arobs in the romanian media
Collapse of the car industry weakens demand for navigation systems and GPS smartphones
By: Alexandra Teodorescu - Wall-Street - August 7th, 2009
The collapse of the car industry and consumers’ reassessment of their gadget habits has led to a decline in sales of navigation systems and smartphones with built-in GPS.
As a consequence, the business of Arobs Transilvania, software developer for mobile applications and GPS device distributor, was severely dented ever since the economic crisis set in.
“Even if certain business lines performed well, such as those dedicated to spending cutback, other were affected – distribution of navigation devices”, Voicu Oprean (photo), managing director of Arobs told Wall-Street.
The distributor’s first-half turnover stood at 3 million euros, up 10% from year-ago period.
The advance reflects the high demand for software products designed to spending cuts and increase in staff efficiency.
However, if at the end of last year the head of the company had projected a 10 mn euro turnover in 2009, the first-half trend indicates revenues of around 8-9 million euros by year-end. “But it depends upon the general economic conditions, upon what happens both in Romania and abroad”, said the manager of the company.
The first quarter was marked by the impact of the uncertainty on consumer spending. Clients have reassessed their gadget habits, and set other priorities.
“If we look at Q1 2009 in contrast with Q12008, we can say that in outsourcing and tech solutions designed to spending cut and efficiency improvement, the increase in client database was considerable, and therefore, the turnover on this business line went up 15%”, said Voicu Oprean.
The company's main objectives for the remainder of the year is to increase its client base and to tailor its services to their needs, whether it's a distributor, constructor, security company, or even producer.
Mihai Pantis is „The Lord of the Words”
By: Vasile Ielciu - Foaia Transilvana - August 5th, 2009
Two players will represent Romania at the World English Language Scrabble Championship that will take place in Malaysia. Mihai Pantiş and Adrian Tămaş will be leaving from Cluj Napoca as both are players of Universitatea Sports Club.
For the first time, Romania will benefit of two positions at the World English Language Scrabble Championship. In the final round of the qualification tournament in Bucharest, Mihai Pantiş defeated his opponent with a score 5:4, after he had come back from a score 0:3. “A very good performance is needed in order to maintain these two positions, but if everything goes well, we can get even three positions”, said Pantiş, thinking about his evolution in Malaysia.
First steps in scrabble
 Mihai Pantiş’ debut in this sport was in 2003, when he was participating in a chess competition in Constanţa, and accidentally played a simultaneous game of scrabble. In his first year at the Faculty of Mathematics and Informatics, he met Septimiu Crivei, a professor passionate about this sport, founder of scrabble department at “U” Sports Club, who initiated him in this domain. First, he participated in national contests in Romanian, and in 2006 he started participating in contests in English. He won the first round of the national championship right from the beginning.
Mind of a software developper
Mihai Pantiş works as software developer in a Cluj-Napoca based software company. In his free time, Mihai takes part in amateur swimming competitions. He trains mainly individually, but still he gets his most important experience during his participation in competitions.
AROBS plans to raise company's business at 10 million euros in 2009
By: Alexandra Teodorescu - Wall-Street - December, 5th 2008
Arobs Transilvania, software developer for mobile applications and GPS kit distributor, said it will keep its financial objective for this year and expects 7-8 million euros turnover together with a 305 growth from a year earlier. The company eyes 10 million euros turnover in 2009.
The turnover eyed by the company does not include the objective for the newly-absorbed company, Televoice.
In the GPS segment, Arobs sees a narrower growth rate this year than last year’s 80% up to nearly 5 million euros. The company sees a market share between 20 and 25% for this year”, managing director of Arobs, Voicu Oprean told Wall-Street.
For 2009, the company was unable to estimate the extent of the market share, given the recent acquisition of Televoice Grup.
If in this segment Arobs wil achieve more than a half of the expected market share for yearend, Oprean sees the outsourcing services at two million euros. Outsourcing services gear nearly 20-30% of Arobs’ overall business, according to own statements.
Arobs’ outsourcing center collaborates with foreign companies, mostly from Nordic countries, but also from Germany, UK, United States of America and Switzerland.
The company has 171 employees, and by yearend, it plans to increase workforce to 180, including Televoice Group.
“By the end of 2008, we will likely enhance team to 200”, he said.
AROBS opens new headquarters in Cluj, result of 1 Million Euro investment
By: Sabin Popescu - Ziarul Financiar - October, 29th 2008
AROBS Transilvania Software, leading provider of software solutions for mobile devices and reseller of GPS Navigation Systems invested 1 Million Euro in the new headquarters of almost 1,000 square meters, close to Cluj-Napoca city centre.
According to company’s officials, the inauguration of this new headquarters represents a stage in the company’s strategy, strategy which aims at the consolidation of AROBS’ position on the national software development market, and its expansion on the international market. The company currently has over 150 employees, being in a continuous growth, and aiming at 180 by the end of the year. AROBS expects a turnover of 4 - 5 Million Euro for GPS equipments sector, which represent half the proposed total turnover of 10 Million Euro for this year. In April 2008, the company launched Smailo, its own GPS brand, and anticipated sales of over 12,000 units in Romania and abroad by the end of this year.
Romania makes successful debut in Deloitte CE FAST 50
By BBW - October, 20th 2008
 Romanian software developers Arobs Transilvania Software (Cluj-Napoca), TeamNet International (Bucharest) and Lasting Software (Timisoara) ranked fifth, seventh and 38th respectively in the Deloitte Central Europe Technology FAST 50 2008, a ranking of the top 50 fastest growing technology companies in the region, now at its ninth edition.
"This is the first time Romania joins the program and its debut has been more than promising, as we have had three companies qualified, two of them directly among the top 10, with solid growth rates in turnover over the past five years," said George Mucibabici, chairman, Deloitte Romania.
Cluj-Napoca-based Arobs Transilvania, which ranked fifth, reported a 2,722 per cent turnover growth rate from 2003 to 2007. TeamNet International, part of the Asesoft Group, ranked seventh with 2,028 per cent, while Lasting Software, part of Timisoara-based Lasting System, was 38th, with 407 per cent. According to the Deloitte report, the result places Romania in fifth place among the countries in the region (alongside Bulgaria) with 6% of total companies included in the ranking. "Romanian companies' performance in this ranking for Intellectual Property producers is remarkable," emphasized Mucibabici.
The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 program started in Silicon Valley, California, in 1995, and later on expanded into a Technology Fast 500 in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. This program operates independently in 17 countries outside the United States and also in the Central European region, in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria and this year also in Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Lithuania.
Three Romanian companies report high growth rates
By Financiarul.ro - October, 20th 2008
Arobs Transylvania Sofware, TeamNet International and Lasting System registered the highest growth rate in the Romanian IT market, they were included in a classification of the companies with the highest growth rate in Central and Eastern Europe, made by Deloitte consultancy and auditing company.
Arobs Transylvania Software, one of the most important developers of software for mobile applications, reported a growth rate of 2,722% in the past five years, it ranks fifth among the most rapid companies in Central Europe.
The company reported in 2007 business worth five million euros, and for 2008 it expects its turnover to double, due to the dynamics of the three business lines, i.e distribution of GPS navigation systems and smartphones with GPS, development of software solutions for the domestic market and development of outsourcing software solutions for customers from Romania and abroad, according to representatives of the company.
Arobs grew significantly in the period 2006-2008, by more than 100% each year, due to the launch of its own software GPS solution, according to the Delloite study.
 First Romanian GPS Brand
By Market Watch - April, 16th 2008
AROBS Transilvania Software (www.arobs.ro) has launched Smailo - the first Romanian trademark navigation system.
Smailo is positioned as the perfect device for the owners of middle class vehicles and is commercialized at the price 699 lei with the Eastern Europe map, or with 799 lei with the Europe map- 43 countries (VAT included). Smailo is at the moment the most accessible GPS navigation system, It allows navigation throughout 43 countries in Europe, using detailed maps of these countries and plenty of POI’s. Reliable, precise and accessible, Smailo offers fast calculation of the routes due to the newest SiFR III technology, and facilitates navigation at the ‘highest’ dimensions on the 4.3” wide touch screen.
"Smailo has followed the growing trend of the GPS consumers’ needs, as well as AROBS’ will to consolidate its position on the GPS devices market. Smailo has a very accessible price, which will most likely contribute to the positioning of this GPS navigation system as a “must have” for every Romanian driver” has stated Mr. Voicu Oprean, the General Manager of AROBS Transilvania Software.
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Smailo is available through AROBS' reseller network (UltraPro, eMAG, EURO-GSM, ITpl@za, Neomax, Esal) and will be launched in retail market soon. Smailo is also available on www.gps-auto.ro - The first GPS incorporated shop - the most thorough online shop for GPS systems.
Smailo, first Romanian GPS navigation system brand
By Financiarul.ro - April, 16th 2008
Smailo, the first local brand of GPS navigation systems, hit the market on April 16. The device is available for 700 or 800 lei (the equivalent of some 195 - 225 euro), depending on whether the map coverage is that of Eastern Europe or of entire Europe, informs daily Evenimentul zilei.
Smailo features an 11 cm touchscreen, the most wallet-friendly device with a monitor of that size, incorporates iGO navigation maps and is sold in the AROBS distribution network.
The device is the result of the joint efforts of AROBS and consultancy and design company Branzas Design, using the Business Advisory Services program managed by the European Bank for Development and financed by the Austrian government.
According to company representatives, the initial investment for the launch of the product intended for middle-class motorists was some 200,000 euro.
The local market of GPS systems might hit this year about 80,000 sold units, twice the figure registered in 2007, when estimated sales were of about 40,000 GPS navigation systems worth a total of ten million euro, reveal data presented by the distributor’s representatives.
The cited sources said the local market of GPS systems has skyrocketed since the launch, in 2006, of the first GPS navigation solution for Romania, iGO. Improving maps for Romania might significantly expand the local market of GPS equipment.
In Romania, Mio provides the best selling GPS car navigation systems, that are actually PDAs with incorporated GPS, reports daily Ziarul Financiar.
Young software engineers return to Romania
Date: February 2006
Source: www.Wall-Street.ro, www.smarfinancial.ro, www.sns.ro, www.cariereonline.ro
Article: The dream of the West was the first to set in, than the possibility of making more money than in Romania. For the young graduates this was the chance of a better life. And they tried.
Romania still faces a strong exodus of skilled labor towards more developed countries in Western Europe, North America and the Pacific region. The path these migrants take is not always one way. Many of them return to Romania not only because there is no better place than home but also due to the improving salaries, work environments and perspectives from Romanian software companies. These firms are already starting to resemble their Western counterparts in many respects.
There are 3 such young software engineers and a marketing specialist currently working at AROBS Transilvania Software. All of them returned to Romania after spending long periods of time in western countries. (n.n. Their true identities are concealed).
Sergiu started working at a multinational company in Hungary in 2000. For a fresh alumnus, a programming position for a big company and with a 1000 Euro monthly income was a dream come true. ” Conditions at work were obviously excellent and the salary exceeded my expectations, but some health problems forced me to return. To be honest, this was the drop that filled the glass. My wive's inability to adjust to living abroad and the lack of friends weighed heavily when making the final decision. Furthermore, the long term opportunities were low due to the difficulties faced by aliens seeking Hungarian citizenship. We felt as if we had not future there and therefore returned to Romania. As soon as I regained my health I got a job with AROBS Transilvania Software in 2003, where I feel real good”.
Victor returned to Romania as soon as he satisfied his curiosity. A had worked for a Hungarian branch of an Indian company for over a year. “ I do not know how special the work I did in Hungary was, but I was certainly impressed by the excellent manner in which the company was organized, by its multicultural nature and by the corporatist culture. Adjusting to the Hungarian environment has been easy for me as I was speaking Hungarian and had enough friends. Despite all these advantages I was disatisfied and decided to return to Romania. I might have not returned had I not found a company fitting my high expectations in Romania. But I found it. I had some friend in Cluj who knew what to recommend me. Since last year I have been working for AROBS Transilvania Software”, declared Victor.
Paul's experience is far richer both in geographic terms and experience-wise: he started in Hungary, then move to London, Paris, and also in Bangalore (India). In all, he has spent 4 years working for IT companies located abroad. “I wanted more stability, in the same place. I have invested in an apartment here and wished to settle down in Cluj. Some of my former colleagues recommended me to seek employment with AROBS. I followed their advise, got an offer from AROBS Transilvania and accepted it due to the nice work environment I found there", declared Paul.
Alexandru has spent almost 6 years in the United States, where he got an MBA and taught the "Hospitality Computer Applications" course at University of Massachusetts, Amherst for approximately 3 years. Like in Paul's case, a disease and alienation convinced him to return. "From a professional point of view the United States have offered me undreamed of opportunities. Working for UMASS Amherst has been highly rewarding from all points of view. Salaries in the American academia were almost 10 times higher than those in Romania. As many dreams, mine has also ended abruptly, when an American physician's ignorance brought me to the brink of despair. The treatment he put me on for a common and easily curable disease triggered an incurable one. My only chance of survival was Romania, where I defeated the monster after a long battle. Once fully functional I started looking for career oportunities. At the end of two years of trials and errors I learned about an opening in marketing at AROBS Transilvania, where I finally found a nice team and excellent conditions for professional and personal fulfillment."
AROBS Transilvania Software offers support to communities hit by floods
- press release -
A weekend like many others, started under the sign of clear skies and unshackled delight, ended up triggering a real storm in the soul of AROBS's general manager, Mr. Voicu Oprean. While in the Valea Ierii region, he witnessed first hand the disasters and sufferings caused by nature's fury. The following Monday, Mr. Oprean shared this experience with his colleagues from AROBS, as well as his decision to help the communities that had been hit by the July 2005 floods.
His request for donations echoed in 75% of AROBS's employees, who donated over 8 million lei, an amount that was doubled by the company's owner. With the money collected, a decision was taken to invest it in the Iara-Baisoara area, one of the worst hit by floods.
The WorldVision foundation was chosen to administer the funds. The discussions conducted with the project coordinator revealed that the area chosen by AROBS's employees had already received aid and that other regions in Cluj would actually need support: Fundatura, Iclod, Iclozel, Orman.
Consequently, an agreement was reached to allocated the collected funds to repair works on a stretch of road from the Fundatura village, one of the regions that bore the brunt of the mid August floods.
The action described here is only one of a series of projects organized by AROBS Transilvania Software to provide support to those afflicted by poverty. It reflects the respect shown by AROBS's employees to all people and their desire to lend a hand to those in need.
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First load of gravel arrives
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Locals in action
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AROBS makes virtual classrooms for Norwegians
Excerpt: "The Cluj-based AROBS Transilvania Software, a company headquartered in Romania specialized in software outsourcing and development, introduced a new product on the Norwegian market to address the needs of multinational companies looking for a modern training system. E-School represents a virtual classroom with all the features and modules necessary for an effective distance education process."
Source: Ziarul Financiar, June 13, 2005, page 15
Online version
Jidvei chooses AROBS's solutions to automate its suppliers
Excerpt: "What made you choose Optimall versus other similar solutions?
Cristian Fuga: The short implementation time and the high benefit/price ratio. Implementing other solutions for Sales Force Automation (SFA) can take months, while Optimall becomes operational one week from the onset of the implementation process. Furthermore, its integration with many ERP systems (Socrate, Wizrom, Practer, WinMentor, AS2000, hMarfa, Platphorma, DistribNet, AttoSoft, etc.) has lead to substantial reductions in implementation costs relative to the costs specific to similar solutions present on the Romanian market."
Source: MarketWatch No. 74, April 2005, pp 10,
Online version
Jidvei goes with AROBS Transilvania Software
Excerpt: "Implementing the application will allow us to deliver accurate information on what the Jidvei products mean and will offer Jidvei's representatives a much better image of the markets targeted by our products"
Source: Ziarul Financiar. April 29, 2005
Online version
REFERENCE TO AROBS TRANSILVANIA IN THE FOREIGN MEDIA
"Computerwoche", the most important weekly paper in German language dedicated to managers, experts and professionals in the IT field, has published an article in Nr 5/2007 regarding the economy and IT industry from Romania, “Rumänien: ITler warten auf Aufträge”.
Dirk Buschmann, co-partner at Knowledge Intelligence AG, an IT consultancy firm from Cologne, decided to get first-hand information about the IT cost reduction through outsourcing to Asia and Eastern Europe, an issue that he has been hearing about from his clients. The article is presented as a tour of Romania, starting from Bucharest, followed by Cluj, described as a multilingual city, and finally Sibiu. He has gathered information about the Eastern European states during the CeBIT expo, the biggest trade show for the IT&C sector worldwide, and decided in favour of Romania. During the IT tradeshow in Munich, Systems, he has deepened his relations and has chosen different companies from Romania, specialized, as his own firm, in the mobile solutions.
In Cluj he has opted for two firms, which are already processing such projects for external clients. One of these companies is ARoBS Transilvania Software.
Voicu Oprean, general manager and owner of the company, declares that he hires only people with very good English knowledge. In addition he offers German courses to every employee.
Buschman was impressed: “I would be very glad, if my employees spoke so good English.” Buschman has a good overall opinion about what he has seen in Cluj. The projects from the mobile application field are as complex as the ones developed by his own company, and the management leaves a professional impression.
Pleased with what he has seen in Romania, Buschmann wants to send smaller projects to the firms he has visited, to observe the work and calculation method.
You can find the whole article at:
http://www.computerwoche.de/heftarchiv/2007/05/1217728/index3.html
Contact us right away for additional information or a quote.
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