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Management
With the aim of safeguarding the interests of
our personnel, we implemented flexible Human
Resource Management Systems. Furthermore, we
proceeded to employ the services of an
Occupational Physician and to set up an in-house
Professional Health Centre that will come into
operation in 2008. We continued to promote the
welfare of our employees through the provision
of the services of a Social Worker as well as
cultural and social events. Also, in 2007 we
held the first Health, Beauty and Professional
Appearance seminar aimed at all members of the
Organisation’s personnel and their families.
Demonstrating in practice the importance we
place on the continuous training and development
of our human resources, we encouraged members of
staff to participate in fully-subsidised
training programmes, both in Cyprus and abroad.
In the area of quality, following an
independent assessment by the European
Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), CYTA
succeeded in achieving a five-star “Recognised
for Excellence” ranking, the first and only
Cypriot enterprise to be so recognised. There
was also more significant success for the
idea.click Staff Suggestions Scheme in 2007.
In the field of Information Technology, we
made full use of the potential offered by
state-of-the-art technology and proceeded to
introduce systems and interfaces to provide
advanced Convergence Services. Additionally, we
developed user-friendly tools which enable our
customers to personalise our products according
to their own needs. Via the Internet or a mobile
phone, customers can easily differentiate our
services, activate and deactivate facilities,
check their account, etc.
As a member of various
international telecommunications organisations,
CYTA was active in various working groups and
conferences, either representing Cyprus or
itself. These organisations include the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU),
the Association of European Telecommunications
Network Operators (ETNO) and the Commonwealth
Telecommunications Organisation (CTO).
Human Resources
Human capital is the most valuable resource of
every enterprise. This applies even more so to
CYTA, considering the extremely competitive and
changing environment in which we have been
operating in recent years. The strengthening and
optimum use of our personnel through the
implementation of flexible Human Resource
Management Systems and their continuing
development is a strategic goal.
In the context of protecting and promoting good
health among personnel, in 2007 CYTA introduced
the institution of Occupational Physician and
began a process that will lead to the setting up
of an in-house Professional Health Centre during
2008. We also installed automatic external
defibrillators in all our staffed buildings,
making CYTA a pioneer in this field.
We continued to support the welfare of our staff
through the provision of the services of a
Social Worker and of cultural and social events.
At the same time, various annual staff social
and financial support programmes continued to
operate.
Furthermore, we continued to implement
teleworking for employees facing particular
problems and we expanded the implementation of
flexitime, in conjunction with the Electronic
Timekeeping System.
 In
2007, the first Health, Beauty and Professional
Appearance seminar, aimed at all members of the
Organisation’s personnel and their families, was
a great success.
The continuous training and development of human
resources is an area on which we place great
importance and we show this in practice by
encouraging members of staff to participate in
fully-subsidised training programmes, both in
Cyprus and abroad. The average number of
training days per employee, which was 3,73 in
2007, and average training expenditure as a
percentage of payroll (2,7%) compare favourably
with the relative indicators of other successful
international organisations. In total, some 67%
of CYTA personnel participated in training
programmes. In the context of promoting new
staff development methods, we began to introduce
others such as online learning.
As a strong supporter of life-long learning,
during 2007 CYTA granted scholarships to a
number of staff members to participate on a
part-time basis in work-related academic
programmes. Specifically, eight scholarships
were granted for the successful completion of a
Master in Business Administration (MBA) degree,
one for a postgraduate Electrical Engineering
qualification and nine for the Higher Diploma in
Telecommunications & Information Technology.
Maintaining good industrial relations was a
crucial factor in our success during the year
under review. This was helped by the mutually
agreed solutions that were applied to various
internal problems that arose. At the same time,
negotiations with the unions on the renewal of
the Collective Agreement (2004-2006) were
concluded and implementation of the agreement is
in its final stages.
Following a decision in 2006 to recruit
hourly-paid staff, this concept was fully
adopted by the Organisation in 2007 with the
completion of recruitment procedures for
hourly-paid Call Centre Assistants and Sales
Assistants. The procedure included, among other
things, a written examination and an
oral/practical examination. For the Call Centre
Assistant posts there was also a telephone
examination while recruitment for the Sales
Assistant positions included a role- playing
exercise.
This institution proved to be especially
appealing to the Cyprus labour market and the
number of applications for each type of position
was particularly high, in excess of 900. Today,
the Call Centres (11892, broadband services) are
mainly staffed by hourly-paid Call Centre
Assistants while in 2008 all cytashop tills will
be staffed by hourly-paid Assistant Cashiers. At
the same time, provisions were drawn up in the
Staff Regulations to allow the recruitment of
hourly-paid staff in other areas, including
cleaners, messengers, labourers and other blue
collar workers.
Communications Policy
The basic objective of our communications policy
in 2007 was to build on and enhance CYTA’s
Corporate Identity and Image. This policy is
reflected in our repositioning in the market as
"the leading provider
of Total Electronic Communications
which gives people freedom of choice
about how and how much they interact with the
world".
This positioning stems from our new brand
management strategy which was completed
following a series of studies, workshops and
market surveys within and outside the
Organisation. The strategy defines CYTA’s vision
and mission, the principles and values that
govern us and the communications policies we
follow.
As an Organisation we face competition on a
daily basis, mainly in the form of low prices.
Our approach is based on our reliability and the
fact that we are an integral part of consumers’
daily lives via the total electronic
communications solutions that we provide.
In 2007 we continued with the gradual
harmonisation of all our brand’s touch points
with our new strategy and values, at the level
of external communications and consumer
experience and within the Organisation itself.
At the same time, design work continued on the
graphic applications of CYTA’s rejuvenated
visual identity and image, which will be
completed during 2008.
With integrated brand management as our aim, we
proceeded to implement a series of pioneering
market surveys for the measuring and constant
monitoring of our brand value/performance. The
results of the surveys will be an important tool
in the hands of the Organisation’s Management
and Board when it comes to decision-making and
corrective action, mainly of a commercial
nature.
These surveys, revealed that in the new
competitive and, at the same time, regulated
environment in which we operate, a strong brand
can affect consumer preferences to a great
extent and can win over hearts and minds in the
long term. With this in mind, we shall continue
to invest in our brand so as to reinforce it
even more as we look forward to the prospect of
our Organisation’s continued success.
Media Relations
With the aim of providing timely and reliable
information to the public, regular Press
Releases in Greek and English were issued and
distributed to the media during 2007. Senior
officials of the Organisation and CYTA’s Press
Officer participated in radio and television
interviews and discussions, and interviews were
given to the press. Articles concerning the
Organisation were published, press conferences
were held and information campaigns were
undertaken on various issues.
 Participation
in the Cyprus International Fair
Our participation in
the 32nd Cyprus International Fair was extremely
successful and created a very positive
impression on visitors. Under the banner
"CYTALIVE – CYTA a leading
player", our
Organisation not only provided information on
the latest developments in electronic
communications but offered a number of surprises
and special offers as well as entertainment and
fun. The main innovation in CYTA’s 2007 pavilion
was the staging of a mini-play in which
technology and humour had the main roles. The
public had an opportunity to discover more about
the full range of the Organisation’s products
and services, including fixed telephony,
Cytamobile-Vodafone, CYTANET, i-choice,
miVision, the directories service and CYTA’s
subsidiaries Emporion Plaza (the online store)
and CytaCom Solutions (integrated electronic
communications solutions). It should be noted
that CYTA participated not only as an exhibitor
but also as Official Sponsor of the biggest
commercial event in Cyprus, organised by the
State Fairs Authority.
"Telecommunications
Street"
During 2007 we continued to publish CYTA’s
monthly newsletter Telecommunications Street
which is distributed to all present and retired
members of staff and to outside recipients
including representatives of the media.
Websites
Our benchmark
corporate website www.cyta.com.cy is
modern and functional, providing easy navigation
for obtaining information. The home page
provides access to other useful CYTA sites such
as the cytawebshop online store,
Cytamobile-Vodafone, CYTA e-bill, the Yellow
Pages and the White Pages as well as those of
its subsidiaries. Visitors may also obtain
information about our Organisation, cytashops,
our products and services, Calls for Tenders,
Annual Reports, an archive of issues of
Telecommunications Street and Press
Releases.
Within the Organisation we
operate our own intranet, which has been
upgraded to an Intranet Portal and is 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 CYTA’s broader environmental policy.
Quality Issues
In the area
of quality, following an independent assessment
by the European Foundation for Quality
Management (EFQM), CYTA succeeded in achieving a
five-star "Recognised
for Excellence"
ranking, the first and only Cypriot enterprise
to be so recognised. The EFQM model is the
formula to which an enterprise aspires in order
to achieve excellence. In 2007 we announced an
internal EQFM self-assessment competition for
the CYTA Excellence Award. The year ended with
our submission of an application to the EQFM for
the European Excellence Award 2008.
There were significant
successes for the idea.click Staff Suggestions
Scheme in 2007. A total of 746 suggestions were
submitted, five of which benefited the
Organisation with revenue of €185.810
(£108.750). CYTA also successfully took part in
an international ideas competition.
Software
Development
With the aim of providing customers with new
opportunities for smart, enjoyable and
innovative electronic solutions and experiences,
as well as high-quality communications, we
upgraded our internal processes in order to
support and develop systems to increase our
personnel’s output, efficiency and productivity.
Taking full advantage of the potential of
state-of-the-art technology, we proceeded to
introduce systems and interfaces with the aim of
providing advanced Convergence
Services. These services enable all
customers to enjoy the same services and
communication facilities irrespective of whether
they are using a mobile or fixed telephone or
even their miVision digital TV.
Aiming to fully satisfy the requirements of our
modern society, we developed user-friendly tools
which enable customers to personalise our
products according to their own needs. Via the
Internet or a mobile phone, customers can easily
differentiate our services, activate and
deactivate facilities, check their account and
much more.
As yet another contribution to society as a
whole, CYTA developed a specialised application
enabling the Cyprus Police to implement the
European directive on a GIS-based system for the
immediate identification of a person’s location
when making an emergency call for assistance.
Financial Issues
CYTA’s strategic choices have an immediate
effect on its value. This is why strategic
decision-making must always be based on the
Organisation’s financial situation. CYTA
implements state-of-the-art financial
methodologies and applies internationally
accepted practices during the study of strategic
plans and new processes so that any decision
contributes to raising our Organisation’s value.
We have ensured the preparation of financial
statements in accordance with International
Financial Reporting Standards, the equitable
management of reserves and proper budgetary
control as well as the correct costing and
billing of products.
One standout project of 2007 refers to the
Organisation’s preparation for a smooth
transition to the euro, which involved the
continuity of operations and services to
customers without interruption. This ambitious
project was a challenge to us all, since it
involved the transition of dozens of production
platforms, hundreds of information systems and
thousands of processes.
Our unwavering aim and commitment is to
introduce services and facilities that we know
will contribute to improving the lives of our
customers, given the pace of life today and the
demands that it creates. Such services include
enabling customers to settle bills for all their
services via a single direct debit which needs
to be set up only once but covers all present
and future CYTA services, and the continuous
upgrading of electronic customer service via a
variety of channels.
In the context of CYTA’s commitment to
compliance with the directives of the
Commissioner of Electronic Communications and
Postal Regulation, we took all necessary
measures in 2007 to ensure the application of
all relevant decisions.
Regulatory Affairs
During 2007, CYTA
participated in public consultations on market
analysis and completed important work such as
the preparation and publication of CYTA's
offers for Wholesale
Services.
Support Infrastructure
The Organisation’s smooth operation depends
substantially on the most efficient integrated
management of its infrastructure which includes
land, buildings, vehicles and machinery as well
as security and fire safety systems and guarding
services.
 During
2007, we continued to plan new buildings and to
upgrade and extend existing buildings all over
Cyprus. We submitted planning permission
applications for the renovation/upgrading of the
old Electra building and for the new IT
building. We completed preliminary drawings for
the renovation of the Personnel Services
building and reached the final stages of a study
for the Organisation’s Head Offices in Lefkosia
(Nicosia). We began the
renovation and seismic upgrading of the
Lakatamia building and the upgrading of the
Lefkosia (Nicosia)
Head Offices amphitheatre.
Construction work continued on the new
Ammochostos (Famagusta)
district office and on the upgrading/expansion
of the Aglandjia offices. In the framework of
the ongoing islandwide cytashop renovation
project, work was completed on the Omonia,
Lemesos (Limassol) and
Polis Chrysochous cytashops.
During the year under review we continued to
work on the full operation of the Integrated
Electromechanical Equipment Management System.
Once completed, the system will contribute
significantly towards improving the reliability
of the power supply equipment and climate
control systems which support CYTA’s
telecommunications equipment, resulting
immediately in significant energy savings. We
also continued to replace old, inefficient
vehicles with new generation ones that comply
with the latest EU directives on carbon dioxide
emissions. We also proceeded to replace a large
number of old batteries, generators and
rectifiers with the aim of further improving the
reliability of DC power supply equipment and, by
extension, of the services that we provide.
During 2007 we continued to expand the
Pancyprian Security System with the installation
of new electronic access monitoring points in
buildings and other premises, and points for the
Electronic Timekeeping System, while
implementation began on a Trespassing Detection
subsystem. Furthermore, automatic fire detection
systems were installed in important buildings.
We further upgraded our cytashop security
systems and the guarding of the Organisation’s
buildings and we continued our cooperation with
the police. We consider the execution of drills
at all our manned buildings, in accordance with
CYTA’s Civil Defence Plans, to be extremely
important.
Materials Management
The placement and handling of
orders and the management of contracts for the
timely supply of materials and equipment
continued in 2007. Furthermore, the
Organisation’s Central Stores continued to send
materials and equipment abroad for repairs, to
receive and store materials and equipment and to
distribute them to various sites.
With the aim of improving productivity and
reducing operating costs, a private firm was
appointed to draw up a study for the
reorganisation of the entire supply chain and
the modernisation of the stores through the
introduction of modern storage systems and the
use of asset management software.
International Relations
CYTA actively participates in the procedures and
activities of the major international
telecommunications organisations of which it is
a member and is represented in various working
groups and conferences organised by these
bodies. It is thus in a position to monitor and
implement technological and other developments
in the field of telecommunications.
Cyprus is a member of the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU), a United Nations
body, and CYTA closely monitors its activities
and implements all the recommendations of the
ITU and its related sectors such as the
Telecommunication Standardization Sector, the
Radiocommunication Sector and the
Telecommunication Development Sector.
Our Organisation is a founder member of the
Association of European Telecommunications
Network Operators (ETNO) which coordinates its
members’ activities regarding the promotion of
services and the use of networks in Europe.
Moreover, it determines a common policy for
members on telecommunications issues and submits
views and proposals to various European bodies,
mainly in the European Union, and to other
international organisations. CYTA personnel take
part in the working groups set up by ETNO
members such as the Competition Group and the
Data Protection Group.
CYTA is also a founder member of the Global IT
Association for Telecommunications (ETIS) and of
the European Telecommunications Standards
Institute (ETSI) in which it has national
administration membership and whose activities
it monitors closely. It is also an active member
of the Commonwealth Telecommunications
Organisation (CTO).
In the context of its Research and Development
activities, CYTA is a member of EURESCOM, an
organisation which deals exclusively with
research programmes in the telecommunications
sector.
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