MBR_ISSUE 46_NOV_DEC_18_LowRes

COVER STORY INTERVIEW
Malta Business Review
Sonia Hernandez
at the heart of Vodafone’s recently launched
purpose: "connecting Malta for a better
future". Our new Digital Vodafone strategy
is the vehicle by which we will achieve this
purpose.
There are three pillars within the framework
of our new Vodafone strategy: connecting
a digital society, help protect Malta and
the environment, and inclusion for all as a
company culture. Our leadership in Internet
of Things will underpin all three pillars whilst
being the best digital workplace is our
foundation for attracting and retaining the
best talent.
As Vodafone we are also highly committed to
investing in our future workforce. To mention
just one example, we want to empower
young Maltese women and address the
wide gender gap in STEM careers. Our Code
Like a Girl initiative was born out of this. We
offered girls aged between fourteen and
eighteen free training sessions on coding,
in a bid to give them a taster of the fun and
opportunities, which come from studying
and pursuing a career in technology. We
were overwhelmed by the feedback we
received and the thirst for such initiatives,
and heartened by the girls' sheer enthusiasm
and boundless energy.
To cement our commitment to carry on
with this initiative and introduce others, we
signed a Memorandum of Understanding
with the Ministry for Education and
Employment which establishes a framework
for cooperation to help equip students in
Malta with the knowledge and skills needed
for a digital future. This also includes working
towards a safer digital environment; In fact,
we will be holding workshops on digital life
skills for parents.
MBR: How does the Vodafone Malta
Foundation feed into this strategy?
SH: Our Foundation is an integral part of the
Digital Vodafone strategy. Its Connecting for
Good strategy is all about harnessing the
power of mobile technology to bring about
social change. In one of the latest projects
announced, the Foundation, together with
the University's Department of Artificial
Intelligence, is working on providing an
alternative to drugs in order to relieve the
pain which children suffering from various
illnesses such as cancer go through. This will
result in cutting-edge technology combining
virtual reality with ‘affective gaming’,
meaning that the specially designed game
will be intelligent enough to also determine
the child’s emotional and physical state and
adjust the game accordingly in real time to
distract the child from feeling pain.
In the next few months, the Foundation
will also be announcing new Connecting for
Good projects revolving around persons with
disability, persons with autism and mental
health, amongst others.
"Connecting a digital
society, helping
protect Malta and
the environment, and
inclusion for all are
the three pillars of our
new strategy.
MBR: What plans are in the pipeline for the
growth of the company in Malta?
SH: We will be investing a solid €150 million
over the next few years with an aim to
create the most engaging digital customer
experience by adopting new ways of working,
embracing new technologies and simplifying
business models. This will not only make our
customers lives’ easier by making it simpler
to deal with us, but it will also enable them
to make the most of the future. The world
around is becoming increasingly more and
more connected, and we believe we have a
role to play in helping our customers realise
the opportunities this brings and help them
make the most of it.
One of the enablers in this is the Internet of
Things (IoT). Around the world, industries
are being transformed and on a global level,
Vodafone has been rated by analysts as the
global leader in IoT. Vodafone has helped
organisations from all industries—from
healthcare to manufacturing, automotive to
public sector—along their IoT journeys. The
potential benefits of IoT are immense and
we’ll be leveraging our global expertise and
experience to transform Malta’s businesses
through IoT.
In fact, we have recently introduced
next generation IoT network based on
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) technology in
Malta. Vodafone has been the first to bring
this technology to Malta. Our new NB-IoT
network provides excellent data connectivity
in places where regular radio signal is not
sufficient (e.g. sensors could buried deep or
under water as well), coupled with very low
energy consumption for the sensors.
The applications of NB-IoT are endless,
ranging from monitoring patients to
intelligent parking and efficient street lighting.
Vodafone is committed to bring best of value
with this technology and help customers to
get full transparency of data and the industry
to become more efficient.
The first live application on this network is
aiming to revolutionise waste collection.
Working alongside recycling cooperative
GreenPak, we developed connectivity for
smart sensors for rubbish bins which indicate
when a bin is full and needs to be emptied.
The sensors will also detect any tampering
or damage to the bins, such as if a bin has
caught fire.
Looking ahead to 2019 and beyond, I relish
the prospect of our business playing an
increasingly important role in building a
better today as well as an exciting future for
us and for Malta. MBR
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