The will of being always better and to surpass new limits having a prepared team by his side, have been the main motivation of Codespring owner and CEO, Mr. Levente Szelyes. Courage and a prepared mind are those special ingredients that have determined his projects’ success.

Codespring a software development and outsourcing company from Cluj-Napoca, Romania, with an average of USD1 Mil. yearly turnover, and a team of 50 software engineers, serving the USA and European markets. Mr. Szelyes is a dynamic and active entrepreneur from the Romanian IT&C industry. In 1998 he found his first software development. Soon, he engaged in a BOT (Build, Operate, and Transfer) contract with the largest IT&C company in Germany. Later on, Mr. Szelyes initiated a new business venture, Codespring. Today, the company is proud to have strategic partners from around the globe, own products and talented people.

Given his experience and entrepreneurial path, we were curious to find out more about Mr. Szelyes success story and his future intentions.

N.M.: Codespring is the outcome of a bold professional evolution. How was your journey up to this point?

Sz.L.: It was full of adventures and trials, but it surely did worth it! After I have decided to debark from the comfortable environment of a large scale company, Siemens AG, I went after my dream: building my own company. I did learn how to deliver performance as a software engineer and project manager but I had to learn that business performance is achieved in a different manner. I love exploring the unknown! Therefore, I have adjusted my mind to this new situation and I have tried to surround myself by talented people. Codespring has grown as an “elite squadron”, winning by its agility and by its creativity. Even our clients refer to us as a “special unit” for “special projects”. The fact of operating from Cluj-Napoca has really been an advantage, since the local IT&C university provides us new talent and prepared young professionals.

N.M.: The competition in the field is high. How do you manage to keep up?

Sz.L.: Indeed, it is not only high, it is quite growing! In general, I fancy taking advantage of our size compared to that of our customers and competitors: we can easily caliber our teams and projects due to our flexibility. In all circumstances, our golden rule remains: quality and added value. It’s the quality f our work that recommend us further. This way, we have succeeded to sign all our main strategic partnerships and to be trusted for high complexity projects. In time, we have learned to anticipate our clients’ needs and this, only grace to an effective communication (!). Creativity is the cherry on top of the cake for which customers appeal to us, and to Romanian IT&C generally. Our software engineers have a huge potential..

N.M.: What is Codespring and Romania positioning on the IT&C global map?

Sz.L.: It worth mentioning that Romania has been nominated by more field specific monitoring agencies  as an “emerging IT and BPO Outsourcing destination”. We have several Romanian companies that have been awarded at international level or that have been the target of various field investments.  Bucharest, Cluj, Timisoara and Brasov are the main development, research and service centers in the country. In such context, Codespring is undergoing a process of consolidation on the CEE market.  We export mainly to the USA and Europe, but we also serve the domestic market. Our expertise in 15 different industries, on global scale projects, is our business card.

N.M.: Has software development been affected by the last couple of years events?  

Sz.L.: Yes, according to all data. However, it is also true that the economic recession has participated to the reconfiguration of the working systems and of the selection criteria of IT&C providers. Telecommunication sector is booming, and the related software development follows along. Codespring, as a full cycle software development and outsourcing provider, has undertaken software development projects from scratch but also from various stages of the development process or simply as a consultant and project manager. As expected, projects for smartphone applications are more and more frequent. Then, desktop and mobile applications integrated with online services are at high demand. This was somehow a logical step, since companies are more likely to allow the use of personal devices (smartphone, laptop, notebook, etc.) at the work place or on the field.

N.M.: It seems that the iPhone application developed by Codespring for driving assistance has more and more users. Can you provide us with more details?

Sz.L.: This is a pure example of hobby turned into a selling product. The traffic enforcement application named iSpeedCam has a funny story: at the beginning it was intended for our own use. It aims to inform drivers about speed limits on the road and the type of speed cameras that are monitoring the traffic. We encourage all drivers to be attentive and avoid potential speed tickets and other sanctions. A real success has been recorded in France, USA, UK, Germany and Australia. Apparently these driver communities have exploited the main benefit of the application:  the possibility to expand and customize the camera database by the contribution of each user.  This month, we are about to launch the newest version of iSpeedCam with major improvements both in functionality and ergonomics.

N.M.: In your opinion, will outsourcing remain a winning strategy for the years to come?  

Sz.L.: Romania is gaining terrain for all types of outsourcing. Outsourcing is mainly about accessing the right skills. Technology is revolutionizing the workplace in our century and software development outsourcing service providers, like Codespring, from round the globe will put their talent pool on the market, complementing the in-house teams, which will then focus on operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. In the industry, we are all aware of the risks and opportunities outsourcing comprises. As a conclusion, if done properly, outsourcing may still be a winning strategy.

N.M.: Your expectations for 2011?

Sz.L.: Entering Q4 of 2011, I am pleased to have checked most of the points on our “to do” list. Under the  “Excellence” tag  in 2011, we have committed ourselves to uplift all our business processes, so as to provide added value to our clients through technical expertise and business process know how. We have also moved in a “new home” –new headquarters, more modern and more appropriate for our development plans. We will continue to stand out as an elite software development and outsourcing provider, in order to contribute to the change that IT&C industry is generating at a faster pace.

N.M.:Any thoughts for our readers ?

Sz.L.:I like the idea of National Magazin: “Romanian Culture and Business”! As I said before, Romania has a lot f potential, especially from the “gray matter” perspective. Our role, of those who have reached their dreams here, in the country, is to create the frame in which the next generation can evolve. The IT&C industry actually proves it!