Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/193056
20 Events maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 16 OCTOBER 2013 HP 'Make it Matter' conference in Malta AT the HP Make It Matter conference held (today) at Le Meridien St Julians Hotel, HP introduced its solutions for the New Style of IT which has been emerging as a result of the rise in Cloud, Mobility, Big Data and Security. Solutions and news that HP covered during the conference ranged from HP Converged Infrastructure – HP Storage, HP BladeSystems, HP Networking, HP Cloud Solutions, HP Security Solutions, HP Services, HP Printing and Personal Systems as well as Intel technologies for Mission Critical Infrastructure and Microsoft solutions. More than 100 attendees from HP's enterprise customers, business partners, representatives, decision makers from SMBs as well as HP Preferred Partners, Distributors and Media representatives attended the conference. Martin Kubala, Director for Enterprise Group and Managing Director for South Eastern Europe, HP and Beatrix Mueller-Meszarich, Managing Director for CDG, HP, welcomed the attendees. Addressing the attendees, Beatrix Mueller-Meszarich said: "This is the first conference we are organizing under the HP Make It Matter and the New Style of IT tagline in Malta. sector contributes an average of 5% to the national GDP in Malta – this is one of the highest in the European Union," Cardona said. HP invited over 10 international experts to Malta for this conference including Intel EMEA Strategic Initiatives Manager Michael Eisa, Converged Infrastructure Pre-Sales Consultant for CDG Dejan Stanić, Solution Architect HP Networking Milenko Markov, South and East Europe Cloud Manager Ana Radošević, Manager Solution Architects Central Europe & GWE Josef Meier, TS Support Sales Representative for CDG Adnan Bratanović, Partner Business Manager Printing and Personal Systems CDG Mirza Cordalija, and Printing Category Manager Printing and Personal Systems CDG Elena Andonovska. Managing Director for CDG, HP, Beatrix Mueller-Meszarich and Director for Enterprise Group and Managing Director for South Eastern Europe, HP, Martin Kubala We have devised this conference according to the needs and challenges of the IT market in Malta, the Maltese customers and consumers. Our aim is to address the opportunities and challenges that the New Style of IT creates most notably to lower costs, achieve greater agility, simplification and speed: In short our aim is for our existing and future customers to achieve better busi- ness outcomes and thereby to make it matter." Commenting on the synergies of innovation and the IT industry in Malta, the Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business Chris Cardona said: "In Europe, investment in ICT capital motivates the creation of new business models, re-invigorates productivity and enables new media and channels for research and innovation. Every business, irrespective of its location or sector, must go digital – if not it will definitely feel the squeeze. "As a country we have invested heavily in building up a resilient and secure ICT infrastructure. This was necessary to attract new industries – such as the ICT sector, financial services, e-gaming and digital media companies. Today the ICT Microsoft Malta Business Development Manager Edward Portelli also participated. Microsoft and HP have been working closely together for over 25 years, creating solutions that help businesses succeed in an ever-changing world. For more information log on to: www.hp.com/makeitmatter Novel sheds light on gay relationships in Malta Vileda teams up with the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation Malta 'BEP' is a new novel in Maltese which details a relationship that develops between two men. Nicky is a librarian in a centre that works against sexual discrimination and Beppe is a musician. Beppe encounters Nicky when he seeks help at the centre in his process of coming out as a gay man. Despite the passionate love story that develops between these two men, their fears and issues still get in the way, leading to an unexpected finale. Bep is one of the first gay-themed novels in Maltese literature, filling the gap of gay literature which is still absent in our country. The novel depicts gay life in the local social context, posing the difficulties and THIS October Vileda has teamed up with the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation Malta (ABCF) to help raise awareness for a very serious cause. Around one in eight women have to live with breast cancer at some point in their lives, and the disease affects countless more lives of the friends and relatives who help to support the fight against such a tragic illness. Without the help of organisations such as the ABCF, many would have to face up to Breast Cancer on their own, without the care they deserve. Throughout the month, Vileda will be donating a percentage of the dynamics that are part and parcel of a gay relationship. Bep is the third work published by Tyrone Grima. His first work, Celibacy', presented the story of a priest struggling with the challenges of the vow of celibacy. Last year Grima, together with Justin Schembri, published a collection of short stories called Frekwenzi Ħiemda which have been converted to a screenplay and will be aired on national television as from April 2014. The launching of Bep will be held on Friday, 25 October at Tom's Bar, Crucifix Hill, Floriana at 9pm. The novel is published by Horizons. 'Best-in-market' offers on home and car loans from HSBC Malta HSBC Malta launched two new 'best-in-market' fixed interest rate home loan offers and an equally attractive deal on car loans. These offers are set to close on 31 December 2013. The HSBC home loan offers are: 1.99% fixed until 31 December 2014, and 2.7% fixed HSBC Malta's latest offers on until 30 June 2015. Both loans are provided 'best-inoffers apply on new market' fixed interest rates loans and amounts up to €1,000,000 although requests for amounts the latter term is only available for above €1,000,000 will be consid- loan amounts of €10,000 or more. ered on a case by case basis. No early repayment fees will be The car loan offer provides a fixed incurred for early or additional reinterest rate of 4.99% for the entire payment and further discounts on duration of the loan, which may processing fees are available for be for 2, 3, 5 or 7 years - although HSBC Premier and HSBC Advance customers. "These new time-limited deals offer HSBC customers the most competitive home loan interest rates currently on the market as well as the peace of mind that only a fixed rate can give," said HSBC Malta's Paul Steel, Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management. More information about HSBC Malta's special offers is available on www.hsbc.com.mt, by calling Customer Service on 2380 2380, or by visiting any HSBC branch in Malta and Gozo. its sales from specially branded Breast Cancer products to the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation Malta in a pledge to continue the fight against cancer. With your support we can make a difference to countless families, so that one day one in eight women may not have to have their lives torn apart. Look out for our special Pink products branded with the iconic Pink Ribbon at department stores nationwide, and for the Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign currently running on Vileda's Facebook page (search for 'Vileda Malta').