Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1440864
2 NEWS 6.1.2022 HANDSON Systems has opened re- mote development offices in several countries to complement the work be- ing done in Malta. Recently appointed HandsOn Systems Chief Technology Officer Chris Deguara says this will not only enable the company to expand its product lines further but also to pene- trate these new markets. Eastern Europe is one area in which HandsOn Systems has opened remote development offices with software engi- neers focusing on individual aspects of its product line. Deguara will head the main develop- ment and operational office in Malta, with a team of leading experts assisting him. e international development teams will take up HandsOn Systems' product lines – fleet management, RFID and the other smaller products –taking owner- ship and bringing the respective prod- ucts to the next level. "HandsOn Systems is the go-to com- pany in Malta when it comes to IoT (In- ternet of ings) and the local market is now becoming saturated," Deguara said. "We intend to remain active in the Maltese market, but the next step is to become the go-to IoT company interna- tionally. "We already have a substantial num- ber of clients abroad in countries like Italy, West Africa and the Middle East. Opening up in Eastern Europe and oth- er countries, you are hitting two birds with one stone. You have an autono- mous team carrying out product de- velopment and you are also targeting the country's market from the sales and marketing fronts." Deguara pointed out that, in order to achieve a substantial level of sales, there must be people who are familiar with the country's norms, culture and the way of doing business. "We will be tapping the country's technological re- source pool and simultaneously open- ing up sales opportunities. is way, the company will be winning and keep on moving forward on these very impor- tant fronts." No newcomer to HandsOn Systems, Deguara was one of the company's first employees even before it moved to its first office in Qormi a decade ago. He started as a software engineer and put together the company's first website. He went on to take a B.Sc. in Computer Science from the University of London, graduating in 2014. e course included elements of sound design and 3D ren- dering. After two years with HandsOn Systems he went on to explore other in- dustries: disaster recovery, fintech and trading, apart from doing some work on the side related to crypto, blockchain and accounting. Still, he found the work at HandsOn the most satisfying and, when CEO Geoffrey Farrugia, presented this new opportunity, he felt he was up to the challenge. "HandsOn Systems were al- ways at the forefront of technology, and I always used to publicly say that it was the most satisfying work I was involved in. ey are always providing solutions to very complex problems while helping out people. at is one of the best com- binations one could ever ask for. "Geoff approached me, because we kept in touch, and told me he was look- ing for someone to help him take Hand- sOn to the next level. He had some spe- cific plans, and the idea captured my interest immediately. I love a challenge." Farrugia commented: "Having now grown to a team of around 50 employ- ees globally, I was looking for someone who is familiar with the company cul- ture, and yet is young and dynamic to be able to lead our technology teams. I am convinced Chris is up to the challenge I presented him, and we can truly work together to produce the synergies we are seeking and continue to grow HandsOn Systems in Malta and internationally." HandsOn Systems expands international office network HandsOn Systems Chief Technology Officer Chris Deguara GENERATIONAL change and the rise in innovation are driving transforma- tional changes within several sectors, especially in the banking industry. As customers become more open to tech- nology, they seek a sense of flexibility and cybersecurity in the way they man- age their finances. e surge of BOV Mobile Banking is becoming more evident as customers are enjoying a flexible and easy way to manage their finances, at any time and from any place they want. e digital banking app offers users a series of fea- tures such as financial management, bill payments and mobile top-ups. "Way back in 2017, we celebrated the milestone of reaching 10 million mobile banking logins in a period of 5 years, whereas nowadays, we are seeing approximately two million logins per month" said Kenneth Farrugia, Chief Retail Banking Officer at Bank of Val- letta. Digital banking is being favoured at the expense of cash and cheque-based methods. In fact, BOV tracked a de- crease of 34% in cheque usage since the beginning of 2021. e mobile to mobile payments fea- ture is one that has been favoured by many BOV Mobile Banking users. is enables users to send up to €1000 per day to any other BOV Mobile user. If transfers by IBAN are required, one can use the third-party payments option while using the same mobile app. ese features offer individuals and business- es financial flexibility every day. Paying your bills has also become much simpler to do. With several en- tities available on one application, you can pay all your bills easily without wasting your time queuing. It is not necessary to visit several web- sites and having to remember multiple login credentials. e 'Pay a Bill' func- tion on BOV Mobile allows you to settle your bills with several entities such as insurance companies, water and elec- tricity firms, schools and telecommu- nication companies, without having to incur any additional costs. e option to top up your mobile credit through BOV Mobile is becom- ing an increasingly popular function. An increasing number of BOV cus- tomers have ditched the old ways top- up cards since they have the option to top up their mobile by any amount up to €50 without having to download any other apps or setting their credit card. "Since last year, we've witnessed an in- crease of 20% in digital banking trans- actions, most of which represent mobile transactions," Farrugia said. "Our electronic banking specialists are always searching for new ways to refine this product to better meet the custom- ers' demands, and the higher the usage, the more data we can gather to provide customer-driven solutions." More customers banking through BOV Mobile