Interview with the CEO of TeamViewer Greece, Mr. Philipp Deutscher

In the October issue of STIGMA Magazine, we host Mr. Philipp Deutscher, a computer science graduate with long experience as a software engineer. In recent years he has taken over the position of IT & Software Development Manager of TeamViewer, with responsibility for the development and configuration of some new products of the company and CEO of TeamViewer Greece, since 2019.

Q: Good morning, Mr Deutscher, would you like to tell us a little about yourself, the company represented and your position in it?

A: My name is Philipp Deutscher. I have been working with TeamViewer for three years now as IT & Software Development Manager. I am currently playing the role of CEO of TeamViewer Greece, a position I held since July 2019. I moved to Ioannina to build and strengthen the expansion of our company in the Greek market. In addition, I have the responsibility to design some of our products and work on the TeamViewer connectivity platform as IT & Software Development Manager.

 

Q: How many people are currently working on TeamViewer? What qualifications but also special characteristics are required to work in the company?

A: The Research and Development Center of our company in Greece currently employs 28 computer engineers from Greece and abroad and we intend to expand our workforce in the coming years. By the end of this year we will have about 50 employees. We continue to strive to attract emerging talent and create successful career paths for all our employees within the organization. One of the main criteria we are looking for is a good knowledge of the C ++ programmer language.

 

Q: By what criteria was the installation of TeamViewer offices in the city of Ioannina chosen? What prospects do you think are created in the company and in the region?

A: Ioannina is a city with large universities and many graduates in the field of information technology, so for us, it is an area with many opportunities. The choice of this city underscores our goal of furthering innovation. This innovation will help to diversify our product range even more, in order to serve more cases of use and an increasingly diverse set of customers, while simultaneously expanding to more geographical areas worldwide. The Research and Development Center in Ioannina houses some newly formed flexible teams and talents that will enhance the mechanical capabilities of the sector.

 

Q: What do you think was the contribution of TeamViewer and its products to remote access and teleworking until the outbreak of the pandemic? What period followed?

A: More generally, travel constraints make remote access and collaboration capabilities a critical success factor for many companies. With TeamViewer's wide range of services, we offer companies of all sizes the right connectivity solutions they need to keep them running smoothly. We can easily develop our products in distancing conditions. The fact that this for us does not require months of preparation and processing in the field of information technology is an advantage in a global pandemic where quick solutions are required.

 

Q: The previous period was a difficult period due to the appearance of the Coronavirus Pandemic, how did this affect TeamViewer and how did it change the market in which you operate?

A: The last few months have been a period of many trials for many companies, including TeamViewer. We tried to react to the new situation as soon as possible. Almost all of our approximately 1,000 employees worldwide worked remotely for weeks. At the same time, the demand for our products and solutions has increased. In order to be able to offer our customers the best possible service during the crisis, it was even more important for all of our employees to be able to work just as productively from their home offices as from their usual workplace. The fact that we managed to manage this exceptional situation very well is mainly due to our unique corporate culture and the high level of commitment of our team.

 

Q: How do you think the coronavirus pandemic affected the world market and economy? Would you describe these changes as short-term or permanent?

A: As a company offering a global business interface platform, our observation was that there are many large-scale technological trends that are massively shaping our growth, such as digital transformation in general, robotics or the IoT, the so-called Internet of Things. In the future, we will all work more networked, more automated and in many cases regardless of the location where we will be. TeamViewer offers a leading platform for networking devices of all kinds - for companies of all sizes and industries. The health crisis in relation to the new Coronavirus has acted as a catalyst for digitization throughout the economy. What used to be discussed lightly and with lengthy procedures suddenly became a reality for all of us within a few days. Many companies have upgraded their telecommuting solutions in recent months and have invested in digitizing their processes. We have certainly noticed this trend in our business as well. And we are pleased that our business software has been able to critically deliver real operational value to many companies during the pandemic. We also see significant potential for a return to normalcy after the crisis, at which point both digitization processes and remote work will play an important role.

 

Q: It is known that your company's services extend to the Internet of Things sector. What do you think will be the future of the sector? How is it thought to be affected by the new pattern of distance trading and employment relationships?

A: Against the backdrop of global technology trends such as the rapid proliferation of electronic devices, automation and new working conditions, TeamViewer is progressively shaping the digital transformation of processes and constantly innovating in the augmented reality, Internet of Things and artificial intelligence.

 

Q: What is the company's vision regarding its development in Greece and your own personal vision?

A: TeamViewer's vision is to become a global leader in interconnection solutions and industrial workplace technologies. We have a long-term plan for this Research and Development Center in Ioannina. Ioannina is a melting pot of computer engineering graduates and we intend to attract further talent from Ioannina, Athens and Thessaloniki. This is because we see in these individuals a great opportunity to step up our innovation efforts as we constantly strive to extend the different uses of our systems to many other areas.

Personally, I am very proud to be part of this new chapter in our corporate history and to shape the future of this Research and Development office in Ioannina.