1. Governmental
Telecommunications and Information Society Policy and Issues
- Green light for the
modernisation of the healthcare sector. On its
session of 4 August 1999, the Government approved the
agreement between the Ministry
of Health, Ministry
of Finance and Health
Insurance Institute of Slovenia to implement the project of healthcare
sector reform and healthcare information system
modernisation. The main goal of the modernisation is to
provide for adequate information collecting and its
accessibility in a way that would enable a reform of the
healthcare sector organisation and management.
- Financial problems of
state budget dependent organisations continue. The Institute
of Information Science has played a significant role in promoting
and shaping the Information Society in Slovenia by the
informatisation of libraries and developing the Co-operative Online Bibliographic
System & Services (COBISS). It has however been facing financial
problems. This crisis reached a peak in mid July when the
acting Director Mr Branko Zebec ordered the shut down of
COBISS in Slovenia. 90% of Institute’s income comes
from the state budget. The majority was paid by the
Ministry of Science and Technology and the rest by the
Ministry of Culture. The problem arose because the
Ministry of Culture had not been paying its share
regularly. After long-lasting negotiations the Ministry
of Science and Technology contracted the obligation to
provide all Institute’s finances covered by the
state budget.
2. Company Watch and Newcomers
This year, the Internet came to
the forefront of the political and financial centres focus. More
than a year after the plans had been mentioned in public for the
first time, Telekom Slovenije d.d. established a subsidiary company for
providing internet services. Almost at the same time, the first
Internet commerce business was launched by the newly set up
company and the first acquisition was accomplished.
- Telekom Slovenije
established a new subsidiary company. Telekom
Slovenije d.d.
established a new company, Slovenija
Online – SiOL Internet d.o.o. The subsidiary company, 100% owned
by Telekom Slovenije, was registered on 26 July 1999 and
started its operations on 1 October 1999. Telekom
Slovenije started providing Internet services on 18 April
1996. Slovenija Online as a department of Telekom
Slovenije was established on 1 June 1997. Ever since,
Slovenija Online has experienced substantial growth and
is now a leading commercial Internet service provider in
Slovenia. The CEO of Slovenija Online is Sreta Maric, a
Director of the former Telekom department Slovenija
Online.
Apart form Slovenija Online, Telekom Slovenije is the
100% owner of another subsidiary company – a mobile
operator Mobitel d.d.. According to the CEO of Telekom
Slovenije, Mr Peter Tevz, Telekom Slovenije plans to
establish at least three more subsidiaries.
- High dividens could
threaten necessary investments into infrastructure. According
to Mr Peter Tevz, the CEO of Telekom Slovenije, the
Government (which is a major shareholder in Telekom
Slovenije d.d.) is interested in high dividends. In 1999,
the dividends are 92% higher than they were last year.
High dividends might threaten necessary investments into
the telecommunications infrastructure. In order to assure
capital for investments, Telekom Slovenije might sell a
minor part of the subsidiary company Mobitel next year.
There are also plans to reduce the stake of the
Government in Telekom Slovenije (according to some
sources below 50%). The shares could well be sold in the
year 2000. Prior to selling of the shares, the
privatisation issues have to be settled as well as the
restitution of investments of local communities and
individual investors in public telecommunications
infrastructure.
- The star was born. Eon
d.o.o. is the
first Slovene company that started providing secure
Internet commerce services. Its main owner is Posta
Slovenije d.o.o.
Eon, headed by the CEO Mr Zoran Thaler, a former Slovene
Minister of Foreign Affairs, has started aggressively
conquering the Slovene Internet market. In less than two
months, Eon’s portal became one of the most popular
sites within Slovene Internet user community. Apart from
being known as the on-line commerce leader, Eon has
recently made the headlines by acquiring the most popular
Slovene server Mat’kurja – a guide to virtual
Slovenia. Mat’kurja was developed at the Jozef
Stefan Institute
and launched on 23 November 1993. It was maintained by
institute’s employees and financed by public funds.
The acquisition, completed in secret without a public
call for tenders, made a great stir in public. Due to its
position as one of the most established trademarks on the
Slovene Internet scene, Mat'kurja holds great potential
for revenue creation. This potential was not considered
when the worth of Mat'kurja was established. The only
costs considered where direct costs such as computer
equipment and database value.
3. Mergers and Acquisitions
- Autocommerce acquired
Perftech. Autocommerce d.d., founded in 1952, is one of the twenty
largest companies in Slovenia with the annual income of
255 millions euros and profit of 3,3 millions euros.
Presently it includes over 20 firms, covering four fields
of activity: vehicles, trade, tourism and finances. By
acquiring the second largest Internet service provider
(ISP) Perftech d.o.o., it extended its activites to
information technology. According to some sources,
Autocommerce has plans to acquire some other ISPs as
well. Autocommerce also has a 36% share in Debitel
d.d., a mobile
service provider – reseller.
- An ambitious merger.
Slovenia has some well established and ambitious IT
companies. Most of them sell their products and / or
services to the EU markets as well as to the both Central
and Eastern (CE) and SouthEeastern (SE) European ones.
Recently, Slovene based Hermes Plus d.d. and Austrian based S&T,
System Integration & technology Distribution AG have announced a merger. Both
companies have over 400 employees and an annual income of
75 millions euros. A merger represents one of the largest
IT companies in the area (CE and SE Europe). The
executives expect that by exploiting the synergy of both
parts they could expect continuous growth in income and
market share.
4. Nominations, Retirements,
...
- New Minister for education
and sport. After Dr Slavko Gaber resigned from the
position of Minister for education and sport, the Premier
Dr Janez Drnovsek proposed Dr Pavel Zgaga to take over
the ministerial position. The National Assembly voted for
Dr Zgaga with a great majority. Dr Zgaga had been the
secretary at the Ministry of Education and Sport and
deputy minister since 1992.
- Slovene IT Association
with new executive committee. By regular elections, a
new Executive Committee of the Slovene Information
Technology Association of the Chamber
of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia was elected. Members of the
committee selected a new president amongst themselves,
i.e. Mr Franci Mugerle, the CEO of the IT company MAOP.
The Executive Committee prepared a draft of the working
plan for the next year and put promotion of Information
Society at the top of their agenda.
- Former State Secretary the
CEO of Slovene Railways. At its session on 29 July
1999, the Government nominated a new CEO of Slovene
Railways, Mr Igor Janez Zajec, for a period of five
years. Mr Zajec was a former State Secretary at the
Ministry of Transport and Communications, responsible for
transport policy and international relations. His
priority will be adoption of three laws, in particular
the one on railways transport. Mr Zajec also proposed
some changes to the present loosely defined National
Programme for the Development of National Railways
Infrastructure. One of his tasks, started by the former
CEO, is the reorganisation of Slovene Railways where, in
accordance with EU directives, infrastructure and
transport should be separated. Another important task is
the rationalisation of operations. By building optical
telecommunications infrastructure, Slovene Railways are
establishing a solid basis for providing commercial
telecommunications services once the market is
liberalised.
