VMware has a local Serbian team of top specialists who’ve provided a huge contribution to positioning our country on the technological map of the world
The benefits of technology aren’t only enjoyed by companies today, as they apply to all areas of society. Countries that provide good e-services are considered better places to live, with knowledge now more accessible than ever before and hybrid workplace models serving to significantly improve employees’ work-life balance and increase their chances of gaining better and higher paying jobs.
How did the growth of your team and portfolio look?
– When VMware first opened its office in Belgrade 11 years ago, I was the first and only employee. VMware was then already offering the latest technological solutions at the global level, but the level of technology uptake in Serbia was far behind that which was considered standard around the world.
The team has expanded continuously throughout the years and I can today state with pride that VMware has a local Serbian team of top specialists, who – with their knowhow and expertise – have provided a huge contribution to positioning our country on the technological map of the world in the area of digital transformation. With the strong support of our partners, we have spent over a decade helping Serbian companies and public institutions to achieve parity with the region and to advance continuously. That’s something I’m extremely proud of, both personally and professionally.
Something that seemed unimaginable eleven years ago is today being massively implemented in business. Are you satisfied with the speed at which digitalisation is developing and modern technologies are being applied in Serbia and around the region?
– We viewed the initial gap between the level of technological development in Serbia and the world as an opportunity for domestic companies and institutions. Those that recognised the importance of technological innovations at the time were able, with our technology and partner support, to leapfrog a few steps on their path to digitalisation, gain a strong competitive advantage and develop themselves into regional leaders.
VMware has a local Serbian team of top specialists who’ve provided a huge contribution to positioning our country on the technological map of the world
Our users come from the financial and public sectors, industry and fintech. They use VMware technologies as the basis to build, operate and advance their operations, as our solutions provide the flexibility and agility that’s essential to ensure they always keep pace with innovations and can offer their users the highest quality services. And perhaps the best testimony to the results of the digitalisation process are provided by the fact that the ICT sector today represents Serbia’s largest net export sector.
You are involved directly in numerous initiatives and technological development projects across the markets of Southeast Europe. Is that evidence that technology is today included in all business processes?
– Technology has gained precedence in such a way that today no business can be competitive globally, or even regionally, without digitalisation. The economic benefits of utilising technology to innovate and speed up business processes are irrefutable. According to our research, 97% of surveyed cloud-smart organisations say that their revenue growth has been improved by a multi-cloud approach.
Moreover, the benefits of technology aren’t only enjoyed by companies, but rather apply to all spheres of society – countries that provide good e-services are considered better places to live, with knowledge now more accessible than ever before, while hybrid workplace models – also made possible thanks to modern technology – serve to significantly improve employees’ work-life balance and increase their chances of gaining better and higher paying jobs, because now, for example, you can very easily work for an employer located anywhere in the world from your home in Serbia.
Could it be said that VMware has provided a twofold contribution to Serbia’s development, give that you accelerate the development of the IT market on the one hand, while on the other you encourage the development of local IT companies that deal with the implementation of your solutions?
– We are proud of our contribution to developing Serbia’s IT market, as well as the fact that – via our developed partnership ecosystem and various initiatives and activities – we set development and advancement trends through technology in all branches of the economy and the public sector. Local companies recognise the benefits and want to implement the latest solutions, and we see the best proof of this at our annual VMware regional events, which bring together representatives of our partner companies and users from all industry verticals. The next such event will take place this May in Šibenik, and we look forward to the opportunity to present new trends and excellent regional examples of the implementation of VMware technologies to experts and the general public, but also the business successes and contributions to the regional economy that have been created on the basis of our solutions.
VMware is also one of the strategic partners of the Serbian Government’s Office for IT and e-Government. What has your company been brought by that cooperation, and what did it bring to the Office, i.e., to the state?
– Since it was founded just less than six years ago, the efforts of the people staffing the Office have drastically improved the picture of the digital Serbia – from construction from scratch of the infrastructure required for e-government, to the development of numerous services for citizens and institutions. As one of the Office’s strategic partners, VMware secured technology that enabled the fast and safe consolidation of various clouds that are used for the needs of the state administration. Given the fact that, at the time the partnership was formed, the Office had inherited systems that it wanted to harmonise in order to be able to provide the administration and citizens with the best possible services, while simultaneously ensuring the complete security of data and processes, VMware was – as a neutral vendor – in a position to provide technology that allows the user to make decisions in accordance with the applications they use and their business processes, while maintaining clear and meaningful control over their cloud environment.
We are proud of our contribution to developing Serbia’s IT market and the fact that we set development and advancement trends through technology in all branches of the economy and the public sector
Such an approach of the Office for e-Government has brought multiple benefits to the state and citizens. State bodies can now exchange data quickly, easily and securely, while citizens have numerous modern e-services at their disposal. We also have exceptional cooperation with the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, which was built in accordance with the highest technical and security standards, and which aspires to provide services not only in Serbia, but also across the region, as well as to develop into an innovation district.
Do you plan to expand your portfolio and conquer new markets?
– VMware’s plan and mission for the Adriatic region, but also the rest of the world, is to provide support on the road to digital transformation, provide education on the possibilities provided by technology, and provide cutting-edge solutions and resources. We live in such a time that there is no difference between our region and the rest of the world, because everyone can use the same top technologies to build and develop their ideas and business plans. Of course, some things happen sooner and some only come later, because investments in IT are nonetheless linked indirectly to the GDP of each country, but I’m pleased to say that the region has embarked on the journey to digital transformation in a big way, and the countries of this region are even leaders when it comes to the use of certain technologies, which serves as an example to other EMEA countries.