Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1289033
17.09.2020 6 INTERVIEW Taking HandsOn Systems to the next level SINCE he took over the technology leadership at HandsOn Systems, Ga- briel Sultana has continued building and evolving the company's product portfolio, while making sure that cus- tomer centricity and tangible value are embedded both at the strategic and ex- ecution levels. "At the core, the successful alignment of data and a strong, unified team are considered critical for achieving the set objectives. We are transforming our solutions to meet the current consumer patterns, exhibiting characteristics such as event driven, insightful analytics and directly connected with the person's us- age needs. is is one of the core strat- egies adopted to constantly meet ever changing consumer expectations," he said. Taking usage-based insurance (UBI) as an example, Sultana said HandsOn Systems is deploying IoT (Internet of ings) solutions to tackle a highly spe- cific need. Yet the goal is to make UBI commod- itised in terms of being 'accepted and fully utilisable by all'. And, he pointed out, HandsOn Systems is implementing UBI in very different ways here in Malta compared to Dubai, among other plac- es. "Although certain common concepts of UBI are adopted everywhere, the con- textualisation element is very important to be a better fit for the specific business domain needs," he said. "at is some- thing we pride ourselves in achieving in all the markets where we are active." e recent investment of Melita in HandsOn Systems, Sultana said, would enable the two companies to tap and merge strategies to offer richer servic- es that are cost effective to the end user. HandsOn Systems is giving more of the real-world scenario of IoT to Melita, which it is currently doing on a small scale around Malta. is can be projected through Melita's GSM and SIM infrastructure globally so HandsOn Systems can be more aggres- sive in Italy and other countries where it has operations. "e idea is that we intend to contin- ue working in this strategic alignment when it comes to projects and initia- tives so that it is a beneficial partnership for both" he said. "Our greatest strength would be around this continuously aligned relationship. is is something we are happily vested in retaining to make this partnership successful." Discussing HandsOn Systems' vision and mission, Sultana said the company's vision was to work hand in hand with its customers to transform its telematic solutions into feature-rich services that constantly create value, transparency and positive experiences "Our mission is to improve the quality of life for consumers through the pro- cessing and presentation of rich telem- atic data that is packaged into intuitive and ease-of-use services". e company has been growing in the IoT and telematics sector for the past 10 years. "Notwithstanding this wealth of knowledge and first-hand experience in the sector, the socio-economic chal- lenges that organisations are facing nowadays, are forcing almost every or- ganisation to reboot and rethink their next steps, thus pushing for continuous learning and creative solutions along the way," Sultana said. "ese aspects are not limited to a specific function within the organisa- tion, and have to be adopted and adapt- ed across all functions and in all areas of the organisation." HandsOn Systems CEO Geoffrey Far- rugia said the company's technological vision is to be a global IoT systems pro- vider. "We are in the process of achieving this vision by ramping up our recruit- ment of leading minds in the field and through alliances like those we have with Melita," he said. e new CTO is working hand in hand with the CEO to consolidate the organ- isation's existing operations, further grow its team and continue to innovate by developing new technologies and ex- tending the applications of its current suite of products and solutions. Five years down the line, Sultana sees HandsOn Systems as a data power- house with the necessary backbone in- frastructure, so that both through tech- nology and strategic partnerships it can constantly offer high value services to its customers. He said that although this five-year vision has been wrapped in one simple statement, on the ground it entails a lot of sweat and hard work "How are we going to get there? Per- sistence, perseverance and a strong drive being taken on board by the entire organisation." Although recruited at the early peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chief Technology Officer Gabriel Sultana has been working tirelessly, initially remotely, to put together his team at HandsOn Systems to drive the organisation and its product portfolio to new heights "Our mission is to improve the quality of life for consumers through the processing and presentation of rich telematic data that is packaged into intuitive and ease-of-use services