Tecnotree trusts in Tampere-based competence

Strong competence, possibility for interesting local co-operation and great services – these are the reasons based on which Tecnotree supplying IT solutions to telecom operators decided to locate its new Product Development Unit in Tampere.

Desks and chairs are still empty at Tecnotree’s Hermia-based offices but the recruitment process is already under way. The goal is that in April–May the unit will be up and running employing approximately 20 people. The first products are destined to be launched within this year. The next steps in Tampere will be taken according to needs and possibilities.

– Now, we are looking for software developers for implementing the most modern software solutions here in Tampere for the African and Latin American markets, says CEO Ilkka Raiskinen of Tecnotree.

– Therefore, we need people who embody competence in modern tools of both product development and software development in addition to an understanding of the field, that is, making products for the needs of telecom operators, says Director Ari Aalto of the Product Development Unit in Tampere.

Growing markets

According to the analyses conducted by Tecnotree, this is precisely the kind of competence that the Tampere Region has no shortage of, making it an ideal location for building a completely new Product Development Unit. Besides individual experts, the company is also interested in the Tampere city region as an operating environment: the Tampere-based universities produce fresh talents and an academic perspective to business. Moreover, local networking is appealing.

– We absolutely want to co-operate with companies in the Tampere Region. Some contacts have already been made, but there is always room for more, says Raiskinen.

According to Raiskinen, one co-operation topic could be the sales and marketing channels constructed by Tecnotree in Africa and Latin America. National economies are growing in these areas considerably faster than in Europe and telecom operators have the means to invest.

– In these countries, there is no such PC workstation culture as we have over here. They focus directly on mobile phones and smart phones thereby creating a real demand for software products, says Raiskinen.

In practice, Tampere-based competence will very soon play an important role, for example when a Nigerian mother is grocery shopping and pays for the products with her mobile phone. Invoicing and charging services are at the core of Tecnotree’s operations, and their development will be the focus of the Tampere Unit as soon as the teams being currently recruited will get to full speed. All in all, the company employs almost a thousand people, with currently under a hundred in Finland.

Quick moves

Tecnotree set up the Tampere Region facilities and personnel recruitment at a fast pace after the decision to locate the Product Development Unit in Tampere was made. Before making the decision, the company consulted Tampere Region Economic Development Agency Tredea, among other things, precisely on the local competence and its quality.

– I personally tend to look at things from the perspective of the metropolitan area, and the Tampere city region has definitely made successful efforts in ensuring that a company can easily come here, says Raiskinen.

The pace will not slow once the work of the Product Development Unit will start, since the field’s rate of change is something else. In Tampere, the turmoil has been quite a familiar sight for already a couple of decades.

– Hervanta and Hermia are great examples of the turmoil. Over the years, companies have changed but it still remains a dynamic environment, says Aalto.

What does Tampere have to offer?

Tampere Region Economic Development Agency Tredea has mapped the Tampere Region’s top fields of expertise. According to the survey, the region has exceptionally clever people to offer in the following fields: smart computers, nanotechnology, life sciences, ICT, clean tech & energy, creative fields and manufacturing industry. Learn more about the region’s competence online at www.investtampere.fi.

Transalation: Lingoneer

Lue artikkeli suomeksi (read the article in Finnish): http://tampereenseudunvetovoima.fi/artikkelit/tecnotree-luottaa-tamperelaiseen-osaamiseen