Martin Ford, CEO M247: Romania is now the fastest growing digital economy in CEE

Companies are increasingly turning to external IT specialists to support their accelerating growth needs. IT management services are in high demand, according to M247, a company specializing in data management solutions. To find out more about trends in this area, we chose to talk to Martin Ford, International CEO of M247.

Last year M247 invested around €4.5 million in ITC infrastructure to help customers enable their digital transformation initiatives. In line with market demand for cloud services, distributed content, and edge computing within Romania, investments are in place to double the data center capacity of the company. The expansion also continues internationally to support customer requirements in 30 countries.

What advantages do you think a market like Romania presents for the company in your field of activity?

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Romania is a rapidly growing market. It is already second only to Poland in most metrics, and now is the fastest-growing digital economy in CEE. It has a range of macroeconomic characteristics that indicate the acceleration of cloud-based applications is still at the ‘beginning of the curve’ and the telecom infrastructure outperforms much of Europe.

Digital development can be measured in several ways but certainly, the announcements of some of the hyperscalers and the investment in Telecoms infrastructure send a very positive message that ‘it’s just beginning’. IT, in its broadest definition, is an aspirational career path in Romania providing a highly skilled and ambitious workforce. I feel positive.

How do you see the progress of your company in Romania?

Romania has an acute need for ICT services such as data management, security, connectivity, hosting, and cloud solutions. These technologies deliver the benefits desired by companies and institutions but also need to reduce pressure on internal resources.

Due to this high demand, we have continued to invest millions of euros in our infrastructure and global capabilities, to support the transformational journeys our customers are engaged in.

Our company stands out from its competitors through continuous innovation and agility, showcasing market-leading technologies and constantly keeping up with the industry benchmarks. With the full M247 International team present in Bucharest we maintain close relationships with each other and, most importantly, our customers.

To answer shortly your question: ‘We’re progressing really well and there’s a long way to go!’

You have experienced an increase in demand for hosting services. What were the most requested services in the M247 offer in Romania last year? What services do you expect to be more in demand this year?

Hosting Services covers a very broad range of services, and the demand will depend on various factors. Hosting has been around for a long time, and we are seeing an evolution in the sophistication of our service offerings. Pricing and technology developments are key, but so is the ease of transition and importantly, acceptance of different working models. Critical services are no longer housed on your own premises and run by your own people. Crucially, it comes down to security and reliability.

We are now seeing a rapidly growing demand for Back-up and Disaster Recovery as a service bringing greater flexibility, scalability, and security to businesses. These solutions require management and remote operations, driving a need for professional/managed services which in turn reduces the need for companies to hire and retain highly skilled technical teams in-house. This is where M247 steps-up providing support through the growing need for professional/managed services.

In summary, we’re on a cloud journey, the pace is increasing as companies gain the benefits and build confidence in their partners like M247.

Are you planning to hire people in Romania? What difficulties do you encounter in attracting staff? How do you overcome them?

Even during COVID we grew rapidly as a business, requiring us to hire a lot of new people, both commercial and technical. Key to our success as a company is the fact that we found a way to be more efficient and to work smarter – not just adding more people as we expand. By working smarter we expect to meet our FY24 goals without the need for a major recruitment drive.

What is very clear is that good people are always in demand and, Romania is increasingly a location for large international companies to open ‘technology hubs’ creating a shortage of available good people.

More than just a competitive salary, we want to provide a flexible environment where people can gain broader experience more quickly and develop their skills. We want people to feel confident to try new ways and personally grow. We look to champion diversity in the workforce and foster a sincere goal for M247 to be a great place to work. Work needs to be more than a paycheck.

If you like what you hear and would like to join us, there’s always room for great people.