Totvs creates unit for international expansion
Valor Econômico
Totvs opens a new software development center this week. The unit will work as the basis for the project of international expansion the company has outlined for the next five years. The center - a 3-thousand-square-meter structure in the city of São Paulo - will concentrate and increase the activities that were distributed through three units. "We noticed there was a complexity to operate", says the Vice President of software development of Totvs, Marcelo Monteiro. "The move will improve communication and synergies among the areas. It will provide more agility to the projects".
Totvs, specialized in corporate management systems, will gather, in the new center, the activities of production of software, innovation, support and special services. "A software plant is the main bottleneck for the growth of the company", says the Executive. The company does not disclose how much it invested in the project. The unit will initially have 700 employees. The number reflects growth of 15% on the team since the end of 2010. The perspective is that another 15% increase occurs throughout the year.
Totvs is getting its act together to intensify its international expansion projects. Currently, the company - the largest Brazilian software group - operates in 23 markets, mostly Latin American and other Portuguese-speaking countries, including Portugal. "The goal is to become a global company, that is what will drive our pace of growth", says Monteiro. According to the Executive, the software development center will be the "main basis" of the expansion, which should commence in the coming months. Totvs does not disclose what will be the first markets where the company wishes to land.
In the new unit, the team will be divided based on the main sectors of activity of the company, such as health, agribusiness, retail and financial services. In January, Totvs acquired Gens Tecnologia to strengthen its presence in the segment of software for the healthcare sector. The company has also revealed its interest in companies that make systems for finances and construction. Totvs ended last year with net profits of R$ 137.5 million (US$ 78.1 million), 12% more than in 2009. The net income, of R$ 1.1 billion (US$ 625 million), increased 14.2% compared to the previous year.