A recent survey by Boston Consulting Group revealed that almost two-thirds of employees working in small and medium-sized enterprises use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets to access their e-mail, up from 39 per cent just three years ago. The research also found that the more technology-oriented small and medium businesses using modern technologies such as the cloud grew their revenue 15 percentage points faster than their counterparts using less technology.Based on these potential opportunities, Microsoft has released three new Office 365 plans aimed at the small and medium-sized businesses: Office 365 Business; Business Essentials; and Business Premium. The new plans provide new choices, available on any devices and including 1 TB of cloud storage, more value with improved features and additional services like Yammer and Active Directory support.

Hal Mann Vella Group launches €30m bonds

Hal Mann Vella Group has launched €30 million secured bonds due in 2024 at an interest coupon of 5 per cent with a nominal value of €100 per bond at par.The bonds are secured by a special hypothec on property of Hal Mann Vella Group. Subscriptions open on Monday and close on Friday, October 31, or earlier if fully subscribed.A total of €13.7 million of the proceeds will be used to refinance bank borrowings while €5 million will be used to fund the modernisation of the Hal Mann Vella factory and investment in new plant and machinery. The company will use €7 million to develop a mixed used commercial property in Lija.This project will consist of a three-floor building with two basement floors with an area of circa 14,000 square metres. The balance of the proceeds will be used for general corporate funding.