27 January - 2 February 2000

Maltacom's retail outlets to re-sell Canon products

by Sandro Mangion

The recently set up retailing arm of the Maltacom Group, Allcom Ltd, is poised to become the leading telecom retail and distribution firm on the island.

The fully-owned subsidiary company of Maltacom plc yesterday signed its first in a series of agreements with established local agents of telecom equipment and systems. The deal between Allcom and Avantech Ltd provides for the re-sale and distribution of Canon products.

Avantech imports Canon office stationery and equipment, systems and software as well as reproduction and photolab equipment. It also excels in after sales service.

The company's client list in Malta includes a variety of enterprises ranging from small-sized organisations to international banks.

It also supplies equipment and services to the Libyan government and to some of the major oil companies in the North African country.

Yesterday's signing ceremony was held at the Westin Dragonara Resort, St Julian's. Among those present were Maltacom chairman Maurice Zarb Adami, Allcom Ltd's project leader Stephen D'Alessandro, Avantech Ltd's managing director Nick Camilleri, and Canon Europe's Deputy vice-president Frieda Kruiderink.

Allcom Ltd was established in July 1999 in the light of the imminent liberalisation of the telecommunications market. It strives to provide a broad range of telecom related quality products and integrate them with high value added services.

This way, the Maltacom subsidiary aims to provide cost-effective telecom solutions to customers from the consumer and corporate sectors.

It is in a bid to reach this goal that Allcom is entering into sales and distribution agreements with local agents of telecom related equipment.

In some cases, it is establishing contacts directly with the manufacturers overseas.

At the moment Allcom is in the process of selecting personnel from amongst Maltacom's own qualified staff complement. Vacancies for which no qualified candidates from Maltacom are found will be filled through external recruitment.

In the coming weeks Allcom will also be launching its first retail outlet, which will be followed by another two within months. The company has already opened a corporate products display room at its head office in St Julian's. Corporate customers can go there to view a range of PABX and other office equipment designed to enhance and improve communications.