Since ANIS has recently undergone a rebranding process and we can find the new image online at www.anis.ro, we wanted to let you know more about this process and the Associations’ perspectives. As usual, Ms. Valerica Dragomir was very open to answer our questions and to share her thoughts and beliefs for our readers.

1. What was the motivation for launching a new ANIS image? Why now?

ANIS is celebrating this year 15 years since its foundation; therefore, we found it a good moment to link the rebranding with this special occasion. It is more than a new logo – it is a new visual identity, aiming at becoming a mirror of our association, of hat we represent for the ICT industry now: a dynamic community, caring for and being preoccupied by the development if this industry. The new visual identity is a reflexion of the ANIS spirit and of its involvement in the community – both of its members on one side, and of the Borad and their managing team, on the other side.

2. What are the challenges that ANIS is facing today, compared to other similar associations around Europe?

I personally believe that ANIS concerns are very similar to those of other associations in the industry: the manner in which we can contribute to the growth of the ICT industry and of the companies that we are representing; the ways to generate a higher representativeness of the association in relation with the industry and how we can attract a higher involvement of the members in our projects; the solutions according to which we can keep the balance between the common interests of the members and their individual interests that keep them competing ; and last but not least, another challenge is to assure the financing for our current operations and the special projects.

3. What projects are you preparing for us in 2014?

There are several projects that we have announced in the last month and that we really wish to continue next year too. Of course, this will happen to the extent at which we will find interest for them and I am mainly referring to: the research on the ICT industry’s evolution – that we aim to execute annually, the continuation of the projects that promote the Romanian outsourcing companies, the contribution to a mechanism that supports those companies involved in the Research and Development activities, the support and the expansion of the dialogue between the private companies and the academic institutions. We must also remind that the special courses program deployed by ANIS will also continue in 2014 and what’s more, we have a plan to expand the curricula, but again it will depend on the companies’ interest for such action.

4. What expectation do you have from ANIS Members?

I sincerely believe that our biggest expectation is that our projects be interesting enough for the ANIS members to get involved and to contribute. I also think, that this is the most important criterion by which we can evaluate the Association’s success – and that is what we ultimately try to achieve through all our projects.

5. And what are your personal hopes and plan as Executive Director of ANIS ?

Even if it may seem a cliché, but it really is one of my deepest beliefs: there are not my own plans and hopes in stake here, as I could not do pretty much by myself. What I try to “cultivate” together with my colleagues is exactly what I have previously mentioned – the intensification of all ANIS members interactions and involvement in the Industry Association’s projects. This has been my constant objective since I have been working at ANIS and I truelly belive that this is not something that you can put an end to. On the contrary, the expectations are constantly growing and we aim higher and higher.

6. A few words for the IT community from Cluj?

Cluj has one of the most interesting “IT areas” from Romania – it is a diverse ecosystem, with many companies that have interesting projects and meet success on their markets; In the same time, I think you have in Cluj something that can really be called a “community” and that Cluj companies know to protect their own interest and yet to work together on common priorities. There is one more extremely interesting fact that raised my curiosity for Cluj and that could be adopted by other companies too:  the companies in this city have reached a certain maturity and they are doing the exact step that we, as an Association are aiming to promote across the industry – the interest and the shift from Projects towards Products. It would be so much interesting if we could have more communities with such preoccupations and with such an evolution at national level.

In the end, we would like to thank Ms. Valerica Dragomir for her 12 years activity at ANIS and we hope to further cooperate on common projects.

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About ANIS

ANIS (The Employers’ Association of Software and Services Industry from Romania) represents the interests of Romanian IT companies and supports the development of the software and services industry, as well as the growth of companies involved both in outsourcing projects and in developing proprietary applications.

Founded in 1998 and having cca. 100 corporate members, ANIS aims to promote Romania as a regional leader for software development and established exporter for high quality software products and services. ANIS is also acting as main point of contact for information regarding the industry.

During the last years, ANIS was closely involved, together with other organizations, in creating and promoting abroad the national brand for the IT industry –“romaniaIT – Creative Talent. Technical Excellence”.

Cooperation with both public and private sector partners is the main success factor for many of the association’s projects. ANIS is a member in the Export Council, was involved in CoNaCo – National Competitivity Council and is now represented in the Coalition for the Development of Romania, created by the Prime Minister and coordinated by the Ministry of Economy.

ANIS is also closely involved and has active partnerships with bilateral chambers of commerce – AmCham, Romanian-French Chamber of Commerce, Romanian-German Chamber of Commerce – as well as with commercial representations attached to embassies of the target countries for our industry.

Interviewer: Diana Ciorba / For interview republication purposes please write at diana.ciorba@codespring.ro