One of the pioneering IT companies in Malta is looking to new horizons following the recent developments in the company’s ownership and structure.
Philip Toledo Limited (PTL), established in 1946 and providing IT services since 1981, was acquired by Hili Ventures Ltd last year and is now looking at strengthening its position in the local and the international market, especially the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).
“After the takeover last February a new management was installed, including myself, but we successfully managed to retain the talent pool. We have a strong legacy but we want to move forward and innovate,” explained to i-Tech Kenneth Spiteri, the chief executive officer at PTL, at the head office of Hili Ventures in Marsa. The company will soon move from Mrieħel to the Marsa offices but the changes go far beyond a simple change in location.
While nurturing its historically strong relationships with big brands such as IBM, Cisco, Microsoft, VMware, Red Hat, Oracle, NCR, and RetailPro, PTL is looking at expanding its operations in its international office in the United Arab Emirates.
Philip Toledo Ltd Middle East (PTLME) led by Maltese general manager Ambrose Muscat and based in Dubai, are value-added distributors for RetailPro International in MENA and beyond. PTLME services the needs of some of the largest retailers in the Gulf and has 11 business partners in the region. In line with the overall PTL drive towards innovation PTLME is adding new products to its retail ecosystem including workforce management and mobility solutions to mention a few. Retail Pro is an established solution for retailers used in more than 52,000 stores in over 86 countries.
Some of the clients include international brands such as Puma, Swarovski, Calvin Klein and Victorinox.
“We are one of the few Maltese businesses with a permanent office in Dubai managed by a Maltese team,” said Mr Spiteri. “We have been promoting RetailPro for the past three years and we are actively seeking new business partners to position ourselves as a retail centre of excellence in the region. Business is growing in the Middle East while the US is flat and Europe is what it is. That leaves the Middle East and Asia as growth markets.”
The established presence in Dubai falls in line with the international expansion of Hili Ventures Ltd, which has a presence in more than 13 countries and employs more than 3,000 people, including its McDonald’s business in Malta, Greece, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia.
Hili Ventures’ operations division, under which PTL falls, is opening a group office in Libya soon and this will expand opportunities in North Africa.
Back home, PTL has recently acquired New Era Solutions, a young dynamic IT solutions provider specialising in business intelligence and mobility solutions. The flagship product is “Sales in Motion” for mobile devices. Originally an offshoot of PTL, New Era’s interest in mobile devices can be traced back to its pioneering work with personal digital assistants (PDA) at PTL.
“The acquisition of New Era fit like a glove and gives us more software development capabilities. The company has its own intellectual property (IP) and focuses on research and development. We would like to expand in international markets in this area too,” added Mr Spiteri.