ESIS Extension / Malta / IS Promotional Activities / Update Memo 3

In the space of a few weeks between October and November, a number of important events highlighting the emergence of electronic commerce and the Information Society were organised in Malta. These included a conference hosted by the Council of Europe and another one by KPMG.

The European Survey of the Information Society Phase II (ESIS-II) was officially launched in Malta with a national conference on the 1^st of October 1999. The conference, besides serving as a communications event about ESIS II, provided guest speakers and the participants hailing from the public and the private sector with a platform to speak about their visions on the emergence of the Maltese Information Society. It was one of the few events ever held in Malta that discussed the role of ICT in Maltese society.

The annual Information Technology and Telecommunications Fair was held at Naxxar between the 13^th and the 17^th of October 1999. It was a showcase of some of the latest technologies and trends in the field, and an occasion to renew the debate about the use of ICT in the creation of the Maltese Information Society. http://www.maltatradefairs.com.mt

The theme ‘Access for all to Internet services at community level’ was discussed in a two-day international conference held by the Council of Europe in collaboraton with the Maltese Ministry of Education on the 2^nd and 3^rd November 1999. The conference brought together over 50 foreign and local experts who discussed the need of providing universal Internet access to everyone in the community. It also served as a follow-up to the Council's adoption on 9 September 1999 of a Recommendation urging member states to make the new communications and information services more easily available to citizens by providing public access points at local level The Recommendation's ultimate aim is to prevent the division of society into information-rich and information-poor citizens. http://www.coe.fr/cp/99/568a%2899%29.htm

‘Electronic commerce’ or ‘e-commerce’ became a popular buzz-word in recent months, and two important conferences re-inforced the notion that e-commerce has finally becoming a national issue in Malta. The first conference was organised by Economic and Management Consultancy Sevices Ltd. (EMCS) of Malta on the 15^th of October, while the second one was organised by KPMG Consulting Limited on the 25^th and 26^th of November 1999. The KPMG conference attracted several foreign speakers who were joined by other local speakers and spoke at length about the pitfalls and the success stories of the emergence of e-commerce in Malta and the rest of the world. http://www.emcs.com.mt/ http://www.kpmg.com.mt

The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has launched a "Best Malta Web Page Competition", which aims to encourage local and foreign Internet users to develop and maintain their own Malta web-page. The objective of this initiative is to gain wider visibility and enhance the profile of Malta on the Internet. Prizes will be awarded to participating sites, originating in Malta or overseas, which comply with minimum standards set by the MTA. http://www.visitmalta.com/bestsite/

Microsoft’s OpenDoor Series 2000, one of the biggest roadshows in the Middle East, kicked-off in Malta at the end of November 1999 with a two-day seminar covering a wide range of Microsoft technologies. The roadshow, which includes the participation of industry giants 3Com and Dell, will cover 12 cities in 10 different countries.

For the first time in Malta, the Maltese National Authority for barcoding, EAN Malta, launched the National Barcoding Standards. There was a pressing need for these standards as more and more companies are exploiting the benefits of using barcodes and automatic data capture technologies, such as infra-red barcode scanners at their Point of Sale (POS). In Malta there are already 200 companies with their products bar-coded, and the number is increasing. In a press conference, the Chairman of EAN Malta, Mr. Vince Farrugia, said that all kinds of inefficiencies in commerce have to be abolished, and the barcode system will help towards this end. http://wwww.eanmalta.org.mt

Please note that this report has been prepared under the sole responsibility of the ESIS II contractors.
It does not necessarily reflect the views of the Commission, nor does the Commission accept responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of information contained herein.
The ESIS Team of contractors welcomes any additional information or corrections.