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Telecommunications Street P.O.Box 24929, 1396 Nicosia Telephone: +357 22 701520 Telefax: +357 22 701185 e-mail: pr@cyta.com.cy |
Press Release: 5/2002 e-MINDER: Research and Development of Electronic Commerce in Cyprus
The European Program e-MINDER and its prospects were presented jointly by CYTA, the University of Cyprus and Virtual IT Ltd, during a press conference held on the 22nd of January 2002 in Nicosia. The Minister of Communications and Works Mr. Averof Neofytou addressed the conference.
The conference was opened by Professor Christos Schizas, from the University of Cyprus (Department of Computer Science) and member of the Board of CYTA, who in his speech set out the targets of the 5th Program-Framework for the Information Society Technologies of the European Commission. The e-MINDER is one of the funded programs of this Framework. The three main goals of the Framework are the establishment of the international role of European research, the promotion of innovation as well as the encouragement of small and medium size enterprises to participate in it and the improvement of human research potential and socio-economic knowledge. Special reference was made to the role Cyprus can play in the advancement of this technology, involving the University of Cyprus in the field of research, CYTA for its services and infrastructure and the small and medium size high-tech enterprises through Virtual IT Ltd.
The conference was then addressed by Mr Nicos Timotheou, General Manager of CYTA, who emphasised the strategic benefits of e-MINDER, which contributes to the establishment of electronic business and to the acquisition of knowledge as to how an enterprise could engage in electronic commerce. He also referred to the social and economic benefits that arise from the undertaking of the project and also from the cooperation itself both between Spain, Poland and Cyprus, which are participating in the e-MINDER program as well as between the three cooperating parties in Cyprus.
Finally Mr Andreas Hadjioannou, Managing Director of Virtual IT Ltd, presented the European program e-MINDER. He stressed, inter alia, that: "The targets of e-MINDER are to bridge the gap between the most and least developed regions of Europe as as far as the use and development of Electronic Commerce is concerned, to enhance knowledge in matters of implementation of technology, informatics and communication between the small and medium size enterprises and in the areas of education and professional training, to provide services to citizens and organisations in carrying out their transactions through Electronic Commerce and the establishment, by each one of the cooperating parties, of Competence Centres for the promotion of Electronic Commerce activities".
More information about e-MINDER can be found on the website www.e-minder.com.cy or through the customer service line 077-2020.
Public Relations Department
22 January 2002
