Start-ups are beginning to be a fashionable subject in 2013. There are more and more organizations which wish to support these efforts, and we have recently published, in no. 12, an article on Gemini Foundry. We come back to this subject since different start-ups have shown interest in this initiative and there is the need of some clarification. Serban Tir, the technical director of the Gemini Solutions group of companies, together with Radu Popovici, have answered a few questions for us.

Business Days is already a well-known event on the national market and this month we have the opportunity to take part in its edition in Cluj. Laszlo Pacso, Business Days’ organizer had the kindness to answer to Today Software Magazine’s questions.
Tell us a few words about yourself. Very briefly about me: I’ve been an entrepreneur for more than 13 years, very passionate on project management, a business networking specialist

The idea of innovation is approached by numerous companies which focus on the optimization of their internal processes and finally on increasing the business value, adding the benefit of seeing their clients extremely satisfied with the products they offer. Lean Six Sigma, a relatively well-known approach for obtaining some excellent and efficient results, can help the executives of multinationals to discover new innovation opportunities beyond carrying out simple operations, to reach a high degree of productivity, a solid financial performance, as well as an inherent disposition towards innovation.

This edition of the Today Software Magazine appears at a time when the vacation is ending and people come back to work, have energy and appetite to learn and improve. That is why I will not disappoint the readers of this magazine and of my book reviews and I will choose a captivating subject. Book Java SOA Cookbook by Eben Hewitt addresses mainly to developers and architects with a large degree of experience. Those with less experience can find references about the level at which the architectures with witch they are working should reach.

Empathy is defined as the ability to stand in someone else’s shoes. This is the definition we tend to use. The specialists define empathy somewhat the same, presenting however different facets of it. Why do I write about empathy? Firstly, because it’s more and more encountered. It’s not new but now it gets a lot of coverage especially in business writings. At this point empathy is considered that one quality that makes the difference in the work environment. I agree with this and most probably a lot of people do but not because it’s the new thing, but purely based on an utilitarian perspective.

Gogu is a funny character, cynical here and there, an introvert for whom the interior monologue represents an alternative to real life. With Gogu’s help, we analyze different aspects of the life of a project manager and his team, we suggest solutions that are easy to understand and apply. As Gogu would put it… “almost common sense”.
We invite you to follow Gogu and send him your suggestions.
“Gogu, what’s with that dumbstricken face?!”
Misu pitied the imprudent that dared pick on Gogu on such a moment. Nobody wished to become Gogu’s target when he was angry, as the sourness of his replies would burn the soul of the unfortunate, and if by any chance you also had the lunacy to answer back, the fire of Hades would immediately become a much happier alternative.

The 2013 edition of the IEEE Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC) took place in Mexico, Cancun – a rather exotic setting for us Europeans. Along with the pleasant location it is also worth mentioning that CEC is one of the biggest and most important conferences, its main topic being evolutionary computation – which gives the enthusiasts in the field of evolutionary computation, such as myself, at least two reasons to participate in this event.

I have chosen two historical figures, in an attempt to offer a solution to one of the current challenges with Cluj IT: the big gap between the high demand and low offering of human resources. Starting with Henry Ford, the man responsible for the invention of the assembly line, but also a few revolutionary HR policies for their time. Like any business owner, he first tried to boost productivity by improving the manufacturing process. In a relatively new industry (Ford started his company in 1906, 17 years after Karl Benz patented his engine), through the invention of the mobile assembly line and the concept of mass production, Ford optimized the manufacturing time of one automobile from 12 and a half hour to just one hour and 33 minutes.

The annual conference organized by RTC (Romanian Testing Community) has grown, since the previous edition, in what matters most: content. From three to ten speakers, from one day with three sessions to two days, the first with two parallel four session tracks, and the second dedicated to two workshops held by Paul Gerrard and Andy Harding. This year the same number of participants have received five times more content. But the exchange on information was not limited to the scheduled talks. The strong point of the conference was the warm atmosphere and the speakers’ interactivity. Each break was filled with open discussions, most of them evolving in long private sessions that stretched to the next break.

There is more and more talk about the need for Romanian software companies to pass from outsourcing to developing their own products. No one knows for how long the services of local soft companies will be chosen to the detriment of other companies. For the moment, what gives us an advantage is the low price and high quality of soft services.