ESRI has signed a vertical strategic alliance (VSA) agreement with the government of Malta. Signed by the Minister for Investment, Industry, and Information Technology (MIIIT), the agreement states that ESRI and its Maltese distributor, GeoSYS Ltd., will facilitate the use of geographic information system (GIS) technology throughout various sectors of the government and private industry. MIIIT is a cabinet-level ministry in the Maltese government and plays a key role in the country’s information and communication technology (ICT) strategy.
The alliance follows the objectives of the government’s overall information and communication technology plan, that of making the best use of technology by partnering with best-of-breed companies in a win-win relationship. This will encourage and support the local ICT industry in organizing itself into specialized niche areas to provide a comprehensive suite of services. Another provision of the government’s technological initiative is to set up industry-leading ICT academies to engender the broadest suite of specialized skills in the local labor market including GIS.
The GIS implementation is expected to generate wide interest throughout the government because of the technology’s potential to enhance the country’s well-established e-government program. The program’s success is confirmed by a report published in September 2007 by Capgemini, a European-based consulting firm, indicating that the small country provides the second-greatest number of electronic government services among 31 European countries. Published for the European Commission Directorate-General for Information Society and Media, the report also confirmed second place for the level of online sophistication.
Says Tim Camilleri, managing director of GeoSYS, ESRI’s local distributor, "This is a very significant agreement for both ESRI and the government of Malta. GIS initiatives we are developing include implementation strategies within the various government sectors and the promotion of GIS education throughout the entire educational system. In addition, we will help empower local businesses to gain access to the larger global market through participation in ESRI’s Business Partner Program."
To jump-start these initiatives, ESRI and MIIIT agreed that software would be donated to the GIS labs of the University of Malta and the Malta College for Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST). Training will also be provided to tutors at both institutions and to secondary-school teachers.
