Redefining the IT Specialist role The fusion of technology and strategy

Posted on by anca.calin

Technology is evolving at an unprecedented pace, and the future of IT specialists looks very different from just a few years ago. The classic paradigm, where programmers’ work was predominantly centered on coding, is shifting to a more complex model where understanding business processes is just as important as technical skills. 

 

A paradigm shift: IT and business processes go hand in hand 

 

In a recent discussion, Bogdan Florea, Co-CEO and founder of Connections Consult, spoke about the direction the IT industry is heading and how specialists need to adapt their skillsets. In his view, the future of IT professionals lies not only in their technical knowledge but also in a deep understanding of clients’ business needs and processes: 

 

This shift requires a transformation of the traditional IT specialist role into that of a consultant who can communicate effectively and align technological solutions with the strategic objectives of organizations.

 

An opportunity for specialization: business intelligence and global infrastructure

With rapid advances in artificial intelligence and automation, more and more foundational technological processes can be accomplished with minimal human intervention. In this context, specialists who focus exclusively on a narrow set of technical skills risk becoming irrelevant. To thrive, they must broaden their expertise, including gaining a solid understanding of operational and strategic processes within organizations.

 

“IT specialists should either choose to explore business concepts and operational processes or specialize in infrastructure, but in an integrated manner, understanding how all components work together,” adds Bogdan Florea.

 

THE CHALLENGES OF A DISRUPTIVE MARKET

Posted on by andreea.pislariu

In 2024, the press in Romania and around the world has consistently published headlines describing a global IT market under pressure.

What phenomena can we expect going forward, at the end of the year and in 2025? And what is Connections’ strategy in this market context? You can read more below, in an analysis by Bogdan Florea, leader of Connections Consult, one of the few Romanian IT companies listed on the stock exchange that continued to report growth in 2024.

Tech Industry Recalibration

“We are in a period where a great deal is happening at the geopolitical level, which is reflected in the economic sphere, and we are witnessing a reconfiguration of how business is done globally,” notes Bogdan. The tech industry is also going through a recalibration phase, driven by new technologies and digitalization plans, which sometimes put the profound transformation of organizational processes on a secondary level.

International Trends. What We Observe.

This orientation represents a trend of local protectionism aimed at controlling costs and quality, and brings increased local opportunities for IT players, believes Bogdan Florea.

Tech providers will need to focus intensively on creating added value, developing intellectual property, experimenting with new technologies, and integrating them into research and development projects; therefore, on directions that capitalize on pure intelligence and not just cost differences or arbitrage between two regions based on salary costs.

A Long-Term Vision for Innovation and Adaptability

In this context, Connections focuses on optimizing internal resources and maintaining strict cost control, and the second half of 2024 confirms the effectiveness of its strategy.

“As the global economy and the IT market in Romania transform, we are adjusting our strategies to remain competitive and capitalize on new opportunities. With a clear vision of the need to reinvent ourselves and add value to every project, we continue to build a strong and trusted position for the long term,” says Bogdan.

To ensure this stability, Connections has built a pipeline of opportunities for the next two years to solidify its position as a stable and trusted partner, capable of adapting to market changes.

Details about the financial results recorded by Connections Consult (CC) in the first half of 2024 and its growth strategy are available here  and here.

The next financial communication planned by CC is the 2024 Preliminary Annual Report.

CEO TALKS – 2024 IT MARKET TRENDS: WHAT DO LOCAL CLIENTS WANT?

Posted on by andreea.pislariu

We are halfway through 2024, and we are analyzing to what extent the year’s trends are confirmed or changing. Bogdan Florea, founder and co-CEO of Connections Consult, discusses the construction of the IT business this year and what local clients desire. 

“While on international markets, the trend we observe is the localization of services, in the domestic market, we notice an accelerated trend of concern, investment, and development in the area of technologies that define the cloud/cloud computing, both at the infrastructure level (Infrastructure as a Service) and at the Platform as a Service level, as well as the entire technological stack that defines the cloud. 

When we talk about the cloud, we are referring to a generic term that actually provides the possibility of accessing services economically and efficiently from anywhere, offered by a service provider, not just infrastructure and applications. 

As I mentioned, we observe a marked trend of companies investing and developing and accumulating new capabilities in the cloud computing area. We have seen this trend starting from 2023, and, in my opinion, we will continue to see it in the coming years.“ 

Connections follows this trend, just like many other players in the market. Although our main specialization is in application development and, more recently, in technology integration, the vast majority of client requirements focus on cloud-ready applications, prepared to operate in the cloud in various forms—whether we’re talking about Microsoft, Amazon, Google Cloud, or OpenStack. Consequently, the push from technological advancements compels us to take steps towards developing cloud-ready applications. 

At this moment, we consider ourselves one of the leading providers of complex enterprise applications that are ready to be used in the cloud.