COViS goes Greece: With an additional location in Athens, COViS is further expanding its expertise in custom software development.
Most of our customers know that COViS is a family business from Düsseldorf. But the fact that we are also represented beyond the borders of the Rhineland is still new to many. But since 2019, you can also find us in the Greek capital Athens. Find out what coincidence led to this and why Athens is the optimal choice, in addition to the good weather and the sea on your doorstep.
A new location: How it all began
It all started when Pavlos Panagioditis, a young, committed software developer, joined the COViS head office in Düsseldorf. After only a short time, it became clear that Pavlos has excellent IT skills and brings them into the team in a long-lasting way. Of course, this makes him want to do more and when asked if he knew any other developers with his skills, the answer promptly followed: "Yes, but they are based in Greece."
Since COViS attaches great importance to working with a solid and loyal staff, there was no hesitation: without further ado, software developers from Pavlo's network were provided with contract work, thus laying the foundation for the location in Greece.
Official foundation of Dr. Glinz COViS Hellas EPE
The excellent work of the colleagues in Greece and the steady growth of the team led to the foundation of an official subsidiary, Dr. Glinz COViS Hellas EPE, in 2021. Currently, 25 employees work at the Athens location, including software architects and engineers, full-stack software developers, front-end designers, DevOps and quality assurance engineers. Pavlos Panagiotidis and Rüdiger Plette are responsible for the operational management. The latter brings a wealth of experience to the table, especially through his many years as Head of Development and as Managing Director of Dr. Glinz COViS GmbH. "Due to the increasing global networking and the technical possibilities - such as video conferencing tools, screen sharing, etc. - cross-border collaboration is much easier today and is also perceived much more positively on the customer side than it was a few years ago," says Plette. "Collaboration in software development has been independent of gathering a team in one place for years. Purely technical collaboration is absolutely unproblematic because of this."
After only a short time, the team on site got used to each other well and has been working closely with the developers from Düsseldorf ever since. As a result, many joint projects have already been successfully implemented.
A first-class team for excellent IT solutions
Not only do we benefit from the bundling of competences at our two locations, but of course our customers do too. With deep technical know-how and a broad technology stack, we develop IT solutions at the highest level. By using open source components, we are able to respond quickly and individually to complex requirements while remaining within an economically interesting framework. In this way, we ensure more efficient processes, better and simple integration with third-party systems and enable the use of solutions in the cloud. Together with our team in Athens, we can react to changing conditions on the market at an early stage and remain flexible and able to act.
| aiFind: The cloud software for recruiters A vivid example of the expertise of the colleagues from Athens is the recruiting software aiFind. The software simplifies and supports recruiting through intelligent automatisms and thus sets new standards for efficient recruitment. In addition to uncomplicated sales and recruitment processes, activity tracking for more satisfaction and active sourcing for a modern search for specialists, aiFind can also be effortlessly connected with LinkedIn and XING.
Attractive location advantages lure companies abroad
There are several reasons why COViS was able to attract such skilled IT staff in Greece. Firstly, the Greek financial crisis in 2015 forced many highly qualified professionals to leave the country. But in the meantime, more and more tech companies from abroad are recognising the potential that Greece offers as a location. This trend contributes to the fact that Greek professionals are now increasingly looking for employers in their own region.
"For the Greek employees, the COViS location in Athens gives them the opportunity to work for a foreign employer and thus get to know another working environment and mentality. In addition, we promote exchange among each other and visit each other regularly at both locations," says Pavlos Panagioditis.
Shortage of skilled workers puts pressure on companies
At the same time, it is difficult for IT companies in Germany to find qualified staff - the shortage of skilled workers is clearly hitting here too. According to a Bitkom Study the number of vacancies in the IT sector rose to 96,000 in 2021, 12 % higher than in the previous year. For many companies, the answer then lies in (European) foreign countries.
Advanced training opportunities
The training opportunities in the IT and software sector also speak for Greece. Many universities focus on modern teaching material that picks up on and addresses current developments in the market. Rüdiger Plette is convinced that with Greek employees come highly educated graduates who are particularly internationally oriented and bring a high level of motivation and flexibility to the day-to-day work.
If Greek or even foreign companies open new locations in the region, this can also bring about an upswing in other areas. Ideally, this is not limited to the often classic tourism sector, but also contributes to making an area more attractive from an economic point of view.
Conclusion: With the Athens location, COViS further expands its expertise and ensures sustainable competitive advantage
With the location in Greece, COViS has not only enriched the team with excellent employees. Our corporate values - loyalty, cohesion and performance - are also lived out sustainably in the subsidiary. Together we work every day to offer our customers the best possible solution and look forward to many future joint projects: whether from Düsseldorf, Athens or all over the world.
"With our subsidiary in Greece, we have entered new organisational, legal and commercial territory. However, the very good results and the super cooperation speak for themselves: this investment has already more than paid off!"
Rüdiger Plette, Managing Director Dr. Glinz COViS Hellas EPE
"Our team in Greece is growing and with it the creativity, innovation and quality in the software development of the whole company. Working with this team is fun! And working in Greece is too, of course!"
Pavlos Panagioditis, Managing Director Dr. Glinz COViS Hellas EPE
Apply now: Your Career with COViS
Do you fancy a family environment and an exciting area of responsibility? Then we might have just the thing for you in our job vacancies. Whether Cloud Engineer, Fullstack Developer, Software Architect or dual studies: We can always recommend a career at COViS.
