GO services the telecommunication needs of several large organisations, including all of Malta’s major banking institutions, such as Bank of Valletta, which is currently implementing its BOV2023 strategy to deliver a simpler and faster banking service. Joseph Agius, the bank’s chief technology officer, believes that “digitalisation will make it easier for customers to interact with the bank and with the help of GO, we shall be in a position to encourage customers to bank faster and bank digital”.
Today, Bank of Valletta avails itself of a state-of-the-art metro ethernet core network which offers resilience, scalability, improved performance and faster networking. This core network for all its infrastructure has been designed, implemented and is operated by GO.
“I recall the time when we had numerous discussions on the technology that we wanted to adopt to connect our sites, and the need for a long-term communication partner to help us achieve our goals. We already had a long-standing and excellent business relationship with GO. The company’s foresight and investment in the technology of the future made it easier for us at BOV to choose them as our trusted technology partner to scale and maintain our new core network for the years to come,” Joseph Agius, BOV’s chief technology officer, says.
“GO was also the only company that had fibre and copper networks across all Malta, so it was the first local provider in a position to invest in metro ethernet technology. Hence GO was the only company with the knowledge, experience and expertise to support the bank to adapt and build future proof digital infrastructures leveraging such technology.”
Agius highlights the fact that GO continues to be a reliable service provider with a sense of agility to respond promptly and efficiently to any potential failures and faults.
“It is this quality of responsiveness that leads to better bank systems that are accessible and available for customers’ use. Our partnership with GO also allows the bank to develop a dedicated flexible network between the BOV Centre and branches without red tape, enabling us to cater for unexpected situations, improving the quality and availability of our systems and saving time when we implement new projects,” he adds.
According to Arthur Azzopardi, chief of GO Business, GO’s main aim in the enterprise sector is to help and support businesses as their technological needs evolve.
Our cooperation with GO enables an increasingly available suite of electronic services for our customers
“We partner with businesses and together seek ways to leverage our infrastructure as it evolves and progresses. Whether a business is in finance, health, gaming, aviation, or any other vertical, the technology and infrastructure we own is here to support businesses and the Maltese economy. We also work with our long-standing international infrastructure and technology partners to be able to truly support our customers on a global level. Ultimately our aim is to help our customers achieve their goals. BOV is a case in point. The relationship is long-standing and continues to become stronger the more we work together, along our common journey,” Azzopardi says.
“One of our biggest strengths is that we listen and adapt to our business customers’ needs. From consultation to actual design, to implementation, operation and optimisation of the whole lifecycle of a project or service. For this to happen frank and open, two-way communication is key and this is where we constantly strive to excel.
“At GO we are constantly investing substantial amounts of money across a number of technologies, from True Fibre, that goes straight to the premises, to 5G to IoT, and the security that underpins them all, aiming to increase the solutions available to customers throughout and ensure our customers’ peace of mind. Without strong communication between us and our customers, this wouldn’t be possible. It is precisely for this reason that we have a robust and experienced business account management team, willing to listen and support.”
Agius adds: “As part of the bank’s strategy, a core business objective is the educational shift from traditional to digital conventions of banking. Our cooperation with GO enables an increasingly available suite of electronic services for our customers. The services received from GO also provide a rock-solid infrastructure for the bank’s applications offered through its extensive branch network.
“Naturally, changing global technological trends meant that certain changes were imposed, regardless of the service provider such as the decommissioning of FAX services, the upgrade of telephony services to SIP, the decommissioning of ATMs and SDH technology and a migration to ethernet-based services. Through all these changes, GO has always been and continues to be extremely understanding, helpful and adaptive to the bank’s requirements when migrating to newer technologies.”
Like any other major bank, BOV is now planning new technology and connectivity enhancements for the near future.
“Bank of Valletta is currently implementing its BOV2023 strategy to take the leap towards a more profitable and resilient bank, with better, simpler and faster services. A fundamental challenge in this strategy is to continue pushing end-to-end digitalisation to make it easier for customers to interact with the bank. This has also been demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic where customers used digital banking services extensively to transact their financial requirements,” Agius outlines.
“We want our customers to bank faster, digitally and securely. To accelerate this shift, we are also upskilling our people with the latest digital skills, trending technologies and innovation.
Azzopardi concluded: “We are grateful to have Bank of Valletta as a customer and partner who recognised the resilience and the capacity that GO continues to offer. I think that with our adaptability and willingness to listen and improve, we are well-positioned to assist businesses with their needs as they strive to prosper.”