The full-scale invasion started by Russia on February 24, 2022, has been a true test of resilience for every business in Ukraine and directly impacted the country’s IT sector. Companies had to urgently evacuate their specialists, pause their operations, and transform their businesses. They also had to think out of the box to come up with new solutions to ensure the continuity of work processes and fulfill their obligations both to the country and their teams, as well as to their numerous foreign partners.
In this column, Olena Kozlova, CEO and Co-founder of PLVision, a software product development company specializing in cutting-edge open-source networking solutions, shares the company’s insights on how to enable an organization’s financial growth despite the challenges of war and other geopolitical factors.
We have always set high standards for running our business regardless of the circumstances.
PLVision has been developing software products for more than 15 years, specializing in Computer Networking and Embedded Systems. We work with technology leaders from the Fortune 100 and Fortune 500, as well as ambitious startups from the US, Europe, and Israel. Solutions we develop help people around the world to get better access to networks.
We had a Business Continuity Plan like most IT companies. We kept our eye on the news, constantly informing people about our action plan in case of a possible emergency and how the company would be ready to help. At the same time, of course, no one wanted to believe that the worst scenario would happen. I am proud that when H-hour came, all our specialists acted as coordinated as possible. We continued to work no matter what, resolving the most critical issues, and on February 28, 2022, we already resumed all operational activities.
Later, when the period of blackouts came, company management did not need to further explain how important it was to ensure the stable operations of the company. Everyone understood the need to stay committed to our clients, our team, the company, our families, and the country. Everyone understood that Ukraine was in dire need of funds, and thus our donations, taxes, and contributions from our clients would play an important role in fighting the aggressor. I am happy that PLVision operates in the industry which, despite the challenges of the war, generated half of Ukraine’s exports in 2022. During wartime, we have managed to not only preserve our business but also to launch new projects and achieve 34,2% growth. This was possible because of our strong unique expertise and cohesive patriotic corporate culture.
In the first months of the war, our business page on LinkedIn turned into a real Ukrainian support machine. We wrote a lot about the war, asking our followers to spread information about Russia’s crimes and about how to support our country.
A number of experts advised us to stop posting about the war so much because we would scare away all potential partners, but we could not do otherwise. We wanted to show that Ukraine is alive and fighting, that those who trample upon the values of civilization must be stopped and punished, and that victory can be won. We felt great support from our customers – both from the companies themselves and their employees making significant contributions to Ukrainian donation programs.
Since 2013, PLVision has had an official office in Krakow, Poland. At the same time, almost all our specialists work from Ukraine. Last year we could afford to open various representative offices abroad, but we deliberately chose not to. Why? The answer is simple – specialists in Ukraine need jobs.
We have a strong reputation as a technological expert and partner, and we use it, among other things, to show that Ukraine is a country that produces innovative software solutions and handles their full development.
Despite the war, in 2022 PLVision’s experts presented at the top international conferences in the network industry – the ONE Summit from the Linux Foundation and OCP Global Summit from the Open Compute Project, presenting our development for open networks both under our brand and under the Ukrainian flag.
In addition, in this turbulent time, our company was granted membership in the global open-source organization Telecom Infra Project, highlighting its dedication to building open solutions for telecommunications along with its participants. With our work, we show every day that Ukrainians are making important contributions to the development of global technologies.
In 2022, PLVision’s largest investment was in the Ukrainian Armed Forces. This was an obvious decision for us. Over the last year, in cooperation with the Come Back Alive Foundation alone, our community donated more than half a million dollars ($541,163) to the needs of the military. The company also supported other projects to support Ukraine, including helping to finance the modernization of the command and reporting centers of Air Command West, as well helping to expand the functionality of the centralized video surveillance system in the Lviv Region.
There are even more programs we are supporting which we cannot disclose for security reasons. And of course, the company responded to volunteer requests from our team members.During this war, PLVision’s specialists have revealed themselves in a special way. Some is engaged in writing and cultural promotion of Ukraine in their free time. Some volunteer to improve the lives and social opportunities of children affected by the war. Others help with the purchase of necessary equipment for the military. There are many such stories. In addition, some of our team members have joined the Armed Forces. We are proud of them, support them in every way we can, and wait for their safe, healthy, and victorious return home!
We are grateful to Ukraine’s defenders for giving us the opportunity to live and work in our homeland. We also thank those who remain useful and tirelessly help the front-line forces, supporting the Ukrainian economy, the military and people in need.
Our happy, peaceful future is in our hands. Let’s get to work!
The full-scale invasion started by Russia on February 24, 2022, has been a true test of resilience for every business in Ukraine and directly impacted the country’s IT sector. Companies had to urgently evacuate their specialists, pause their operations, and transform their businesses. They also had to think out of the box to come up […]
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