operational Malta e-Mall will be set-up with 500 online merchants; the creation of 4,000 new ICT jobs (with 250 new ICT jobs in Gozo), 200 new ICT companies to set up in Malta, and 80 per cent of households will be connected to broadband internet and 75 per cent of the population shall be ICT literate and using internet regularly.
Indeed the year 2007 was a watershed for internet access in Malta for two reasons. For the first time this year the number of broadband (fast) internet subscribers surpassed that of narrowband (also known as dial-up) subscribers. At the end of June there were 46,881 broadband and 43,671 narrowband, a total of 90,562, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).
The second reason is the launch of broadband wireless access in Malta in June based on the WiMax technology. Vodafone Malta was the first licensee to do so, while Go Mobile and Cellcom, earmarked for launch during this year, are yet to launch commercially. The response to WiMax and broadband internet access based on HSDPA or 3.5G mobile technology proved an immediate hit with internet users, providing for the first time a cost-effective alternative to fixed-line based ADSL and cable internet.
The wide availability of internet access has developed in parallel with plans to make more use of internet-based electronic learning. A consultation process which will lead to a national strategy on e-learning was launched in mid-December.
Vodafone Malta and Maltacom/Go were very much in the news in this year as the mobile market expanded further and they continued in their transformation to become multiple players, i.e. providing different communication services than their original offering.
Maltacom went through the most important transformation as it changed its name to Go and rebranded all its services. Furthermore it launched its nationwide 3G mobile network and acquired competing digital terrestrial TV providers (DTTV) Multiplus while surrendering the license it had acquired. Go's strategy boosted its network and the number of digital TV subscribers in Malta, while Melita Cable in summer started testing its high-definition (HD) service.
The cable TV provider also went through an important change, being acquired by GMT Communications Partners and the original owners, Gasan Group, buying back a minority shareholding. A few days later Melita announced it had signed a letter of intent for a "proposed transaction" with 3G Telecommunications Limited that will enable Melita Cable to roll out Malta's third wireless communications network. The owners of 3G Telecommunications Ltd, which had been awarded a license in summer to operate as the third mobile communications company in Malta, will acquire a minority interest in Melita Cable. This effectively means Melita Cable will operate the third mobile communications network in Malta.
The mobile communications sector also brought benefits to users as the European Commission successfully managed to bring down mobile roaming tariffs in EU member states as from last summer. In October the new Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the University of Malta opened its doors for the first time, responding to the ICT needs of today's society.
Thousands of Maltese PC users upgraded to the new Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 launched in Malta at the end of January, in line with the worldwide launch. I-Tech had reported how computers in government departments connected to the Malta Government Network were not going to be upgraded with Windows Vista nor were new computer systems by government entities to be procured with Vista already installed until further notice.
This year, computers and government were in the news in two separate cases. Government in January suspended the adjudication of the tender for the provision of the ICT systems at Mater Dei suspecting an unwarranted leak of confidential information to one of the two bidders by a MITTS employee serving as an advisor on the board. Eventually government awarded a seven-year contract to ACS Healthcare Solutions, worth $20.9 million (Lm6.6 million or €15.4 million).
In the other case, government did not succumb to pressure from GRTU to withdraw a call for tenders for the lease of 15,000 computers for government departments to be awarded to a single contractor.
Visitmalta.com, the much awaited online booking portal to attract more tourists to Malta through internet, was hurriedly launched in January but was fully functional by March.
Though it did not make the news headlines, preparations for the euro changeover affected ICT systems across a large spectrum of organisations.
The euro changeover project is considered complex as it affects any system that processes financial data in Maltese lira, covering most systems used by local financial institutions and retail businesses.
If we were to shortlist the most important events we would certainly include the signing of the final agreement to start SmartCity Malta in Ricasoli, the launch of the new ICT Strategy for 2008-2010, the changes within Maltacom, the launch of wireless broadband internet, the opening of the new Faculty of ICT at the University of Malta and the effects of the euro changeover on ICT systems.
The year 2006 ended with a warning from IT Minister Austin Gatt that negotiations on SmartCity at Malta were leading nowhere. However, on April 23 all the clouds cleared away with the official signing and the start of the demolition works at Ricasoli a few months later.
However, i-Tech reported on different occasions on the challenges SmartCity will bring on Malta's human resources pool. A scoping study on the demand and supply of ICT skills in Malta compiled by consulting firm KPMG confirmed that there is still a shortage of high-quality ICT resources.
Human resources in ICT is tackled in the new National ICT strategy for Malta 2008-2010 named 'The Smart Island' that was launched a few days before Christmas.
"By 2010, Malta will become one of the top ten information societies in the world. The application of information and communication technologies will be ubiquitous, the internet will be a social equaliser and the ICT industry will be an economic pillar," the strategy sets as its main objective.
The document is the results of wide consultation twith the many stakeholders and puts forward specific targets to be attained by 2010. These include: each student will have access to real broadband in the classroom and there will be 1, 500 ICT graduates per annum from Mcast and University; all government services shall be placed online immediately as they happen; an operational Malta e-Mall will be set-up with 500 online merchants; the creation of 4,000 new ICT jobs (with 250 new ICT jobs in Gozo), 200 new ICT companies to set up in Malta, and 80 per cent of households will be connected to broadband internet and 75 per cent of the population shall be ICT literate and using internet regularly.
Indeed the year 2007 was a watershed for internet access in Malta for two reasons. For the first time this year the number of broadband (fast) internet subscribers surpassed that of narrowband (also known as dial-up) subscribers. At the end of June there were 46,881 broadband and 43,671 narrowband, a total of 90,562, according to the National Statistics Office (NSO).
The second reason is the launch of broadband wireless access in Malta in June based on the WiMax technology. Vodafone Malta was the first licensee to do so, while Go Mobile and Cellcom, earmarked for launch during this year, are yet to launch commercially. The response to WiMax and broadband internet access based on HSDPA or 3.5G mobile technology proved an immediate hit with internet users, providing for the first time a cost-effective alternative to fixed-line based ADSL and cable internet.
The wide availability of internet access has developed in parallel with plans to make more use of internet-based electronic learning. A consultation process which will lead to a national strategy on e-learning was launched in mid-December.
Vodafone Malta and Maltacom/Go were very much in the news in this year as the mobile market expanded further and they continued in their transformation to become multiple players, i.e. providing different communication services than their original offering.
Maltacom went through the most important transformation as it changed its name to Go and rebranded all its services. Furthermore it launched its nationwide 3G mobile network and acquired competing digital terrestrial TV providers (DTTV) Multiplus while surrendering the license it had acquired. Go's strategy boosted its network and the number of digital TV subscribers in Malta, while Melita Cable in summer started testing its high-definition (HD) service.
The cable TV provider also went through an important change, being acquired by GMT Communications Partners and the original owners, Gasan Group, buying back a minority shareholding. A few days later Melita announced it had signed a letter of intent for a "proposed transaction" with 3G Telecommunications Limited that will enable Melita Cable to roll out Malta's third wireless communications network. The owners of 3G Telecommunications Ltd, which had been awarded a license in summer to operate as the third mobile communications company in Malta, will acquire a minority interest in Melita Cable. This effectively means Melita Cable will operate the third mobile communications network in Malta.
The mobile communications sector also brought benefits to users as the European Commission successfully managed to bring down mobile roaming tariffs in EU member states as from last summer. In October the new Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) at the University of Malta opened its doors for the first time, responding to the ICT needs of today's society.
Thousands of Maltese PC users upgraded to the new Microsoft Windows Vista and Office 2007 launched in Malta at the end of January, in line with the worldwide launch. I-Tech had reported how computers in government departments connected to the Malta Government Network were not going to be upgraded with Windows Vista nor were new computer systems by government entities to be procured with Vista already installed until further notice.
This year, computers and government were in the news in two separate cases. Government in January suspended the adjudication of the tender for the provision of the ICT systems at Mater Dei suspecting an unwarranted leak of confidential information to one of the two bidders by a MITTS employee serving as an advisor on the board. Eventually government awarded a seven-year contract to ACS Healthcare Solutions, worth $20.9 million (Lm6.6 million or €15.4 million).
In the other case, government did not succumb to pressure from GRTU to withdraw a call for tenders for the lease of 15,000 computers for government departments to be awarded to a single contractor.
Visitmalta.com, the much awaited online booking portal to attract more tourists to Malta through internet, was hurriedly launched in January but was fully functional by March.
Though it did not make the news headlines, preparations for the euro changeover affected ICT systems across a large spectrum of organisations.
The euro changeover project is considered complex as it affects any system that processes financial data in Maltese lira, covering most systems used by local financial institutions and retail businesses.