Monthly Archives: April 2021

NASSAU, Bahamas, April 7, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --Open Systems Technologies International (Bahamas) Limited and Sology Solutions have entered into a strategic partnership to deliver network infrastructure and touchless technology to the hospitality and tourism industry in The Bahamas as it rebuilds in the wake of COVID-19 and Hurricane Dorian. Today's "touchless" environment is a driver for technology upgrades that will make businesses more competitive and lead to job creation. The partnership's initial focus will be in The Bahamas' Out Islands, or "Family Islands," which claim 84% of the archipelago's landmass and are home to many boutique resorts.

In 2020, the Bahamian economy contracted by $2B and unemployment rose to 11.27% because of the halt in tourism during the pandemic. This occurred just as the country was rebuilding after the devastation of level-5 Hurricane Dorian in September 2019. Tourism accounts for 50% of the country's GDP.

The Bahamas is well-positioned to become more of a tourism hub in the Caribbean through several new developments. The port of Nassau is currently undergoing a $250M transformation designed as the catalyst that will spark an improvement in tourism product offerings. Four major cruise lines are eyeing Nassau for "home port" deals where passengers may spend several nights in the area before or after their cruise. The financial gain for a broad cross-section of the economy is expected to be significant as these passengers will utilize hotels, transportation, and other elements in the tourism industry.

Caribbean real estate trends for private-island development show a surging demand for low-density, secluded destinations that are accessible via direct flights from major American and European markets. The Bahamas is capitalizing on this trend with numerous boutique resorts being designed and planned for opening in the Out Islands in the next two to three years.

These developments create a timely opportunity for properties and venues to improve the tourist experience. Returning travelers are demanding contactless encounters to feel safe. Touchless technology, such as distance check-in and virtual concierges, empowers front-line workers with tools that better meet their guests' safety expectations. The addition of network infrastructure and advanced operational technologies such as Wi-Fi services, guest location and wayfinding, dynamic digital signage, and video surveillance improve overall safety, security, and guest experience.

Bahamas-based Open Systemsprovides a wide array of integrated IT solutions including content management, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, and remote access. In operation for more than 20 years, Open Systems has provided innovative technology to the Bahamian community and a large network of strategic partnerships with leading technology providers including DocuWare, Hyland, Datto, Qmatic, Ascend Technologies among others.

"As a business owner myself, I am committed to helping small and medium businesses grow and employ more Bahamians in the technology industry. Investing in artificial intelligence and touchless technology now will make our smaller resorts more competitive and more attractive to safety-conscience travelers," said Peter Bridgewater, Open System's president and CEO. "Sology, and their strong partnership with Cisco Systems, brings proven expertise in smart cities and transportation with IoT, which is needed to rebuild an enhanced customer journey in the tourism and hospitality industry."

Sology Solutionsis a Texas-based technology systems integrator with a breadth of expertise digitizing spaces to make them intelligent and connected. Sology reaches clients and transformational projects by offering design and implementation of secure solutions spanning the IoT stack. As a long-standing Cisco Partner, Sology is recognized for its ecosystem-driven business model, multi-level partnership approach, and record of operational excellence.

"Sology is passionate about engaging with communities and building them up on many levels. The Bahamas reopening is the perfect opportunity to create a smart and secure technology infrastructure. This is essential to not only elevate the tourists' experiencebut to create jobs which require qualified technology personnel to run and maintain systems. This boosts and sustains the local economy for years to come," said Ed Christmas, Sology's founder and managing principal. "We look forward to working with Open Systems to make a real impact in The Bahamas."

About Open Systems Technologies International (Bahamas) LimitedOpen Systemsprovides integrated IT solutions and services that are tailored to a business' needs. We provide an array of professional managed services from content management, customer journey management, cybersecurity, disaster recovery, to remote access and teleworker solutions. Learn more at http://www.opensystems-bs.com.

About Sology SolutionsSology Solutionsis an integrated technology solutions provider, specializing in IoT technologies to develop smart, secure and connected spaces. Focusing on communities and transportation, Sology works with its technology partners to deliver networked integration that is scalable and future ready. Applications include secure communication networks of IoT sensors for data collection, aggregation, analysis, and insight dashboards. Sology is a Cisco Certified Partner and a certified Minority Business Enterprise. Learn more atwww.sologysolutions.com.

Contact:Lauren YatesThinkWell Consulting, LLC703.593.3184[emailprotected]

SOURCE Sology Solutions

Visit link:

Sology Solutions and Open Systems Technologies International (Bahamas) Limited Partner to Drive Technology Innovation and Create Jobs in the Bahamas -...

Royal Caribbean will restart cruises this summer from The Bahamas, and is working on making getting to and from Nassau easier.

Flights to Nassau are not necessarily as plentiful as some would like, and Royal Caribbean is working to secure "bulk rate sales of seats" for cruise passengers.

The NassauGuardian Business is reportingBahamasair Chairman Tommy Turnquest confirmed his airline and Royal Caribbean are working together.

"I can tell you that Bahamasair is working with Royal Caribbean on Saturday flights. Were going to have two flights out of Miami, one flight out of Fort Lauderdale and one flight out of Orlando to coincide with when the ship will arrive at 7 oclock on a Saturday morning and leave 9 oclock that night."

"We have begun negotiations with them and were very pleased with how thats going. We will provide them with some airlift. We think its an opportunity to get out of the doldrums and we are very optimistic about that."

While cruises from the United States remain at a standstill due to regulation of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), places like the Bahamas are now homeports. However, the logistics for cruisers to reach this area is still somewhat difficult.

Read more:What you need to know about visiting Nassau on a cruise ship

Royal Caribbean sells guests airfare through its Air2Sea program, which is actually offering discounted rates to guests in order to spur sales.

When Royal Caribbean announced cruises from Nassau, they knew demand for flights would be strong and possibly even outpace supply. So they worked with select airlines to not only secure seats but actuallysubsidize prices.

Royal Caribbean pushed back the departure time of Adventure of the Seas in order to provide guests more time to get to Nassau.

Royal Caribbean International President and CEO Michael Bayley told Bahamian media that he estimates almost 2,000 people could travel to/from Nassau's airport every weekend when cruises begin.

Doing some "back of the napkin math",Adventure of the Seas can accommodate about 3,300 passengers at double occupancyor 4,000 at maximum capacity. This means "almost 2,000" suggests somewhere around 45% - 60% of ship capacity.

More here:

Royal Caribbean is working to get more flight options to the Bahamas - Royal Caribbean Blog

By YOURI KEMP

Tribune Business Reporter

ykemp@tribunemedia.net

Disney promises 75 percent of itsfleet will have one stop inThe Bahamaswhen it becomes fully operational.

Kim Prunty, vice president of communications and public affairs at Disney Signature Experiences- speaking at a virtual town hall last week on the companys Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for its project at Lighthouse Point- said the company contributed $60m a year to our economy when fully operational.

Ms Prunty said: The Bahamas is as much our home as anywhere. From an economic impact perspective it is estimated their operations lead to more than $60m annually in direct spending in The Bahamas. Thats when were operational and when were operational, 75 percent of the cruises have at least one stop in The Bahamas.

Disney has been operating Castaway Cay off the coast of South Abaco for over 20 years.

The town hall last week was to assure members of the public in Eleuthera that the companys latest investment at the Lighthouse Point in South Eleuthera, will have minimal environmental impact and that Disney was following all of the environmental guidelines on maintaining proper environmental protocols.

Dr Mark Penning, vice president of animal science and environment at Disney, said: On the very first conversation we had about Lighthouse Point, we said that we as Disney would not move forward unless we could do so in an environmentally responsible way.

There are no unique marine habitats or species in the development footprint. There are no coral reefs in the footprint, there are no patch reefs either.

Disney intends to add a 75 foot buffer space on either side of the pier it will build off the point. Dr Penning said: When you think about the extent of the pier itself, that total space will result in around a 10th of an acre of coral that we will mitigate.

Scott Tiegs, a biology professor at Oakland University in Michigan, challengedDr Pennings analysis thatthere are no unique animal life and particularly, the EIAs claim that no bonefish have been sighted at Lighthouse Point.

He said through his own visits to the site over the past 10 years and bringing students to the area he knows that bonefish are all over the place. He wondered how could Disney put forward an EIA when this conspicuous species featured very prominently at Lighthouse Point.

Another of Disneys representatives respondedsaying: We do have plans in the fall to tag fish to understand exactly how to use that area.

One of the biggest concerns from the bonefish trust is the Marina. We have discussed with them exactly how we can mitigate that and they have given feedbackwhich weve incorporated.

Its kind of experimental at this point, but we are looking at having some time to tag in that exact area to make sure that we know exactly how to utilize that point.

MsPrunty also spoke about the partnerships Disney has created on the ground in Eleuthera saying: We spent a lot of time in The Bahamas, talking to people about whats important to make sure that when we contribute to the community, were doing it in a way that meets community needs.

A few things can come out of that and one is the importance of Bahamian ownership, which is why we invested a million dollars over three years to the Small Business Development Centre and the Eleuthera chamber to create an Eleuthera business hub to take advantage of the project that were bringing as well as the others that we are bringing to Eleuthera.

The EIA will now be open for public feedbackuntil May 7. Interested parties may submit their concerns to Disney itself or to the department of environmental planning and after this process is completed, the results will be posted on the departments website.

Follow this link:

Disney in 75 percent fleet visit promise to The Bahamas - Bahamas Tribune

By TANYA SMITH-CARTWRIGHT

tsmith-cartwright@tribunemedia.net

Condolences to the Queen and the Royal Family have poured in from around the world including from here in The Bahamas.

Governor General Sir Cornelius Smith, being the Queens representative, officially broke the news here of the Duke of Edinburghs passing.

It is with deep sadness that I inform Bahamians and residents in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas of the passing of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, 9 April 2021.

The Governor General said his thoughts are prayers are with Her Majesty and the Royal Family at this time.

Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis, in a statement, mentioned the Princes previous visits to The Bahamas.

His statement read: It is with deep sadness and sorrow that we have learnt of the passing of His Royal Highness, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II on 9 April 2021.

Very fond memories of Prince Philips visits to The Bahamas in 1966, 1975, 1977 and 1994 are warmly held by the people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. His work and interest in empowering young people throughout the Commonwealth and indeed globally, are especially cherished, for which he will be fondly remembered.

He sent condolences to citizens of the United Kingdom on behalf of the government and people of The Bahamas.

Celebrating the life and legacy of Prince Philip in a statement, the Governor General Youth Award (GGYA) organisation here in The Bahamas hailed him as a champion of young people worldwide and instrumental in their growth. The programme was initially called the Duke of Edinburghs International Award before it was renamed.

GGYA is one of the nations most popular after school programmes for non-formal education and learning.

The statement read: Across The Bahamas today, 729 participants, 124 volunteers, 42 units, the national office, council and board of trustees marked the passing of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh.

Sixty-five years ago, Prince Philip established the Duke of Edinburghs Award in the United Kingdom. Since then, its been rolled out in more than 130 countries and territories, empowering millions of young people to build the skills, confidence and resilience they need to support their communities and be ready for the world.

The Progressive Liberal Party, through a statement from its leader, Philip Brave Davis, also extended condolences to the Queen.

On behalf of the Progressive Liberal Party, I extend condolences to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, our head of state, on the death of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, Mr Davis statement noted.

Prince Philip has been an active and prominent figure during our national advancement; he frequently visited our islands in years past and remained a friend of the Bahamian people. He is remembered fondly by many of our people for his work in founding what is now called the Governor Generals Award scheme and his patronage of the work of the Bahamas National Trust (BNT).

In a statement to its Facebook page, BNT said it was honoured to have Prince Philip as its patron until he retired in 2017.

Over the years it was our privilege to have His Royal Highness open The Retreat Garden on October 18, 1985 and to attend the Heritage Fund Dinner in March 1989, marking the occasion of the creation of this important endowment fund for the work of the Bahamas National Trust, BNT said.

Prince Philip had an unsettled and peripatetic childhood.

His parents separated and his father settled in Monte Carlo where he amassed significant gambling debts, and his mother, who was deaf, went on to found an order of nuns before becoming depressed and being admitted to an asylum.

Once describing himself as a discredited Balkan prince of no particular merit or distinction, Prince Philip was born on June 10, 1921 on the kitchen table at the family home of Mon Repos on the island of Corfu.

He was the youngest child and only son of Prince Andrew of Greece, an officer in the Greek army, and Princess Alice of Battenberg.

When his father was charged with high treason in the aftermath of the heavy defeat of the Greeks by the Turks the family fled. They were evacuated in a British warship, with one-year-old Philip carried in a makeshift cot.

Prince Philip was the longest serving consort in British history, and was only months away from his 100th birthday in June.

A private royal funeral will be held for him at St Georges Chapel at Windsor Castle on Saturday with under 30 people in attendance so as to comply with the UKs COVID regulations.

See the article here:

The Bahamas sends its condolences after the death of Prince Philip - Bahamas Tribune

Trade export strategy part of economic diversification effortsCommonwealth Brewery and John Watlings Distillery tapped as immediate beneficiaries

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM In an ongoing effort to support the government of The Bahamas initiatives for economic diversification, Ambassador Extraordinaire and Plenipotentiary of The Bahamas to the Kingdom of Belgium and Head of Mission to the European Union Maria OBrien sought assistance under the African, Caribbean, Pacific-European Union (ACP-EU) TradeComm II Programme to develop a trade export strategy for the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.

The ACP-EU TradeComm II Programme aims to reduce poverty, improve sustainable economic development and encourage regional integration through capacity-building, which is critical in The Bahamas efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The expectation is that the exports of goods and services in traditional emerging sectors, including micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME), will strengthen a viable sector of The Bahamas. The assistance provided by the TradeComm II Programme will be implemented in conjunction with the Ministry of Financial Services, Trade and Industry and Immigration to assist with streamlining bureaucratic procedures, market intelligence gaps and logistical constraints in the complex business environment that Bahamian exporters encounter.

This technical assistance will create a framework that provides timely and reliable trade information for business decision-making, enabling Bahamian businesses to have easier access to the export markets.

OBrien stated that the project would access approximately $30 million (24 million) in financial support implemented by the Caribbean Export Development Agency under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) Regional Private Sector Development programme.

This targeted support to develop the export strategy of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas will be bundled with support for the local rum sector. Industry research discovered that rum production relied heavily on consumption at a national level and that the tourism industry was ineffective in sustaining consumption levels through the COVID-19 pandemic.

While some of the raw materials required for manufacturing rum locally are imported from European countries, there is minimum export of the final product. Export opportunities will focus on existing markets that were successfully penetrated by the United Kingdom and Cuba, including Spain, Germany, Australia and the Czech Republic. Notably, Ireland ranked 36th in rum imports, with The Bahamas accounting for U$4.5 million of rum exports to Ireland in 2017. However, the research conducted by the EU indicated that The Bahamas could provide 73.3 percent of the total Irish rum imports.

The bundle project will have access to the Caribbean Rum Programme under the ninth and tenth EDF original budget of approximately $83 million (70 million). The project is expected to provide the government with a comprehensive export strategy that prioritizes export sectors based on competitiveness, job creation, foreign exchange earnings and value-addition, capacity building and training activities for private and public sectors to be export-ready and to improve regulatory and operational for exports to emerging markets.

OBrien identified Commonwealth Brewery Ltd and John Watlings Distillery as the immediate beneficiaries of the project, but expects that newcomers to the industry will also benefit from this programme.

The Ministry of Financial Services, Trade and Industries and Immigration for the trade export strategy and the rum sector project will be supported by local technical experts Robby Thompson and Edison Sumner, chairman of the Bahamas eCommerce Advisory Board.

Go here to read the rest:

RUM BUSINESS BOOST: Bahamas rum exports to benefit from over $110M in EU-supported trade development for the Caribbean - EyeWitness News

Atlantis and Baha Mar resort to serve as vaccination sitesVaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers still a concern as more non-healthcare workers are being vaccinated

NASSAU, BAHAMAS The government is aiming to have 80 percent of Bahamians and residents vaccinated to achieve herd immunity, according to Chief Medical Officer Dr Pearl McMillan.

As she gave an update on the current situation of cases and vaccinations in the country, McMillan urged Bahamians to continue to follow mitigation protocols and opt to get vaccinated.

Things that can wait should wait, she said.

Vaccinations have started, but until we get the critical number of about 80 percent of Bahamians vaccinated, the only way to slow the spread of this virus remains to avoid close contact with people, wearing masks and sanitizing.

The CMO noted that the intent is for us to move in the direction to vaccinate enough persons for herd immunity and that would be around 80 percent.

Just over 10,000 people have been vaccinated in The Bahamas to date.

McMillan noted that approximately 60 percent of vaccine recipients have been ages 60 and older, and more women than men have been inoculated.

More non-healthcare workers are being vaccinated when compared to healthcare workers, she said.

In early 2021, the Ministry of Health conducted a vaccination hesitancy survey among healthcare workers.

The results were similar to this real-world experience and though they are not surprising, the ministry hopes that healthcare workers will sign up and show up for COVID-19 vaccinations.

The CMO added that healthcare workers must continue to lead the charge on these important healthcare matters.

As of April 4, there were 69 individuals, or less than one percent, who reported one or more side effects after being vaccinated, including fatigue, nausea, headache, fever, chills and muscle pain.

Symptoms of a flu-like illness can be expected and are generally resolved within a few days, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and World Health Organization (WHO).

All of the events analyzed were classified as non-serious and mild, McMillan said.

In this period, there has been no report of any case of anaphylaxis (a severe allergic reaction). There have been no reports involving post-vaccination hospitalization or deaths.

Vaccinations resumed yesterday after the Easter holidays at Loyola Hall and Church of God, East Street, on New Providence, and at the Susan J Wallace Community Centre on Grand Bahama.

Additional vaccination sites will open on New Providence this week, including the Kendal G L Isaacs Gymnasium and the Atlantis and Baha Mar resorts, which will be used exclusively for hospitality workers.

Currently, vaccinations are open to healthcare workers; individuals 60 years of age and older; staff of uniformed branches; teachers and staff of schools; homebound, physically challenged residents; and students and athletes studying or competing abroad.

Hospitality workers include hotel and resort employees, public transportation workers, Lynden Pindling International Airport workers, Nassau Airport Development Company workers, Nassau Cruise Port workers, straw market vendors, port and beach vendors and tour operators.

A valid work ID indicating proof of occupation and/or proof of age is required at the vaccination centers.

In a letter to its employees, Atlantis advised that it will have two inoculation sites on the property, including the Prince of Wales and Crown Ballrooms in the Beach Tower.

While not mandatory for Atlantis employees to be vaccinated, we encourage our team members to participate in inoculation as it will provide another layer of protection against this deadly virus, the letter read.

The global effort to vaccinate all will support The Bahamas and our tourism industry in regaining a level of normalcy.

Read more:

GOALPOST: Bahamas aiming to vaccinate 80 percent of population to achieve herd immunity against COVID - EyeWitness News

John Rolle, the Governor of the Central Bank of Bahamas, has shared some updates on the rollout of the Bahamas central bank digital currency (CBDC) which went live in October 2019.

Also known as the sand dollar, the currencys motivations are to promote financial inclusion, modernise the payment system, and make private wallet systems interoperable.

A key goal of the Sand dollar is to be accessible and not to exclude users based on technology. Therefore, the currency is available on a smart card, not just smartphones, to help with the elderly. At the other end of the age scale, children often run errands and have pocket money, so they need to have access to digital cash. However, minors must get consent from their parents.

The combination of identity and minors also highlights the importance of privacy. The penalty for confidentiality breaches by wallet providers or others is USD 50,000 or up to three years in prison, or both, according to Ledger Insights.

The currency is not anonymous, so users must go through standard bank-grade know your customer (KYC) processes. However, not everyone has a photo ID thats needed for a bank account. So, a lower access tier only requires an email address or phone number, allowing balances of up to USD 500 and USD 1,500 in transactions per month. With full KYC, a person can hold up to USD 8,000 digitally.

Another key advantage of the digital currency is interoperability between mobile payment apps. Initially the apps can allow users to use the Sand dollar within their walled garden. Going forward, the wallet providers will be required to allow balances to be transferred to other mobile wallets.

While the Bahamas is progressing its rollout, others in the region are looking to catch up. The Eastern Caribbean has launched its pilot, and Jamaica recently announced plans as well. To learn more about CBDCs, download our ebook Central Bank Digital Currencies for Beginners A Quick Guide into CBDCs.

Link:

Central Bank of Bahamas shares updates on Sand dollar CBDC progress - The Paypers