The year 2020 tested our ability to adapt to changes quickly. It led to new habits in both our work and private lives and showed us that society can unite for the sake of good and bring innovative solutions. Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia has proven its social responsibility even in these turbulent times.
It took three days for the company's team of developers to develop the eRegistration application for the city of Košice. The #TFROMHOME campaign made the transition to home office more enjoyable for the public as well as the employees.
“Our company has long supported people, activities and ideas that have the potential to bring positive change in the region, the city and in Slovakia. The pillars of our social responsibility are education, social innovation, environmental protection, charity and volunteering, which are reflected in the CSR activities of Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia,” explained Lívia Gaľová, the company's Communication Specialist responsible for CSR.
Helping the City with Testing
During the pandemic, the company responded to the call to create an application that would speed up testing in the city. Four developers from Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia - Michal Kováčik, Štefan Holent, Marek Furimský and Alexander Biliňski - developed the eRegistration application in three days. It has been used in Košice since January 15, 2021.
“In the first days, the company enabled us to work on the application non-stop, later, especially in the first two weeks, we worked on it alongside our regular work, and we responded to the requests and proposals arising from the use of application. Of course, we were on standby even on the weekends, in case something critical happened,” said Marek Furimský.
As of March 1, 2021, eRegistration was used by 136,722 unique users. It has 366,747 tests in the database and sent a total of 2,000,000 text messages. The application is secure in terms of personal data as only the city has access to the data. The city also benefits from clear online reporting in real-time. eRegistration provided Košice residents with greater comfort before and after testing, the waiting time was reduced from 15 minutes to 0 thanks to the SMS result. This prevented people from gathering. Thanks to the application, the city also saved on costs, as it needed fewer administrative staff members for testing.
The city tested 100 people per minute thanks to the application
“Throughout the city, we were able to test 100 people per minute at peak times. Compared to the Christmas period, when testing took place without eRegistration, we were also able to speed up the waiting time for the test from 60 to 15 minutes with the same number of people. Even though we decided not to create a registration system for a specific time, we were able to provide testing with almost no waiting time. At the same time, anyone interested could use any of the testing points and did not have to be limited to one location,” said Vladimír Fabian, spokesman for the Košice City Hall.
“The application reflects the power of IT - nothing special or complicated is needed, a good team is all it takes to properly analyse and design a solution using appropriate technology, and we can help people at the local and state levels. My colleagues and I have many years of development experience. We normally develop applications for the Deutsche Telekom Group, which are used internally and are not available to the public. This was a pleasant change,” added Michal Kováčik, a developer.
The public’s response to eRegistration has been extremely positive. The city of Košice was approached by other local governments with an interest in using this system.
#TFROMHOME
The #TFROMHOME initiative was also a flexible and innovative solution for the new operation of the company. Shortly after the national anti-pandemic measures were implemented, Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia launched an online campaign on social networks in March 2020, which was aimed at the company's employees and the general public.
“As similar events are a natural part of our company, we have responded to the current changes. We digitised our activities and shared them on social networks to connect our colleagues, spread corporate culture, and, at the same time, support the important work-life balance in difficult times. We have been operating in Košice Region for 15 years and we have contributed significantly to its development. It was, therefore, only natural for us to make our activities available to the public on social networks,” said Juraj Probala, Head of Communications and PR at Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia.
The campaign consisted of various genre formats – talk shows, live concerts, humorous learning, live cooking, and activities focused on a healthy lifestyle. Performers such as, for example, Marián Čekovský, Komajota, Sima Martausová, Nocadeň, Lukáš Adamec and Kollárovci participated. The campaign won two BEA World event awards - 1st place in the B2I Digital/Hybrid Event category and the exceptional Press Award from a panel of international journalists.
869 Volunteers in 2020
“Our employees initiate and carry out our social responsibility activities on a voluntary basis. We are proud to be able to give them space and time for such activities. In 2020, despite the turbulent time, 869 volunteers participated in the activities, 1,554 colleagues took part in sports and charity events. We know that our employees build their leadership skills thanks to active volunteering, which is why DT IT Solutions Slovakia has a Corporate Social Responsibility Commission that adjusts the direction of corporate social responsibility activities to corporate departments,” added Lívia Gaľová, who is responsible for CSR.
CSR Pillars of Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia
The pillars of Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia's social responsibility are education, social innovation, environmental protection, charity and volunteering.
20 Educational Projects Supported
In terms of education, the company supports the quality education of teachers and students in digital skills of the 21st century. Know-how is spread in the form of mentoring, circles, training and the Magenta Life grant programme, which is administered by the Carpathian Foundation.
“The FOCUS survey, which we commissioned as part of the Digital Skills initiative together with other IT companies, shows that 20% of schools lack at least one teacher with the necessary IT qualifications. On the other hand, up to 98% of primary school headmasters consider informatics to be an important subject,” explained Lívia Gaľová, responsible for CSR. In 2020, the company supported 118 teachers and a total of 20 projects in education.
Charity Cake Day Raised 7,400 EUR
The volunteering activities of employees of the largest IT company in eastern Slovakia will also focus on helping those who found themselves in a difficult life situation.
“2020 has hit people at risk of poverty or social exclusion the hardest. In addition, unexpected health problems, job loss or other misfortunes can happen to anyone around us. That is why our employees took part in charitable events. In 2020, we managed to organise four charity events, one of which was virtual,” said L. Gaľová.
A nice example of an employee initiative is Charity Cake Day, which was held for the second time in 2020. Proceeds from the event were donated to the treatment of children with SMA1. The event brought together 805 colleagues: 80 of them baked cakes, 25 helped with organisation and 700 bought the products. Thanks to all of them, 7,400 EUR were raised.
317 Donated Laptops
“As the largest IT employer in the region, we help implement innovative IT solutions to increase the quality of life in the region. Social innovation creates space to build a responsible and conscious approach to improving our society. That is why we support start-ups and innovations in health and telco through the Innovlab start-up centre,” explained L. Gaľová.
Environmental protection in society is achieved by reducing the consumption of non-recyclable materials and energy. The double benefit comes from the recycling of discarded hardware, which is refurbished and donated to schools and institutions. In 2020, Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia donated 317 laptops in eastern Slovakia.
This article has been brought to you byDeutsche Telekom It Solutions Slovakia
