In 2003, IT and Investments Minister Austin Gatt signed the first agreement with Bill Gates, the technology multinational’s founder and CEO.

The Vertical Strategic Alliance Agreement signed yesterday builds on the first agreement and provides for a partnership between the government and Microsoft on a wide spectrum of sectors that include the public service, e-government, education, security and even social welfare.

In a short statement, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said the agreement was a big step forward which fits perfectly with the government’s vision towards greater economic growth and a public sector that was more efficient, as well as ensuring social welfare.

He congratulated Microsoft and IT and Investment Minister Austin Gatt for the work that led up to this agreement, adding that he felt proud of the progress the government had managed to achieve in the IT sector.

The minister announced that the company will be opening a local branch, Microsoft (Malta), that will help implement and manage the strategic alliance and further the company’s business in the region.

Among the benefits of this agreement, for example, Microsoft will be financing the entry of the Malta Council for Arts Science and Technology (MCAST) in the Microsoft Cambridge Research Pro-gramme. In the IT sector, the company will directly help four local software firms join the international market.

There are also plans for the company to finance the establishment of a number of community centres that provide broadband Internet and the training for its use.

Answering questions from The Malta Independent, Mr Courtoise said that the company was attracted to Malta for a number of reasons, the first among which is that Malta can serve as a platform for other markets such as the North African ring and the Middle East.

However, giving the recent graduation of some 25 engineers from MCAST, he said that the country offers great potential in its own right, particularly because of its developed ICT structure and general infrastructure.