Microsoft Development Center has recently received a significant investment to expand the team working on the Azure Data service development. 60 new vacant positions represent an increase of 20% for Microsoft Development Center, and of 30% for the Azure Data team, operating within the Center. We talked to Dragan Tomić, Director of Microsoft Development Center Serbia, about cloud-related business operations, activities and prospects of the Azure Data team in Serbian, European and global IT industry.
The Data Azure team is soon to get new people thanks to the recently received investment. How important is this investment for you in the MDCS team? Does the investment imply an expansion or quality improvement of services currently offered by the MDCS Azure team?
This is great news for MDCS as well as for the local IT community. The investment is mainly aimed at strengthening existing products, but we are also launching a new initiative (which is a secret for the time being). This is the time when companies are reconsidering their investments, and since we belong to a part of Microsoft that is engaged in the most complex battle with the competition, the corporation decided to invest heavily in our team in Serbia.
What is the advantage of working in a cloud environment?
For users, the cloud brings multiple benefits because it enables work on large projects and minimal initial investment. You mainly pay for what is used while it is used in a cloud, so initial investments may be considerably basic for highly significant projects. Before cloud technologies, every new company had to design a farm of servers, which required huge investments at the beginning.
Another benefit is flexibility – in case a product made by a user is successful, cloud technologies allow virtually endless scaling per point and data center in all regions of the world. Furthermore, experimenting is much easier because of the consumption model. We offer a range of services and users can tailor their solutions. The moment they do not like something, they can try some other service we offer. For the local team, cloud services enable the corporation to see features of the team very quickly, whether it works well, cooperates and develops user relations.
Was there a need for the team expansion in order to be more competitive in the global market? What is Serbia’s Azure Data team’s current position in the world?
All investments come for a reason – to improve Microsoft’s position in the global market. We operate in the part of the company perceived as strategically exceptionally important for the future and therefore, investments are made in the entire area, including our team in Serbia. We have an excellent position in the world in the areas where we operate. In terms of Azure Data, we are the most relevant team in Europe within our company. Our current position is only temporary, and what makes me particularly happy is our progress in the last 10 years. If we maintain the same progress rate, we have a chance to be one of strategically most important locations for Microsoft.
How important is this investment for Serbia and the world?
60 new jobs in MDCS have several times stronger impact on the local economy than jobs in some other industries. This primarily refers to working conditions and salaries according to global standards. From the economic aspect, this is a significant investment, but I think that we should look at a bigger picture. It means that around 60 families will stay in Serbia and a lot of Serbian children will grow up here. Also, our people work on the most relevant technologies and develop knowledge which is remarkably valuable. They work in the best global teams and thus acquire the best working methods. So, this investment is a very positive story for the future of the country, because each of the new team members brings a lot of positive complementary effects. Serbia is not a big country, but if any of those people excels in the future and sets up their own company on a global scale, then our impact may even change the image of the entire country.
The new investment is an occasion for Microsoft Development Center to invite new high-quality candidates from Serbia and the region, as well as all experts living abroad and wishing to return and continue their IT career in Serbia, to apply for a job in the company.
About Microsoft Development Center in Serbia: Microsoft Development Center Serbia
