Interview with Ambassador Mr. Josep M. Lloveras, Head of the Delegation of the European Commission in the Republic of Serbia

Computer literacy - vital element to attract potential foreign investors

Priority of the European Commission Delegation in the Republic of Serbia is to assist the progress and reforms necessary to create a path for successful conclusion of the Stabilization and Association Agreement. The European Commission and its Delegation in Belgrade work every day to accompany and support this development and the necessary reforms, as identified in the European Partnership, through the European Community’s Assistance instruments. Following the introduction of the Instrument of Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) in 2007, the Delegation has been put in charge of managing financial assistance programmes, which are supporting Serbian reforms, a task since 2000 implemented by the European Agency for Reconstruction (EAR) with the CARDS funds.

14th Congress JISA DICG Successfully Held

More than 70 presentations of regional information achievements in various fields of economy and non-economy were presented from 7 to 13 June at the hotel Plaza in Herceg Novi. Magnificent ambience, plenty ideas, high-spirited participants and beautiful weather, adorned this year’s Congress JISA DICG.
Since JISA – Union of ICT Societies of Serbia and DICG – Informatics Association of Montenegro have decided together to continue the tradition of Congress JISA in early June in Herceg Novi, this manifestation each year becomes more important as a central place of exchanging the achievements in the field of applying information and telecommunication technologies in the region of ex-Yugoslav republics. Congress, together with president of JISA, Mr. Dukic, was also opened by the welcome speech of president of the Croatian Information Technology Society, Mr. Mladen Glasenhard, pointing out the fact of larger-scale exchanges and joint action of companies from ex-Yugoslavia in the field of information and telecommunication technologies.

SEFICT

THE SEE REGION COULD MAKE ITS OWN BRAND

Marvellous ambient of the hotel Excelsior, one of the most beautiful ones in Dubrovnik,  gathered this year a significant number of speakers for the South East Europe Forum for Information and Communication Technologies - SEFICT. Besides representatives-founders of all ex-Yugoslav republics, at this year's Forum, a great interest of representatives from Denmark, Austria, France, Bulgaria and even Palestine was obvious.

European Expectations

If you ask an experienced European Business Executive, what is the most important issue that an innovative ICT provider should have today in the turbulent world crises, he will probably mention a good reputation and image - heavily supported by a thorough international business plan, taking off in a brilliant idea. At least 72% in a recent study indicated this. Branding, Visions and Uniqueness must be the three key words in today’s global game when international ICT companies want to break into Fortress Europe.

SBS

Data Storage in its Best

SBS Storage Solution Center, unique in the region by its equipment, modernity and capacities, has attracted the attention of a giant in the production of hardware and software for data storage. Therefore, on 9 June at the premises of SBS, a meeting "The Best Of" was held. At this gathering, representatives of four foreign companies - IBM, LSI, Brocade and VMware- talked about their products for data storage.

USAID

Court Judgment Enforcement in Serbia - Priority Reform Required

Conforming to European Standards for Judgment Enforcement is Essential for Serbia to Compete in the International Market.

In recent years, Serbia has been engaged in widespread initiatives to strengthen various aspects of its judicial system in line with European standards.  One area requiring immediate attention is the Serbian system for enforcing court judgments, which presently functions at a success rate far below those of other European countries, as well as many of its neighbours in the region.

Adjustment to International Standards and Procedures, and Application of Standards in Everyday Business of MDS Informaticki Inzenjering.

Today's global business imposes certain guidelines and rules of conduct on the open market. If companies did not follow these rules, there would be frauds, and crashes on the market, misunderstands the business culture of companies, unhealthy competition and all that prevents the normal functioning of free market. The world multinational companies that have realized the necessity of standardization of business processes and documents in their everyday business primarily accepted this fact.

TELEKOM

Action “education!”: 80% of primary and secondary schools in Serbia got the Internet connection
Networking of Schools in its Final Stage!
Due to the company MDS that donated 15 computers to Primary School “Borislav Pekic”, Economic Chamber of Belgrade that donated 10 computers to Primary School “22nd October” and Telekom Serbia that introduced free broadband Internet access in both schools, their students celebrated the ending of school year in new information classrooms.

FON AND COCA-COLA

Coca-Cola Hellenic Devoted to Education and Development of Young Staff

Professional Practice in Coca-Cola Hellenic

At the beginning of June, the company Coca-Cola Hellenic Serbia and Faculty of Organizational Sciences legalized their strategic partnership and signed a Memorandum on Cooperation. Besides the Dean and representatives of the company, Mladjan Dinkic, Minister of Economy and Regional Development in the Government of the Republic of Serbia, Snezana Samardzic Markovic, Minister of Youth and Sports in the Government of the Republic of Serbia and Professor Dr. Branko Kovacevic, Rector of the Belgrade University, attended the signing of this Memorandum.

SAP

Strategies for Success in the New Reality

SAP Company and Economist Media Group organized a conference “Strategies for Success in the New Reality” which was held at Terazije theatre in Belgrade on June 2nd. The Conference was organized as a part of the “SAP World Tour 09” project, through which SAP helps companies around the world to improve their business by sharing knowledge and experiences.
The main topic of the conference was how to improve business, reduce costs and increase efficiency in companies in face of the global economic crisis in order to preserve domestic economy and so that the companies can be prepared for a new economic boost.

SAP

Performing live in theatre

Danica Popovic, full professor at the Faculty of Economics in Belgrade and member of the Center for Liberal and Democratic Studies, spoke about the economic situation in Serbia and the consequences of the world economic crisis on the Serbian economy, the relationship between Serbia, IMF, and the World bank, as well as about the measures our government is undertaking in order to help the recovery of economy.

TELEKOM Family

Family Plus - Internet, Fixed and Mobile Telephony in One Package

Telekom Serbia has introduced a novelty in the Serbian market  - Family plus communication package, which for the first time, combines Internet, mobile and fixed telephony, thus provides a significant monthly cost savings for each household. Family Plus package allows the user to network at least two post-paid mobile numbers and fixed line from the national numbering into a single group, in which the price of mutual calls amounts zero dinars per minute. A special feature is a monthly subscription for the first two selected mobile lines, which is only one dinar (without VAT and taxes on the use of mobile phones).

TELEKOM, InoCall PLUS

International Calls Dialled from Home for 4,8 din/min
As always, this time also, while designing a new service, Telekom Serbia has endeavoured to offer the users both quality and possibility of savings in time and money. In fact, many users of fixed telephony, who see the international calls as a significant expense that will burden their home extra, now, in this respect, may be much more relaxed.

NPS

The Right Time for ERP

The topic of this issue, “Adjustment to the European standards aiming at doing business in the international market", attracted the IT company’s NPS attention perhaps right because, each time when reporting on its activities, we were describing its products and services offered with the attribute "standard". After very quick agreement, we rushed for a standard pleasant conversation in their new (but in fact old) premises in New Belgrade. Our interlocutors were the executive director Vladan Petrovic and technical director Miroslav Jovkovic. For understandable reasons, our first question was:
Why does your company find this topic interesting?

TELEGROUP

Motorola is There to Help

At the end of May, a distinguished guest from the partner company that few people have not heard of, Motorola, visited a Belgrade company TeleGroup. It was Stuart Broome, Senior director of wireless broadband transmission group, responsible for Europe, Middle East and Africa, based in Basingstoke in the UK.
In accordance with topic of this issue, in which we mostly write about our adjustment to the European standards aiming at doing business in the international market, instead of talking about cooperation between two companies - in what kind of partnership they are, which Motora programs they have successfully launched in the domestic market, what they future plans are  regarding wireless and broadband technologies, etc - we chose a different approach. From our interlocutor, we have tried to learn more about Motorola possibilities to help us on our way to the European Union, since it is the world leader in the field of wireless broadband connections, which not only follows the European and world standards, but also dictates them.

CEED

3rd Regional Conference “Connect, innovate and grow: How collaboration can help drive growth in these challenging times.
Center for Entrepreneurship and Executive Development (CEED) held its 3rd Regional Conference “Connect, innovate and grow: How collaboration can help drive growth in these challenging times“, on June 5th 2009, in Hotel Zira. Conference gathered more than 150 entrepreneurs from the entire region, representatives of Governmental Institutions and other respected guests.

SIEMENS

Winners of the Competition Create the Future 2009 Announced

Formal declaration of the winners of this year’s competition Create the Future 2009, held on 22 May 2009 in the business center of Siemens Ltd. Belgrade, besides all the nominated teams of primary and secondary schools,  members of professional, student and journalist juries, was also attended by Ms. Radmila Hrustanovic, Deputy Mayor of Belgrade, Ms. Dragica Moro, Deputy Secretary for Education and Mr. Bojan Ristic, head of the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Serbia.
This year, 418 teams of primary and secondary schools throughout Serbia applied for the competition, while 116 teams submitted completed presentation. 61 teams were from elementary schools and 55 teams from secondary schools.

INFOARENA

First SEE Telekom Arena Belgrade 2009
The first SEE Telecom Arena Belgrade, a conference on electronic communications, took place on June 2 and 3 in the hotel Hyatt in Belgrade.
Jasna Matic, Minister of Telecommunications and Information Society of the Republic of Serbia, opened the conference with the presence of representatives of Republic Telecommunication Agency, the Republic Institute for Informatics and the Internet, as well as representatives of mobile and fixed telephony operators in Serbia and other participants.

TELSEY

Zone Flex in CEE Region

INKUBATOR ZRENJANIN

Innovative Web Service – Create Your Website within Coffee Break

The main goal of the Business Incubators like in Zrenjanin is to support small and start-up enterprises. In the spirit of that role, Business Incubatior in Zrenjanin provides consulting support to a small business called “Human Vision” which is a company based on developing web solutions and services. After the first year work with the support of the incubator, we can proudly present an innovative web service called Internet ID. Internet ID offers an easy way for SME’s to present themselves on the internet. The project was developed by Predrag Kolakovic, and Endre Zonai and monitored by prof. Dr Duro Kutlaca.