Although it seems that the application of new technologies is the thing of the future, they are actually being applied today
Innovation is the key to success. We have talked with Vladimir Knežević, Country Managing Director, Oracle Serbia & Montenegro, about the novelties that the American company Oracle was preparing for our market.
What new and attractive cloud services can we expect Oracle to provide in the near future?
— As one of the leaders in the field of cloud technologies, Oracle is dedicated to the development of new cloud services. In addition to the standard IaaS, Paas and Saas (Infrastructure, Platform, Software as a Service), Oracle has been strongly investing in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence tools, which in many ways enable what Oracle today calls the Autonomous Cloud Service. The Oracle database is constantly updating, applying appropriate updates, recognizing security threats, and automatically ensuring smooth operation. This opens up a whole new space for creative work done by IT professionals who can be more committed to applying technology to specific business purposes, while most of the administrative responsibilities can be transferred to the Oracle Autonomous Service. These services eliminate complexity, reduce the possibility of human error and manual operation, provide greater reliability and safety while increasing efficiency and reducing costs. Oracle continues to invest in the development of its SaaS (Software as a Service) offer. Our users can now use cloud applications such as Accounting, HR, Procurement, Project Management, CRM, and Supply Chain Management. In addition, we are particularly proud of our Cloud at Customer offer, because we are the only company that can offer Oracle Public Cloud in the user’s Data Center. This ensures the privacy of data, as well as security at the highest possible level.
Are companies in Serbia ready for this technological leap? Do they fully understand the numerous advantages that this will bring to them?
— Although it seems that the application of new technologies is the thing of the future, they are actually being applied today. It is only natural that there is resistance if we do not have enough information. Oracle’s office in Serbia conducts detailed market analysis and works with both the partnernnetwork and users in the public and private sectors to highlight the benefits of using cloud solutions. The positioning of the cloud solutions in Serbia has received a good response, especially from the public sector that has recognized the numerous advantages both in the technological and administrative sense, as well as in cost reduction. Oracle Serbia is the first office in Europe to implement Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in the Telco Industry, and among the first in Europe, to implement it in
the Public Sector. This was a big step for our country, but also an excellent indicator for the rest of the economy that it is possible to invest in the cloud.
What are Oracle’s trump cards in the market?
— Oracle has been operating worldwide for over 40 years. We have always been setting high standards while constantly striving for innovative solutions. This has ensured that we are recognized as a reliable partner in the field of storage and data analysis. Furthermore, our data security is always at the highest level. Oracle’s strongest trump card is its employees. A large number of highly qualified experts are communicating with customers and partners on a daily basis, offering adequate solutions and answering to the most demanding business and technical challenges.
How many Oracle products are used in the public sector of Serbia? What are the most important products that you can offer to the state authorities?
— Oracle is strongly present in the public and private sector in our country. There is almost no entity that does not use some of Oracle’s technologies to a greater or lesser extent. In regard to the state administration, a large number of ministries, administrations and agencies have been using Oracle solutions for many years. The Ministry of Internal Affairs, Tax Administration, Treasury Department, Pension Fund, Central Registry of Compulsory Social Security, National Bank, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Finance and others are just some of the public services
that make the long list of Oracle users in Serbia. For this reason, there was a need to sign a special type of contract that will generate the greatest benefits for the state authorities, both in terms of optimizing the number and price of licenses and in terms of advanced technologies that will provide the highest level of security and productivity in the country. Serbia is the second country in Europe, after England, which implemented the Oracle Cloud Machine in the frame agreement, which, in turn, ensured that Oracle Public Cloud (Iaas, PaaS, SaaS) could be brought directly to the Data Centre of the IT Office, thus allowing the highest level of data privacy. Even though Oracle provides data service, the Republic of Serbia and its citizens remain the sole owners of the data.