Slovensko.sk website (source: SME)
With the aim of creating cheaper, more modern and more flexible state IT systems, a new state software house officially kicked off its operation in Košice on September 11.
The Slovensko IT joint-stock company will be led by Pavol Miroššay, former head of the Košice IT Valley association, who will also chair the board of directors. Its main task will be to improve state services in IT, including the testing of external supplies, with the help of dozens of top programmers and other IT experts.
“I dare say we’re standing on the doorstep of a new era,” Investments Minister Veronika Remišová (Za Ľudí) said, as quoted by the SITA newswire, adding that thanks to the new company, the state can take the road of more flexible and more efficient creation of its information systems. “The era when the state was fully dependent on supplies from private companies, where there was space for corruption and murky practices often occurred, is over.”
She hopes that even ordinary people will soon feel the benefits the company brings.
“I think we have a historic chance to change state IT services and elevate them to a new level,” Mirrošay said, as quoted by SITA, adding that the opportunity offers a very interesting challenge for him.
Three basic tasks
At the meeting with the first 80 employees of Slovensko IT, Remišová presented three specific tasks the company has to start working on immediately.
The first concerns the creation of a new app called eSlovensko – Slovensko Do Vrecka (Slovakia in the Pocket), which will connect people’s mobile phone with state institutions and gradually enable them to arrange their agenda by phone. To communicate with the state, people should receive their own ID, which Remišová hopes will be ready in a few months.
The second is the creation of a team to test systems and IT solutions supplied by external companies in order to secure the impartial and professional assessment of the supply quality. These tests are currently carried out by suppliers, which often resulted in delivering low-quality solutions, the minister said.
The third task is to create a platform to engage students in developing apps. The company wants to intensify the collaboration with universities in the region. Moreover, it will impart valuable skills and experiences to students. The employees of Slovensko IT should serve as lecturers and teachers to offer students real work practice.
Staff has experience with pro-client solutions
The company currently has 80 employees, including programmers, testers and other positions.
The core is created by former employees of the Košice branch of the WireCard company, who have experiences with creating global pro-client solutions, Miroššay said.
“In the future, we want to have open positions to be published in a transparent way,” he added, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
The salaries are comparable with those offered on the local IT market.
