Microsoft, government to join forces on IT initiatives

Microsoft and the government have agreed to join forces on a number of short- and long-term initiatives which should give local industry greater access to the latest Microsoft technology.

Speaking to the press following intensive talks, e-government minister Austin Gatt and Jean Philippe Courtois, the president of Microsoft Europe, Middle East and Africa - who doubles up as senior vice-president for Microsoft Corporation - said the two sides agreed on initiatives which should enhance Malta's reputation in information technology and make the island a regional technology centre.

"Talks with Dr Gatt were very productive and I am sure we can strengthen the ties between the two sides," Mr Courtois said.

Dr Gatt said a number of initiatives were agreed, including the setting up of a Microsoft academy financed by the multinational.

Dr Gatt said the presence of Microsoft in Malta showed that government's policy to make Malta a regional IT hub was bearing fruit.

"We have had long discussions on establishing a way forward over the next three to five years based on developing a number of initiatives together. We want to build business between us in a win-win environment."

Mr Courtois said that when comparing Malta with the other nine EU acceding countries, he was impressed by some of the initiatives taken to push forward the concept of an IT society. He said that Malta was at the forefront of this area.

Mr Courtois said that one of the initiatives agreed with Dr Gatt was the setting up a Microsoft IT Academy in Malta to train Maltese in this field.

Mr Courtois said that Microsoft would also help Malta to develop further its IT infrastructure and an IT society.

"For instance, with regard to small and medium size enterprises, I think there is a lot to be done in terms of accessibility and services and to extend the collaboration to create innovative web services and innovative software companies in Malta.

"All in all I am looking forward to this partnership to assist the educational and business sectors in Malta. I hope we can contribute significantly here."

He said that one of the initiatives was to create a synergy with local economic players, researchers and academics to foster the concept of new software ventures.

Mr Courtois said that Microsoft would also be donating 4,000 editions of Encarta - a leading educational software package - to the government. Dr Gatt said that the government would be using this software to strengthen its drive to further reduce the digital divide in Malta.

Mr Courtois also said that Microsoft would be providing the necessary resources for its XP programmes to include the Maltese language.

Stressing that Malta needed to strengthen its efforts to fight piracy, Mr Courtois said that Microsoft estimated that in the professional context, one in two software items in Malta was pirated.

"This is too much but to be fair Malta is doing better at combating piracy than most of the EU candidate countries. Malta has started to do some good work and such initiatives have to be pushed forward."

No details were available on the investment that Microsoft will be making in Malta.