AGONY

Saleesha, the apple of her parents’ eyes and well-loved by all who knew her in the quiet village, was dressed all in white with a tiara, studded with glittering gemstones, adorning her little head. Both daughter and father appeared to be sleeping, with a peaceful look on their faces, little solace to those attending the funeral who knew of how they met their end.

Sometime between last week Thursday and Friday, little Saleesha, a first-year student of the Caparo Roman Catholic Primary School and Joseph were shot and killed at her mother’s home at Leekham Road in Mamoral. To date, their killer/s remain at large although a woman and five men were questioned by police before being released.

At the time of the murders, Bissoon was at work in a casino in Chaguanas.

Hundreds of villagers attended the service for Solomon and his daughter who was fondly called “mama” and who would have celebrated her sixth birthday on July 20. Police believe gunmen made Joseph, a labourer with the Forestry Division, kneel and watch as they shot Saleesha through her neck. He was then shot twice in the abdomen. Shortly after the service began and having viewed the bodies, Bissoon collapsed sobbing.

Relatives had to escort her from the service which was officiated by Pastor Wayne Thomas. The 22-yearold woman returned a short while later only to leave once again. Bissoon was found later, alone in the Mamoral public cemetery clutching her daughter’s peppa pig toy while sitting on mounds of dirt, beside a grave that was freshly dug for Saleesha. Peppa pig is the main character from a highly popular children’s cartoon series of the same name. It was Saleesha’s favourite television show. The Peppa pig doll was also her favourite toy. Weeping and rocking back and forth while clutching the doll, Bissoon fainted atop the mound of dirt.

A street procession followed the service during which villagers wore t-shirts bearing images of the murdered father and daughter.

Jamaican artiste Popcaan’s song Only Jah Know, blasted from music speakers. When the bodies arrived at the cemetery, mourners flocked to the coffins to get a final glimpse of “mama” and “poodle”. With the assistance of relatives, Bissoon went to view the body of her daughter.

“Mama! Mama! Allyuh look Mama,” she cried.

Next to the peppa pig doll placed inside the coffin, Bissoon also placed stuffed toys, flowers and Saleesha’s Nike Jordan sneakers.

Bissoon murmured words of endearment to Saleesha as the pastor performed the last rites. Both father and daughter were buried side by side.

Earlier during the service, Pastor Thomas offered prayers for the students and staff of Saleesha’s primary school saying no doubt they would have been left traumatised over the double murder. “Comfort their hearts. We pray for understanding and peace. We pray for an understanding heart that through this experience, the peace of God will guard their hearts,” Thomas prayed.

The pastor also prayed for all affected by the double murder and called on relatives to trust in God and live a life pleasing to Him. “We pray for their peace. We declare that fear may not be able to torment the family. We turn our eyes upon you, the great God and we ask for you to comfort us and allow your peace to continue to guard our hearts.” Police are yet to make an arrest and Homicide Bureau Region III detectives are continuing investigations.

Police and protocol: Lessons from Egypt

I was in the middle of Dubai when I was advised that a state of emergency was called in Egypt for a three- month period as a result of the terrorist attack in the city of Alexandria.

Naturally, there was some hesitation to continue the journey into Egypt. However, curiosity overcame fear, and my journey continued into the world’s only contiguous Afrasian nation. My first thought upon entry into the country, is that I anticipated a higher and more stringent security presence. However, I was later advised that the presence was there, but there was little need to cause more discomfort in arrivals.

Tourism is one of the most important sectors in Egypt’s economy. More than 12.8 million tourists visited Egypt in 2008, providing revenues of nearly $11 billion.

The tourism sector employs about 12% of Egypt’s workforce.

Tourism Minister Hisham Zaazou told industry professionals and reporters that tourism generated some $9.4 billion in 2012, a slight increase over the $9 billion seen in 2011.

[Wikipedia].

Though within the various roadways and entrances to the various tourist sites, the heightened security presence is visible and palpable, and visitors are required to produce identification before re-entry into various Cairo based hotels, one does not feel intimidated, nor unnerved by the protective services, nor does one feel any real threat, even in the wake of the recent terrorist attack.

Egyptologist, and professional tour guide, Hussien Abu El Ella, when asked about the balance between policing and protocol, stated that tourism in Egypt is a “big business.” “…. It (tourism) is one of our main income sources, so we have to take extra care of it. Egypt has a department in our police called Tourism Police. They are very professional men, highly trained in both protecting tourists, as well as ensuring they are treated in a good manner. These special police officers must learn and follow protocol, because we see every visitor to Egypt as a VIP.” Abu El Ella continued, “As a result of the increased security challenges over the years, the requirements for these special officers increased, and as a direct result, the impact has been that sometimes, tourists may have to wait a bit longer in lines, and you may see them with more firearms. However, they generally operate with an understanding that our visitors must feel both safe and comfortable.” I can certainly attest that I did feel safe and comfortable, even in the midst of the increased threat levels.

The state of emergency was not coupled with a ‘curfew’, nor were you in any way made to feel that your basic rights were being infringed.

Whilst certain clear measures were taken, any measure that may have been perceived as bringing discomfort was clearly articulated to ensure you understood the rationale and outcome. If, of course there were any language barriers, your tour official would provide the buffer.

Security services operate with an unwritten social compact. This undocumented, but understood contract between the public and the protective services demonstrates a collaboration between the two groups, where the protective service is expected to provide a measure of public protection and service, whilst the public is expected to do their part in providing the necessary support to the protective services to support them in getting their jobs done in an effective and efficient manner.

Kamla benefitted from no property tax

PNM supporters cheered as Rowley declared, “I own property and I will be in the forefront of paying the tax.” However, he said Persad-Bissessar and other Opposition parliamentarians who, “who took an oath to defend your interests, are out there asking you to disobey the law.” Condemning calls by Persad-Bissessar for citizens not to pay property tax and then promising to abolish it, if re-elected, Rowley quipped, “I think we have to ask her how much tax she paid on the mansion in Philippine for the last five years.”

“She led her Cabinet into giving amnesties from which she was a major beneficiary,” Rowley charged, saying if Persad-Bissessar had no desire to repeal the Property Tax Act when she had 29 seats in the House, she would not do so if re-elected. He said the Institute of Surveyors of TT, had stated in a document that property tax has been in existence in this country for the past 55 years.

Rowley added the Institute also said now was, “the most prudent time”, to implement the tax.

‘RACIAL DOG WHISTLE’ He said Opposition Senator Gerald Ramdeen was acting as, “A racial dog whistle”, trying to divide the population by race and geography on this issue. Rowley said the tax does not only affect property owners in United National Congress (UNC) held constituencies but, “it affects every owner of property across TT.” He said the PNM took an oath of office to uphold the law and, “the law applies to every (property) owner in TT.” Rowley was not surprised there was opposition to paying the tax. He said he has been personally lobbied by some not to implement the property tax and agreed with an observation made earlier in the meeting by Finance Minister Colm Imbert that, “too many people are getting away with paying taxes.” Dismissing property tax figures provided by the UNC, Rowley said the Surveyors’ Institute showed the calculation on certain properties in TT could result in monthly payments that in some cases could be, “less than a bottle of Carib.” Scoffing at St Augustine MP Prakash Ramadhar using his property in Florida to justify the Congress of the People’s (COP) ‘Axe The Tax’ campaign, Rowley said, “When they were in government they thought you were foolish. Now that they’re in opposition, they think you are the things with long ears.” He reminded supporters that deceased former prime minister Patrick Manning often observed that whatever the UNC says, “doesn’t have to make sense but they have to say something.” In this case, Rowley stated, “Some of what they’re saying is detrimental to the national well-being.” Rowley said 25 percent of households are classified as squatters. “The Prime Minister is not taxing anybody. It is the law that says you have to pay tax.” IT’S THE LAW “If you view yourself as an owner of property, the law applies to you.” Rowley said if squatters want to claim ownership to land they occupy, they should happily pay the tax, because it will cement their ownership.

Noting some people flip-flop on whether they own property or not, Rowley said, “You can’t be fish and fowl.” He explained that Housing Development Corporation (HDC) tenants do not pay property tax but people who take out a mortgage with the HDC are classified as property owners and must pay the tax.

Imbert disclosed that the 2011 Land and Building Taxes legislation (which lapsed under the PP) “had a provision in it that if if you don’t pay your land and building tax for one year, Government could forfeit your house.” In contrast, Imbert said the current Property Tax Act has a long procedure that spans a period of five years for property owners who are non compliant.

He explained that at the end of that procedure, the State can forfeit the property of an owner who fails to adhere to the law.

He reiterated that only 200,000 out of 400,000 households in the country are registered. “There are people with large houses who pay $100 a year in property tax because the rolls were never updated,” Imbert said. PNM supporters laughed when Imbert said he did an online search on the register of properties in Fort Lauderdale and found, “Prakash Ramadhar’s condo.” He added, “We have to start doing that in TT.”

Implementing Property Tax

Renewed interest in the property tax has led a number of countries to undertake major property tax reforms in recent years. Issues and challenges in implementation include determining what is included in the tax base, assessing properties, setting tax rates, and administering the property tax system.

No form of taxation is more dependent on administration than the property tax. How well property taxes are administered affects, not only their revenue, but also their equity and efficiency. Administrative issues include the capacity to administer the tax, manual rather than computerised functions; collection rates are low, and enforcement is almost non-existent. Even countries with relatively good property tax administration often have problems updating values on a regular basis.

The obvious question here is – are we equipped and ready – both on a resource and administrative level to implement property tax assessment and collection? Administration of the property tax can be sufficiently costly to be an obstacle to implementation. However, frequent valuations maintain the legitimacy of the tax and reduce the risk of sudden, dramatic shifts in tax burdens from large increases in assessed values. The costs associated with regular assessments and reassessments include computer software and support, training and availability of in-house staff, and training and availability of appraisers (Dornfest 2010). This high administrative cost has led to failure of implementation of the property tax in many countries.

Studies show that residents are more willing to pay property taxes when local services, such as roads and garbage collection, are adequate and efficient. Do we consider the fulfilment of local services adequate in Trinidad and Tobago? What about the fact that property tax does not reflect a real cash flow but rather an imputed one that may not necessarily reflect the owner’s current financial situation. What about the volatility of the debt which will be impacted by increases in the values of the property that is outside the control of the owner, such as those brought on by market forces? And possibly even by government policy itself? What if the government decides to build a school or hospital near to your home and therefore possibly raise your home’s market or rental value? In reality, “tax policy is the product of political decision making, with economic analysis playing only a minor supporting role” (Holcombe 1998). It seems generally essential to link the implementation of property tax to broader reforms in public sector management aimed at improving both public services and governance. This must be part of a wider policy that would gain some sort of economic benefit for the population.

The future of local property taxation in any country seems highly dependent on the role that governments are expected to play.

For example, implementation of local property tax, accompanied by changes in the transfer system to support and encourage accountability to citizens for the taxes they pay and the services they receive may be a more promising path. On the other hand, a simple attempt to implement property taxes with nothing else changing, pushed by a government trying to reduce its budget deficit by off-loading more fiscal responsibility on citizens, is unlikely to be received with much enthusiasm.

Stop stealing our artwork

Angst, anger and anxiety crowd your thoughts.

This may describe a familiar memory for artist Brianna McCarthy who found her original compositions screened onto fashion garments on sale in New York City without her consent.

Brilliant photographer Laura Ferreira can surely recall the dark moment when she defended her work across seas, after she observed her creative portrait plastered on marketing materials to promote and adorn a party for a celebrity rapper from Atlanta.

It’s apparent that too many graphics designers and event producers who sustain the culture of disregard for the value of creative work don’t consider this question.

The prevalence of such unscrupulous conduct in TT needs to be aggressively addressed because silence and #SMH are not solutions.

In the last three years, my photography has been pilfered and placed in a holiday message ad from a corporation, billboards in a political campaign, and recently in promotional materials for a Tobago show. The event producer recently expressed intent to settle the invoice for unauthorised use of my photography in an email he copied to his key sponsor, he reiterated the same intent in a parade of Facebook messages over the last 11 months, but still fails to do the right thing.

The pursuit of restitution is stressing, distracting and time-consuming, enough reason to defer to shovelling the grief into a distant memory.

In reality, stolen artwork is forever scarred by the experience of theft. That’s why restitution is mandatory for me. But it is equally valuable to educate and empower the next generation. Creatives must employ social media to dispense pointers and share our story as a cautionary tale to emerging talents.

It is important to one’s defence strategy with unscrupulous event producers to recognise event sponsors as an ally. When I advised Jet- Blue of the misuse of my photo in Miami Carnival marketing, their reply was swift, concerned and empathetic.

In contrast, providing solid proof of unethical conduct to the executive at Magdalena Grand Beach Resort, which sponsors and hosts Tobago Fashion Coda, garnered a slightly icy and distancing email.

A message on the Atlantic LNG website is inspiring and a marvelous steward for the stance all TT companies that attach their brand’s reputation to events should embrace: “It is essential that we protect Atlantic’s reputation through a strong culture of integrity and ethical conduct.

Each employee, contractor and business partner has a critical role in maintaining Atlantic’s reputation and applying the highest ethical standards in everything you do. Please ensure that you are familiar with Atlantic’s Code of Ethics and that you comply with them at all times.” — Nigel Darlow, CEO.

In the absence of union representation, organisations that claim the mandate to elevate and develop artists would be offering a valuable service by facilitating access to legal services suited to the financial limitations of many artists. Theft of artwork persists where culprits observe there’s no organised activism or intimidating presence to pursue restitution.

When we publicly denounce theft we provide motivation to fellow artists and may inspire government and private sector intervention to curb the disease of exploitation.

SEAN DRAKES via email

Cuffie: TT improves on World Press Freedom Index

Cuffie, in a release on Tuesday, commemorating World Press Freedom Day which was observed yesterday reported that the most recent installment of the World Press Freedom Index has seen Trinidad and Tobago jumping ten places from our 2016 position to be 34th out of 180 countries in 2017, “a far cry from 2012 when we occupied position 50.”

He said that this day, like every other celebration, it affords an opportunity for introspection and this year’s theme, “Critical Minds for Critical Times: Media’s Role in Advancing Peaceful and Inclusive Societies”, “is especially apropos, given the current state of affairs, locally, regionally and internationally.”

“The phenomenal rise in the use of social media has certainly contributed to a more knowledgeable citizenry.Perhaps unwittingly though, it has given free rein to those with less than noble intent to spread a level of misinformation or ‘alternative facts’, hate-inspired rhetoric and xenophobic hysteria that is unprecedented.”

Cuffie said that wholeheartedly concurs with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres who, in his message to mark the occasion, said that “a free press advances peace and justice for all” which can be achieved by the media “giving voice to a diversity of experiences, by conflict- sensitive professional reporting, by promoting mutual understanding in particular in societies that have become polarized by hate speech or antagonistic political discourse; by dispelling prejudice and by countering the spread of misinformation.”

Cuffie said that as a former journalist entrusted with the management of a news team, he is aware that there are occasions when the media could be found “guilty of not taking cognizance of the enormity of the challenges and responsibilities that we carry on our shoulders.”

“And so I encourage our news room heads, our editors, our reporters and talk show hosts, and our media house owners to accept in its totality, the sacred responsibility upon which they embark every day – to inform, inspire, educate and entertain. I am confident that the more we encourage critical minds to flourish unimpeded in these critical times, the more valuable would be our contribution to the growth and development of both the profession of journalism, and our beloved country.”

Property tax legislation now invalid

With an eye on brevity, this is the brief listing of the grounds: * Both Acts are dated for implementation beginning January 1, 2010, have lapsed and consequently lost their internal coherence, chronology and sequence of events by 2017, militating against legal and proper enforcement and in need of urgent judicial review.

* Previous property tax legislation has been prematurely repealed, establishing a legal vacuum or lacuna without any assessment rolls being compiled by the Commissioner of Valuation that is conditional for effective start-up.

* The May 22 deadline for owners of land to submit returns proclaimed by the Minister of Finance is a figment and fig leaf of his imagination without legal basis.

* Act No 18 is a violation of Sections 5 and 6 of the Constitution without being passed with the requisite constitutional majority.

* It is also an infringement of the constitutional rights to property ownership/possession and not to be deprived thereof, except by due process, as well as the right to privacy.

* Even if it complied with Sections 5 and 6 above, the Property Tax Act No 18 of December 31, 2009, is so draconian, oppressive, disruptive, unilateral and an unprecedented quantum and astronomical percentage deviation from the prevailing tax norm, and a denial of legitimate expectations, that it fails and would fail the test of proportionality in a democratic TT .

* The prevailing, adverse, regressive and plummeting socio-economic ecology will reinforce the applicability of the above-mentioned proportionality factor that can be upheld in and by a court of competent jurisdiction.

STEPHEN KANGAL Caroni

The bush fire threat

Since the beginning of this year, approximately 720 have been officially recorded.

Most bush fires are the result of fires that have been deliberately – though not maliciously – set. Sometimes things quickly go awry during a random activity. For example, an attempt to burn dry leaves and cuttings in a backyard, or to clear a plot for agricultural purposes, or discarding a cigarette butt; if done carelessly, any or all of these can lead to disastrous effects on people, property, communities and the environment on the whole.

Reports suggest that the Central and Northern Ranges have been hardest hit, with fire officers being called out regularly to fight blazes in those areas. Home-owners must shoulder some of the blame because necessary precautions are clearly not being taken before striking that match in the open.

It is against the law to set fires outdoors during the dry season. Strong winds can carry a spark several metres and ignite a dry blade of grass or even a tree. The result might be a blaze that engulfs acres of forest and vegetation, fruiting and flowering trees, wildlife, honey-producing bees, and, of course, as mentioned before – it might even threaten property and life.

Bush fires destroy the forest cover; the now exposed land becomes parched and hardened from direct sunlight.

When the rains eventually come, the water just runs off the cement-like surface, leading to widespread flooding.

Reforestation efforts are severely hampered, as well, because of the hardened earth. Consider the potential difficulties in planting food crops and how this can impact negatively upon the nation – in terms of the scarcity of some items or the cost.

With such far-reaching and dire consequences, one might expect that there would be dedicated resources for addressing this yearly challenge – an anticipated one at that. But, it is interesting to note that there is really no agency specifically resourced for addressing bush fires.

The Police, the Forestry Division, the Regional Corporations all assist from time to time, with the Fire Service naturally being the first responder. But there are still instances of less-than-satisfactory responses to callers when they attempt to lodge reports about bush fires.

The TT Chamber has noted the calls from several key community advocacy groups, for a dedicated agency to prevent and suppress wildfires. Those calls must not go unnoticed. Any such agency must be properly resourced with trained personnel, equipment and gear, all-terrain vehicles to negotiate specially developed and much-need access roads and much more. Far more effective awareness and public education is also required throughout the country.

Successful models exist worldwide, and the relevant authorities should move expeditiously to establish an entity to treat with this type of emergency – even while we foster a culture of precaution and prevention. In the interim and continuing, each of us must exercise caution and above all, obey the relevant laws of the land with respect to starting fires, particularly during the dry season.

State of global economy better than US Q1 numbers would suggest

The US economy grew at its weakest rate in three years. That seemed to result in a lack of confidence by the public, and a conservative attitude towards spending. The reading was that the weak Q1 numbers deal a blow to plans by Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin for growth of three percent or better.

But according to Reuters, the Q1 figures don’t tell the whole story.

“A surge in business investment and wage growth suggested activity would regain momentum as the year progresses. Wage growth in the first quarter was the fastest in ten years as the labour market nears full employment and business investment on equipment was the strongest since the third quarter of 2015.” Adds Reuters: “Also underscoring the economy’s underlying strength, consumer and business confidence are near multi-year highs.” This assessment is consistent with the general picture worldwide, as surveyed by ACCA, the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, and IMA, Institute of Management Accountants, in their Global Economic Conditions Survey (GECS). GECS is the largest regular economic survey of accountants around the world, in terms of number of respondents and the range of economic variables it monitors. There were 1,334 responses from ACCA and IMA members around the world, including more than 150 CFOs. The survey shows that global business confidence rebounded in the first quarter of 2017 and is now at its highest level since the second quarter of 2015. The world had looked a bit different six months ago when Donald Trump was elected.

Put into office on platform of heavy protectionism, with the Leave campaign triumphant in the UK in June, and the election of Marine Le Pen of the National Front a real possibility in France, policy in these three significantly sized markets seemed about to undergo major change.

But the mood is different now. The rate of growth of global trade (of all things) is the fastest it’s been since 2015. On domestic spending, the experts surveyed think that there’s a good chance that it could significantly increase in major European economies, as the unpopular but necessary-at-the-time austerity measures come to an end. They’re preparing to unband their bellies a little, even as we in Trinidad and Tobago tighten.

The survey reports clear signs of a synchronised and sustained recovery since 2011, and expects that to continue over the next two quarters. The other side of the US protectionist coin is tax cuts and spending.

So while there had been (and there still are to some extent) expectations of tightened trade, there are also expectations of increased infrastructural spending and tax cuts. Both have contributed to a buoyant business mood, even though little has actually materialised as policy.

Although there’s more glumness than cheer in the Caribbean, increased consumer confidence in the US generally portends good news for the region. If for example consumer spending picks up, some of those dollars would head to Caribbean destinations, at Fyre levels and below.

The Caribbean Tourism Organisation reported visitor numbers of 29.3 million in 2016, up 4.2 percent year on year. Belize, Turks and Caicos, Bermuda, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Cuba, Guyana, Grenada and Montserrat all recorded double digit increases from the US. Despites the struggles of other sectors of the economy, this is welcome good news for the Caribbean.

Public debt, for example, remains high, especially in the tourism-dependent economies. Since 2010, Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada and Jamaica (twice) have had to default on and restructure their debts. Only two countries in the Caribbean and Central America have successfully achieved a large debt reduction since 1990 without defaulting – Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago. Trinidad and Tobago is dealing with grim economic news of credit downgrades and the introduction of a new property tax, but it can take some comfort in this.

Cautionary tale, though. There are inflationary fears, with nearly half (46 percent) of firms reporting increasing costs as a cause for concern. Despite this, 22 percent are planning to create more jobs and raise capital expenditure, up from 16 percent and 14 percent respectively in the fourth quarter of last year. Despite the notes of caution, there are signs that the global economy is returning to some health after some tough years. The IMF is expecting global growth of 3.4 percent this year, the fastest rate since 2012.

Follow or ping me a response on twitter, @oringordon.

Why every business today should have an enterprise mobile strategy

Globally, 93% of young consumers aged 18 to 29 use their smartphones when they are bored; 67% of people use their smartphones for turn-by-turn navigation; nearly 80% of people said they would miss their smartphones more than their wallet; Dominoes gets an estimated 100 million pizzas ordered through smartphones every year; 82% of consumers with smartphones use them for in-store product research, and 1 in 10 of these customers end up buying a different product than originally planned as a result of that research; 45% of ecommerce sales are now made via mobile devices; and 40% of USA consumers will leave a competitor because of a bad mobile experience.

Put another way, 150 million emails are sent every 60 seconds; 430,000 tweets are sent every 60 seconds; and 300 hours of YouTube video are watched every 60 seconds. The significant rise in the use of mobile devices means that we are becoming a mobile first society where mobile devices have become a major part of how we function and social media applications have started to bleed into business. Companies need to keep up with this rapid change in the way business is now being conducted yet 85% of today’s companies have not deployed an enterprise mobile strategy.

Mitel, a global market leader in enterprise and mobile communications, is one of the technology partners that TSTT works with to deliver advanced enterprise communications solutions that meet the constantly evolving needs of TSTT’s customers. Stephanie Ford, Mitel’s Regional Sales Director for Southeastern US and Caribbean, and Phillip McDaniel, Mitel’s Director, Sales Engineering, participated in bmobile’s Technology Conference and Expo hosted in Trinidad earlier this year and discussed the emergence of the mobile first society and some of the enterprise mobile solutions available.

Ford and McDaniel indicated that the core of an enterprise mobile strategy is to allow everyday business and mobile communications, including voice, video, presence and chat, to become seamless across any device. In the mobile-first, cloud-enabled and millennialfocused world, users decide how they securely connect with the device of their choice, from anywhere and anytime, cutting the traditional ties to the physical office environment, and thus making the enterprise and mobile network seamless.

Some of the products and services for the cloud-powered mobile enterprise include premium desk phones designed for today’s mobile work place which integrate and handover seamlessly with mobile devices; easy tapto- connect communications and collaboration tools optimised for any smartphone device, including Apple, Android, Windows or Blackberry, to deliver an intuitive and consistent user interface for powerful real-time messaging, voice, video, white boarding and document sharing, for improved collaboration and productivity; more intelligent text, chat and speech applications for improved customer service capabilities for the more mobile and social consumer; and hospitality solutions which link guests’ smartphones to the hotel’s network, making them extensions of their room phones to provide guests with access to hotel room key, voice mail, speed dial functions and location-based capabilities for service delivery.

Today’s digital technologies, and the way we use them in our personal lives, work and society, have certainly changed the face of business and will continue to.

Have you deployed an enterprise mobile strategy yet?