Moving to a new era

It seems like yesterday, however it’s more than 5 years that we first came to our new offices in Melissia moving then from a tiny little apartment in Katechaki. And now we are moving again. We are going to Vouliagmenis 15, in Athens. A 260 sq.m. space that is really amazing. Overlooking Parthenon and the Olympius Zeus Temple just behind the Andrianos Gate, the new office is currently under refurbishing in order to mold into the new inhabitant. Us. DATA CONCEPT.

New offices with a flair. That’s what DATA CONCEPT needs. Roomy new offices with a concept. This office has it. As the old one did and maybe even more. It has the flair. When Andreas spotted the building, 3 weeks ago, we both agreed and with no second thoughts I called so we can have a look. It was really amazing. New, build on 2000 with big glazing all over, overlooking the best hill in the world. The hill of Akropolis. An inspiration for anybody to create and to dream. This office we feel that is absolutely suitable to incubate our company’s philosophy for the next 5 years and to drive us to the new era as the leader in IT systems integration. This office maybe last us for more than five years, Something like 10 years where we hope to be listed in the Stock Market, getting money and move to a newer era … and so on.

Early June will be out of Melissia and a new DATA CONCEPT will start its journey with a new boat. For one more time our entreprenuism is revealing and overwhelming us. 10 people and 500.000 € per year, no good. 20 people and 1.200.000 € per year, no good. More let’s do more.

Everyday we are investing more of our lives into this company. We still feel is the best investment ever. For everybody. For us and for our people.

IT Project Management

To RAP or not to RAP that is the question. Rapid Application Development is not rapid at all, when client (mostly the Greek Public) is altering project specifications on daily basis. How can anyone program or schedule anything? How can a good project manager assist if the contractual agreement of the project is not solid and mostly is intentionally ambiguous towards the client -- the Greek Public !!!

The Concept behind Data Concept !!!

The numbers for the 1st quarter of this fiscal year are promising. Data Concept has acquired and contracted several IT governmental projects. Eventually … after 3 + years of intensive biding work, the company has gained the necessary momentum in the public IT sector.
Getting involved with public IT projects is "a must" for any Greek or eastern European software company (system integrator), in order to survive. The small number of populations (market share), the heterogeneous languages, the intense cultural diversifications and the European Money Funding (e-Europe) are a few of the reasons pointing to one direction … e-government.

With the completion of the 2004 Olympic Games the Greek Construction Market, that since then was blooming, came to an end. Construction companies were not getting paid by the Greek Government as the expenses for the Olympic Games were outrageous. Data Concept a 2000 startup, was specializing in this market, developing web based software for the PPP projects. Our clients were large infrastructure developers and construction consortia that were utilizing our Project Information Systems in order to get on demand reporting, justifying real progress and quality.

With the obvious upcoming closure of the construction works (late 2003) Data Concepts’ future was in danger. Andreas and I, were facing a very big dilemma. Do something different or get out!!!

Engineering applications was not an option as engineering and construction for that matter wasn’t there. Options such as working abroad with other contractors will require severe money investing and that was not an option either. We updated our business plans and we approached venture capitals and business angels. The result was “null”. Financial and personal destruction was just in front of our eyes as we owned a significant amount of money in the banks. Loans were increasing as we were maintaining a working group or 5 people and we still had to cover all other running costs. We took a decision to cut all expenses. We started by waving out our salaries …

6 months after (mid 2004) and for the next 2 years Data Concept was changing face, becoming an IT company that was bidding for public IT projects. We turned around our software development skills and from a product based company we became project based company. Even though the public bids were scarce, we were biding in everything possible. We used our web based philosophy in order to create a competitive advantage against large Greek IT integrators. We started utilizing our partnership agreements with Oracle and Microsoft in order to get any possible leverage and to establish an IT integrator profile. We even created –virtually- 3 business sectors (Engineering Application, Web Communication and ICT networks).

2,5 years after the company was getting awarded the first public job !!!. A 11.000 € project, maintaining and supporting the network for Zografos Municipality. A new era was starting for Data Concept as the company switched business goals turning from engineering software development (product) to IT project management.