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MANAGEMENT
During 2005, we
focused on management issues in particular. We began or continued the
implementation of innovative systems concerning human resources management, such
as Personal Competency Management, development centres and flexible working
hours.
The basic aim of
the Organisation’s communications policy was to build on and to reinforce
constantly its corporate identity and image. In 2005, we completed the CYTA
Brand Mapping project.
In the area of
quality, the Staff Suggestions Scheme continued to operate successfully,
encouraging personnel to express their views and exploit their creativity.
The Research &
Development sector was active thanks to CYTA’s participation in the projects of
various European and other research institutes.
In 2005 we
developed further what is now the largest intra-organisational computer network
in Cyprus in terms of size, capacity, portfolio and complexity of supported
applications. The network supports and enhances CYTA’s operations. We also
continued to take preventive measures against telecommunications fraud.
Finally, when
consultants from the Office of the Commissioner of Electronic Communications and
Postal Regulation carried out a costing audit, they concluded that CYTA’s
costing system was reliable and accurate in allocating the elements of cost to
the corresponding services.
HUMAN
RESOURCES
People are the most valuable resource of any
company. This applies even more so to CYTA when one considers how extremely
competitive the telecommunications sector has become in recent years.
The optimum utilisation
of our personnel through development and the implementation of human resource
systems is one of our strategic objectives.
To further improve staff
welfare, CYTA has decided to procure the services of an occupational therapist,
in addition to all its other social and financial support programme.
In 2005, flexible
working hours were introduced to even more departments and it is expected that
in 2006, in conjunction with the electronic timekeeping system, flexi-time will
cover the whole Organisation.
 Training
seminars on safe driving were held throughout 2005. It is expected that nearly
all CYTA personnel will attend these seminars which aim to further reduce the
number of accidents after two consecutive years of reductions. This fact alone
proves how effective the seminars have been.
The CYTA competency
framework, along with job role definition of all the Organisation’s permanent
staff, is already in place. The competency framework is used extensively in
almost all human resource activities or processes, such as employee recruitment,
internal transfers, employee utilisation, training and development (including
development centres), performance management and recognition (rewards and
incentives).
After the initial
success of CYTA’s development centres in 2004, the Organisation proceeded in
2005 with creating development centres for cytashop Managers, Call Centre
Supervisors and Key Account Executives. The primary purpose of the development
centres is the identification of training/development needs of the participants
through a series of scientifically-based assessment methods and tools. Upon
completion of development centres, personal development plans for each
participant were formulated and implementation of these has already begun.
Continuous training and
development of human resources is of great value to our Organisation and we
encourage it by giving staff the opportunity to participate in fully-subsidised
training programme, both in Cyprus and abroad. In this context, large groups of
staff have been trained in Negotiation Techniques and Presentation Techniques
for Key Account Executives, Professional Customer Service for customer technical
support staff, CISCO, etc. The average number of training days per employee and
the total expenses spent on training are constantly growing and compare favourably with the relative indicators of successful international
organisations.
CYTA, a strong supporter
of life-long learning, subsidised the tuition fees for members of staff to
participate in academic programmes on a part-time basis by offering a number of
scholarships in 2005.
Good labour relations
were a crucial factor in the Organisation’s success in 2005 and the resolution
of a number of labour problems contributed to this end. At the same time,
negotiations continued between management and employees’ unions over the renewal
of the collective agreement.
COMMUNICATIONS
STRATEGY
Our communications strategy for 2005 focused on building
and enhancing CYTA’s corporate identity and image. This policy was reflected in
our main communications message
"We are the Creators of telecommunications in Cyprus, the leading
Designers and Providers of Integrated Electronic Communications".
Throughout 2005 we made
extensive use of valuable strategic tools such as quantitative and qualitative
market research. We recorded and analysed trends and perceptions of society in
Cyprus which enabled us to better understand our customers’ way of thinking and
to identify the means to achieve improved communication with our market.
In 2005 we completed the
CYTA Brand Mapping project, one of major strategic importance considering that
the telecommunications sector has become extremely competitive and the social
environment is such that it requires substantial differentiation.
The results of this
project will be used to shape our vision, our corporate values and our identity
in such a way as to enable CYTA to create intimate relationships with all its
brand stakeholders: consumers, customers, business associates and personnel.
Valuable information
such as our vision and values, as well as other basic elements and
characteristics of our corporate identity and strategy resulting from the Brand
Mapping project, will be used in upgrading our existing Brand Management
methodology and systems.
Media Relations
With the aim of providing timely and reliable information
to the public, regular Press Releases were issued and distributed to the media
during 2005. Senior officials of the Organisation and the CYTA Press Officer
participated in radio and television interviews and discussions, interviews were
given to the press, articles and other material were published, and we organised
press conferences and information campaigns on various issues.
Cyprus International
Fair
Our participation in the Cyprus International Fair
was extremely successful. Under the banner
"CYTA… tuned to your life!"
we presented a broad range of products at our pavilion which emphasised how CYTA
improves its customers’ way of life, work and entertainment, through its
services. We made considerable use of technology in the pavilion with
raised screens, hologram systems, a video wall, illuminated linear art and a
multimedia show. The impressive presentation, plus special offers from various
services, led to us signing up a considerable number of new customers.
"Telecommunications
Street"
During 2005 we continued to publish CYTA’s monthly
information bulletin "Telecommunications Street" which is distributed to all
present and retired members of staff and to outside recipients including
representatives of the media.
 Websites
Websites have become an integral part of the electronic
communications that have become so important to us. CYTA’s homepage
www.cyta.com.cy is
modern and functional, providing easy navigation for obtaining information.
The homepage provides
access to other useful sites such as the online store cytawebshop, Cytamobile-Vodafone,
CYTA e-bill, the Yellow Pages and the Telephone Directory as well as other CYTA
websites and those of its subsidiaries. It also contains information about our
Organisation, cytashops, our products and services, CYTA competitions and
offers, Annual Reports, the latest issues of "Telecommunications Street" and
recent Press Releases as well as the respective archives for both.
Within the Organisation
we operate our own intranet, a fast and reliable means of internal communication
and information exchange.
All of the above
contribute not only to the fast and efficient provision of information but also
to saving paper in the context of our broader environmental policy.
BUSINESS PLANNING
With the aim of operating effectively in a
liberalised and competitive environment, the Organisation proceeded with the
implementation of its strategic plan.
In the quality sector we
continued to encourage our presonnel’s creativity and its focused development so
as to improve their operations and performance. More specifically, the staff
suggestions scheme continued to operate in 2005, with approximately 800
suggestions that brought considerable benefits to the Organisation. Six
suggestions, leading to financial benefits in excess of £350.000, brought CYTA
international distinction in the form of two gold certificates, three silver
certificates and one bronze.
In addition, more than
30% of the Organisation’s personnel received training in the Continuous
Improvement Methodology, based on the principles of Total Quality Management.
Thanks to this methodology, several important procedures of the Organisation
improved drastically.
RESEARCH AND
DEVELOPMENT
During 2005, CYTA participated in a number of national
and European research and development programme.
We are a shareholder in
EURESCOM, which deals exclusively with research programme in the
telecommunications sector. In January 2005 we successfully completed our
participation in the CENTS (Cost-Effective migration to FTTx-Networks for
Tomorrow’s Services) project which aims to help operators further upgrade their
access networks into Next Generation Optical Access Networks. In December 2005,
CYTA completed seven years of successful participation in EURESCOM.
CYTA is also a founder
and active board member of the Cyprus Research Academic Network, which supports
the creation and management of a network for the provision of high quality
services, aiming at the promotion, development and support of research and
academic activities in Cyprus.
Our collaboration with
academic and other research institutions extended into several sectors during
2005:
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We provided the DITIS
research project with telecommunications infrastructure and services as part
of efforts to implement a telematic system for the needs of cancer patients in
Cyprus, starting with the Pancyprian Association of Cancer Patients and
Friends database.
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We supported, through
the provision of telecommunications services and equipment, the needs of tele-medicine
research applications. This research aims at the utilisation of the General
Packet Radio Service (GPRS) platform/network in the field of emergency
orthopaedics and is expected to be utilised by Cyprus hospitals under the
auspices of the Ministry of Health.
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We participated in
three projects (DITIS II, VIDEO and LOCATE) financed by the Cyprus Research
Promotion Foundation. These projects deal respectively with telematics for
cancer patients, the distribution of video services via GPRS/UMTS and
algorithms for the provision of location-based services.
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Under the 6th Framework
Programme of the European Union (EU), IST sector, we participated in the ALIPRO
project. ALIPRO supports the alignment of national and regional research
programme of the new EU member states with the EU’s strategy regarding IST where
research into mobile technologies, applications and services is concerned.
CYTA operates an
incentives scheme in order to encourage the voluntary participation of its
employees in research and development projects, offering participants a
percentage of the total funding secured for each project.
 INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY
By utilising the capabilities that information and
communication technologies offer, we strive to enhance the quality of life and
productivity of our customers, through the smart, state-of-the-art services that
we offer.
During 2005, information technology-enabled solutions and
services empowered our customers with new, smart, electronic communications
capabilities. These services have transformed ordinary, widespread devices such
as the telephone, the computer or even the television into ubiquitous tools via
which customer needs for services such as instantaneous information provision
are satisfied. Examples include the provision of SMS capabilities via the
Cytamobile-Vodafone mobile services portal, customised "smart" infotainment via
miVision and Vodafone live!, as well as the CYTA e-bill service that
enables online information/administration of CYTA services.
At the same time, we continued to administer and to further
develop the largest intra-organisational computer network in Cyprus in terms of
size, capacity, portfolio and complexity of supported applications. This network
is used to support and, through innovation, to continuously improve the
enterprise processes in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. During 2005, this
network was further extended to reach our partners, allowing them seamless
access to our rich portfolio of applications, irrespective of time-of-access and
access-location. This, in turn, enabled a notable improvement in our overall
organisational effectiveness and efficiency, thus making the Organisation more
convenient for our partners but, most importantly, for our valued customers to
do business with.
FRAUD
CONTROL/INFORMATION SECURITY
CYTA takes preventive measures in order to
minimise telecommunications fraud, an international phenomenon that is
increasing at an alarming rate. Our fraud investigations team uses specialised
technology to detect fraud and carry out fraud investigations, in co-operation
with other CYTA departments as well as the public and private sector.
CYTA organises regular
internal and external educational seminars and informative presentations on this
topic, with the aim of creating awareness among its personnel as well as
alerting and protecting its customers and partners.
In general, we at CYTA
fully recognise the importance of security regarding telecommunications networks
and services. We believe that our ability to provide both security and quality
gives the Organisation a clear competitive advantage.
FINANCIAL MATTERS
During 2005, CYTA developed state-of-the-art
financial processes and procedures and the results were used as a basis for
establishing and monitoring the implementation of the Organisation’s strategic
plan.
Financial management is
being enhanced continuously and stretches beyond cutting edge methodologies for
costing and billing products and services, the preparation of financial
statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, the
equitable management of reserves and proper budgetary control. Our aim is to
achieve constant improvements in our communications with customers as well as to
provide better quality services to customers, while at the same time ensuring
compliance with all laws and regulations, including those required by the Office
of the Commissioner of Electronic Communications and Postal Regulation.
A milestone for 2005 has
been the results of the examination carried out by the consultants representing
the Office of the Commissioner of Electronic Communications and Postal
Regulation, according to which the system and methodology implemented by CYTA in
costing its products has been identified as reliable and accurate in allocating
the elements of cost to the corresponding services.
Acknowledging the value
of time in contemporary life, we introduced the facility of establishing a
direct debit on a single consolidated bill. In this way, we enable customers to
settle their monthly bills for all of their telecommunication services by one
direct debit. At the same time, given the importance of electronic
communications to customer convenience, we proceeded to provide online
analytical information with respect to bill details via our CYTA e-bill service.
This service is to be upgraded shortly into a more customer-friendly bill
settlement facility.
REGULATORY AFFAIRS
Regarding the regulation of the telecommunications market, CYTA, in
collaboration with the telecommunications organisations of Malta and Luxembourg,
proceeded in 2005 with the preparation of a study of the application of the new
regulatory framework in very small member states. The conclusions of the study
were presented to the relevant authorities in the three countries and to the
European Commission in Brussels. CYTA also took part in public consultations on
market analysis and completed important work, such as the preparation and
publication of the Offer for Local Loop Unbundling.
SUPPORT SERVICES
The Organisation’s smooth operation depends mainly on the
efficient and integrated management of its infrastructure which includes land,
buildings and vehicles as well as security systems, fire safety and guarding
services.
During 2005, we
continued to plan new buildings and to upgrade existing buildings throughout
Cyprus. We completed preliminary drawings for the new Larnaka Head Offices and
the IT building as well as planning for the renovation of the Personnel Services
Building and the upgrading of the CYTA amphitheatre. We also finalised the
design of the new Ammochostos (Famagusta) Regional Offices and the project moved to the
tendering phase. Planning permission for the new Stores at Dhali was granted
during the year and the design for the seismic
upgrading of most of our buildings was almost concluded. The plant room and the
car park at the Lefkosia (Nicosia) Head Offices were
 completed.
In addition, the installation of parking canopies over staffed buildings is well
under way. Considerable progress was made on the renovation of CYTA’s Regional
Offices in Lemesos (Limassol) and the project is currently near completion. Finally, we
renovated cytashops in Strovolos and Paralimni and they now operate on a
completely revised concept. This renovation will gradually cover all cytashops
in Cyprus.
In 2005, we implemented
the first phase of the Integrated Electromechanical Equipment Management System
(IEEMS) for the monitoring of electromechanical equipment all over the island.
On completion of the IEEMS project, the reliability of our energy supply systems
and the energy profile of our telecommunications stations are expected to show
substantial improvements, resulting in significant energy saving.
Furthermore, within the
framework of CYTA’s environmental protection policy, we purchased 135 new motor
vehicles of several types and withdrew 70 old ones from our fleet, aiming mainly
at diminishing polluting emissions and reducing fuel consumption.
As far as the security
of CYTA’s premises is concerned, the Pancyprian Security System was further
expanded in accordance with the relevant plan. Security measures at cytashops
were further upgraded, as was the guarding of our buildings. The Organisation’s cooperation with the Police Force continued.
The execution of drills,
in accordance with CYTA’s Civil Defence Plans, are considered to be of great
importance.
MATERIALS MANAGEMENT
SERVICES
The storage and management of materials/equipment
continued satisfactorily during 2005.
The assignment to two
separate contractors of the processes of customs clearance for
materials/equipment imported, and the dispatch to suppliers abroad of materials
for repair, resulted in further reductions to both costs and to the time
required to serve CYTA’s various departments.
NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
CYTA participates actively in the procedures and
activities of major international telecommunications organisations. The
Organisation is represented on various working groups and at conferences
organised by these bodies, in order to monitor technological and other
developments in the field of telecommunications.
The main international
organisations of which CYTA is a member are the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU) and the Association of European Telecommunications Network Operators
(ETNO). CYTA is also a founder member of ETIS (the Global IT Association for
Telecommunications) and an active member of the Commonwealth
Telecommunications Organisation (CTO).
In 2005 we supported and
also co-organised a number of congresses, meetings and seminars with various
external collaborators and associates with the ultimate goal of promoting our
Organisation’s services and its corporate image.
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