On the alert | Claudine Cassar

How did Alert Group come about?
"It all started 14 years ago, when I set up Alert Communications Ltd. I was still in my early 20s, I had no business experience whatsoever and I only had Lm250 to invest - however I had a great deal of energy and a concrete vision.
"Ever since I set up my first company I focused on giving an excellent service to our clients, while constantly working to expand the range of products and services we offered.
"Over the past two years Alert Communications went through a dynamic phase - we grew consistently and improved our operations. The company is now a leader in the field and it has the financial strength to allow me to move to the next phase of Alert's growth, which involves diversifying and expanding further.
"I started the process of transitioning from one company towards a group last year, when I set up Alert Creative, a marketing agency and creative powerhouse that is now delivering excellent work to a number of high profile customers. Then at the end of the year we had the opportunity to acquire a controlling stake in Enterprise Solutions - and that is how Alert Group was born.
"The setting up of Alert Group has marked the first phase of our development and our embarking on a new and aggressive phase of growth, including that of moving into new sectors.
"We are also marking this major development by launching a  new corporate identity that conveys the brand attributes of our companies and their products: modern, efficient, focused and client driven.  Our new identity helps mirror the fact that we're a forward-looking group of companies with a commitment to customer satisfaction."

Describe your journey from 1998, the year you founded the company, to date.
"We had a very modest beginning. The Lm250 I had in the bank did not get us very far!  Our first 'office' was some space in a friend's living room along with a couple of borrowed computers.
"We got our first break when two important companies - Corinthia Hotels International and Malta International Airport - opted to work with us. Working for these two companies was a wonderful opportunity that allowed us to show off what we were capable of and allowed us to start building a name for ourselves and I am happy to say that 14 years down the line they are still our clients. From that point onwards we went from strength to strength. Over the past few years we have worked hard to build an organisation that is competitive not only on the local market, but also on the international stage.
"We have attained ISO 9001 certification, showing that our quality management systems are top notch. We also attained ISO 14001, certifying that the company has an excellent environmental management system in place.
"At Alert we believe in working for a better future, and there can be no better future if we do not protect our environment and safeguard the world we live in."
"I am also very proud of the fact that Alert has been certified as an Equal Opportunities Employer by the National Council for the promotion of equality - the NCPE. We have always striven to make Alert a pleasant place to work - we offer reduced hours, flexitime, teleworking - everything that a busy mum or dad needs in order to be able to cope with the pressures of juggling family life and career. Judging by the number of mums and dads that we have working with us nowadays, I would say that we have succeeded in accomplishing this goal.
"However it does not stop here. It is also important to be on the forefront of technology, to invest in staff training and to always stay ahead of the curve. We are achieving our goals in this field as well. In the past three months Alert obtained two certifications of which I am truly proud.
"The first comes from Microsoft. In fact Alert is the first, and so far the only, Maltese company that has become a Microsoft Gold Partner in the web development competency. This is a testament to the state-of-the-art credentials of our development team.
"In addition Alert was also the first, and once again, so far, the only, Maltese company to attain the coveted Google Adwords partner status. The importance of Internet Marketing is growing - more and more people depend on the Internet for their daily news and also for information leading to their purchase decisions.
"So it is very important that we finally have a company in Malta that knows what it is talking about when it comes to Pay Per Click campaigns and Search Engine Optimisation."

How does the company's set-up operate? What are the firm's services?
"Alert Group is a leading ICT and marketing services provider - the group is made up of three companies: Alert eBusiness, Alert Creative and Alert Solutions.
"Alert eBusiness is the original web design and development company that was known for several years as Alert Communications. The company is nowadays firmly entrenched as a leading player in the Maltese ICT sector, offering an A-to-Z solution to clients' eBusiness requirements. Alert eBusiness has strong web development and eMarketing teams and also operates its own data centre and online payment gateway.
"Alert Solutions was previously known as Enterprise Solutions Ltd and is a provider of enterprise IT solutions, delivering sustainable value through business consulting, software and IT implementation. The company specialises in the deployment of solutions for Enterprise Resource Planning, Business Intelligence, Customer Relationship Management, Document Management and Point of Sale. Alert Solutions is the sole official SAP partner within Malta.
"Alert Creative is an innovative creative agency that offers fully-integrated marketing consultancy and business development support. The Alert Creative team supports clients through the whole process of planning and implementing their marketing activities - developing corporate identities and branding, implementing online marketing plans, organising direct marketing campaigns and coordinating advertising and public relations campaigns."

Can you brief us about Alert eBusiness?
"Alert eBusiness offers a comprehensive range of services to companies who want to make effective use of the internet in order to grow their business.
"Our team specialises in the creation of portals and applications that are customised to our clients' needs. We help clients conceptualise, build and manage their application, whether online, on mobile platforms or on social media. This tailored approach is surprisingly cost-effective, enabling our clients to reap a good return on their investment.
"In addition, we also offer off-the-shelf solutions, including eCommerce packages based on the TrolleyMania platform (www.trolleymania.com).  
"We know that launching a website is only the first step in a successful internet marketing strategy, so we employ a team of internet marketing consultants who specialise in Search Engine Optimisation, social media marketing, Pay Per Click campaigns and web analytics.
"In addition, we operate our own data centre and a PCI-DSS certified online payment gateway."

What about the Pay Per Click service being provided by your firm?
"Alert manages PPC Campaigns for a number of local and international companies. Our campaigns focus on our clients' business objectives and are targeted to achieve business growth and positive results. We focus on Google AdWords due to Google's potential and proven record in reaching wider audiences.
"We also offer multiple PPC Packages for businesses which have different budgets and objectives. So far, Alert is also the one and only Google AdWords Certified Partner in Malta - this further highlights our expertise in the area.
"We are now promoting our internet marketing services internationally - in fact we have just launched a site dedicated to this service - www.alertemarketing.com."

What are your hiring plans for 2013?
"In 1998 Alert started off as a two-person team. Nowadays we employ 50 people in the three companies in the group.
"Last year Alert eBusiness took in 10 new employees - designers, programmers, project managers, a sales and marketing executive and a business development manager. This week we have issued a call for another four posts. Alert Creative has taken on four people in the last 12 months while Alert Solutions is also looking for people.
"With the rate that Alert is expanding, I see 2013 to be no different from this year and the one before that."
What according to you is the biggest hurdle faced by the technology industry today?
"The technology industry is always evolving.  New technologies are constantly emerging, updates are being released continuously and marketing trends keep changing.
"Alert is fully aware of these challenges.  However, rather than seeing them as hurdles, we embrace them."

Do you target entire industries, or aim for certain companies?
"Reputable companies of all sizes and from all sectors use Alert's services - ministries and government departments; banking and finance institutions; tourism and leisure; automotive and insurance; retail and e-commerce; legal and consultancy; telecommunications and IT; food and beverage; education and training; architecture and construction as well as voluntary and non-profit organisations.
"We are part of the Technology Alliance Agreement with MITA and also an approved supplier to MITA for the development of e-Forms.  Last week we were reconfirmed as one of the suppliers eligible to provide framework services to MITA."

What are some of the major projects you will be working on?
"Alert eBusiness is currently working on several major projects including work for the National Statistics Office and the myHealth project. We are also about to launch the VisitMalta portal for the Malta Tourism Authority, the European Car and Driving Licence Information System for Transport Malta, the European Citizens Toolkit for MEUSAC and the Central Bank portal. The company is also busy with interesting projects for the private sector, one of them being the development of a new multilingual portal for Arriva with advanced Journey Planner functionality.  
"Alert Creative, on the other hand, is working on several exciting branding projects for clients such as The Malta National Aquarium, KDM Group, Plus Travel and James Caterers. It is also involved in an EU-funded cultural project that will be launched in Malta this summer.
"Our new acquisition, Enterprise Solutions, has now been rebranded as Alert Solutions. The team has just completed a major installation at Bank of Valletta - a business intelligence solution that empowers BOV executives to track key performance, risk and business exception indicators in a user-friendly and timely manner. Alert Solutions delivered the required solution using an integrated BusinessObjects XI r3.1 platform with Xcelsius Dashboards.
"Alert Solutions' consultants are also currently working with Mediterranean Bank on a new document management system and FCM bank on an Enterprise Resource Planning Solution."

How do you look towards the SME market?
"One must be aware that competition is sprouting from everywhere.  However, in order to be able to keep growing, it is very important to ensure that the company is financially sound and has a proper and effective management structure in place.  
"It is important to keep on investing in Research and Development.  It is important to invest in staff training. It is important to keep abreast with international standards and best practices. That is what it takes to succeed."

Fundamental shifts are now occurring in the software Industry. 'Cloud' is becoming the new buzz word. What are the strategies Alert Group is executing to meet today's fast-changing requirements?
"At Alert we have a dedicated research and development unit. This unit is continuously researching the latest web trends and technologies such as Cloud computing and social media interaction. Such research is then evolved into decisions prioritizing the development of Alert's products and introducing new technologies in order to meet latest business requirements."

How do you define a successful IT project?
"Client satisfaction is key. However, there are other key factors which we take into consideration - we measure the return on investment of each project, we gauge the milestones reached vis-à-vis the desired outcomes and results and we see whether we finished the project on time and within budget."

What customer demands and business trends will drive changes in software products, how they're developed, and the industry that provides them?
"There are several areas that are driving Alert's growth at the moment.
"In the case of Alert eBusiness, there is no doubt that internet marketing is an important trend and we have worked hard to rise to the challenge. We are constantly getting queries from companies who want to exploit the internet and social media better. We have invested in a strong team and intensive training to ensure that we can truly deliver excellent results in this area - it is no accident that Alert eBusiness is the only certified Google AdWords partner on the island.
"In addition, we are seeing a major shift to mobile. As increasing numbers of customers have started using a Smartphone, the demand for the development of mobile applications has surged. This is a very exciting development for us and we are currently developing a number of apps.
"Then there is Cloud. This is an important shift and one that we plan to incorporate in our service offering. We already have the infrastructure in place in our data centre and you will soon hear that Alert has launched a range of services on the cloud, ranging from ERP systems to BI, CRM and other business solutions that growing companies need.
"Companies in Malta are becoming aware of the fact that it is important to have immediate visibility of key performance indicators so that they can make fast operational and strategic decisions. They are looking for applications that integrate their core business functions - financials, sales, customer relationship management, inventory management and operations. This is a major opportunity for Alert Solutions, with its range of  Business Intelligence and Enterprise Resource Planning solutions from SAP.
"We are also working hard to revolutionise the way restaurants operate. There are already a number of restaurants using our Restaurant Manager system and we believe that other restaurateurs will soon realise the advantage of equipping their servers with handheld devices that send orders electronically to the bar and kitchen, speeding up service and reducing the time spent running around.
"There is a lot we are going to be working on and we are extremely busy. However, that is what makes life so exciting at Alert - as I tell my people every day, there's never a dull moment around here!"