TechTeam Akela is the nearshore Application Development Outsourcing division of TechTeam Inc., (Nasdaq: TEAM). The division provides custom software development and managed application services.
History
Founded in 1998 by young Lucian Butnaru (19 at the time), the company set off to grow quickly from its outsourcing contracts with French clients, reaching its first USD 1 million in revenues in 2000. The following years, the company saw a diversification in target markets (Switzerland, the UK, the US, Germany, Romania) and client base, opening also an US office in New Jersey, in the fall of 2003.
In late 2005, Akela was acquired [http://www.aries.ro/Newsletter/newsletter_ist10.htm#x1] by TechTeam Global, Inc , a global provider of IT and Business Process Outsourcing services, in a EU 3.5 million deal. Following the acquisition, Akela became TechTeam Akela, the Software Development and Managed Application services division within the TechTeam group, and expanded its presence in Belgium, Germany, the UK, and Sweden.
At the end of 2006, TechTeam Akela became the first Staged - CMMI-DEV certified company in Romania and one of the first in Europe under the new version 1.2. In 2007, the software division counted around 250 software specialists, while the overall presence of TechTeam in Romania rounded up at about 600 employees.
Activity focus
Application Development Outsourcing
Application Maintenance Outsourcing
IT Staffing
On-going Agile development
Selected Clients:
Orange, Metro Group International, Colliers, IBM, IATA, Ubisoft, LUKoil, EVCA, Markit, as well as many mid-size business service companies and ISVs.
Quality and project management certifications:
ISO 9001:2000, Staged CMMI-Dev M3 V1.2
History
Founded in 1998 by young Lucian Butnaru (19 at the time), the company set off to grow quickly from its outsourcing contracts with French clients, reaching its first USD 1 million in revenues in 2000. The following years, the company saw a diversification in target markets (Switzerland, the UK, the US, Germany, Romania) and client base, opening also an US office in New Jersey, in the fall of 2003.
In late 2005, Akela was acquired [http://www.aries.ro/Newsletter/newsletter_ist10.htm#x1] by TechTeam Global, Inc , a global provider of IT and Business Process Outsourcing services, in a EU 3.5 million deal. Following the acquisition, Akela became TechTeam Akela, the Software Development and Managed Application services division within the TechTeam group, and expanded its presence in Belgium, Germany, the UK, and Sweden.
At the end of 2006, TechTeam Akela became the first Staged - CMMI-DEV certified company in Romania and one of the first in Europe under the new version 1.2. In 2007, the software division counted around 250 software specialists, while the overall presence of TechTeam in Romania rounded up at about 600 employees.
Activity focus
Application Development Outsourcing
Application Maintenance Outsourcing
IT Staffing
On-going Agile development
Selected Clients:
Orange, Metro Group International, Colliers, IBM, IATA, Ubisoft, LUKoil, EVCA, Markit, as well as many mid-size business service companies and ISVs.
Quality and project management certifications:
ISO 9001:2000, Staged CMMI-Dev M3 V1.2
The Jam Boy was first introduced in the 1800s when the British Empire occupied India. When the British gentry went to play golf, they would have two men, the caddy and a Jam Boy. The Jam Boys were covered in jam from head to toe, or sometimes jelly and used to attract the insects away from the golfers. After fulfilling his duties, a jam boy would be allowed to keep the fly-covered jam for himself.
On some North African and far eastern countries (Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam) the practice continues today. This practice is known as "the Nelly".
In Tasmania, Australia the jam boy is often called "Harold" or "Beauy" as they are said to act in similar ways to the current town drunk.
At a recent golf outing in Pennsylvania, a group of young males used a caddy as well as a volunteer jam boy in protest of the practice.
On some North African and far eastern countries (Egypt, Thailand, Vietnam) the practice continues today. This practice is known as "the Nelly".
In Tasmania, Australia the jam boy is often called "Harold" or "Beauy" as they are said to act in similar ways to the current town drunk.
At a recent golf outing in Pennsylvania, a group of young males used a caddy as well as a volunteer jam boy in protest of the practice.
Sos Petrosyan was born in Yerevan, Armenia in 27.05.1972
Victoria Petrosyan was born in Moscow, Russia in 09.07.1978
Sos and Victoria Petrosyans are leading Quick Change Artists in the World. Based in Germany - Russian/Armenian duo Sos & Victoria Petrosyans "The New Generation of Quick-Change Artists" are twice Quick Change Guinness World Records holders, changing into 16 costumes in 120 seconds (Germany) and 12 costumes in just 60 seconds (China). The Petrosyan duo innovated a completely new style in the Quick Change Illusion genre. They began in 1991 in Moscow. Magic Circle of Germany /MZvD/ decided to present Sos & Victoria as the Best Magic Act in 2007. Duo Petrosyan Awarded - The Best Magician of the Year and International World Merlin Award in USA for the fastest quick change act in the world. They are the only magicians in the world who have gotten this Magic Oscar twice. In Los Angeles they got World Magic Award for the BEST CABARET DUO 2008. All the tricks and transformation costumes used in their performances have been developed by Sos exclusively for their original act.
Victoria Petrosyan was born in Moscow, Russia in 09.07.1978
Sos and Victoria Petrosyans are leading Quick Change Artists in the World. Based in Germany - Russian/Armenian duo Sos & Victoria Petrosyans "The New Generation of Quick-Change Artists" are twice Quick Change Guinness World Records holders, changing into 16 costumes in 120 seconds (Germany) and 12 costumes in just 60 seconds (China). The Petrosyan duo innovated a completely new style in the Quick Change Illusion genre. They began in 1991 in Moscow. Magic Circle of Germany /MZvD/ decided to present Sos & Victoria as the Best Magic Act in 2007. Duo Petrosyan Awarded - The Best Magician of the Year and International World Merlin Award in USA for the fastest quick change act in the world. They are the only magicians in the world who have gotten this Magic Oscar twice. In Los Angeles they got World Magic Award for the BEST CABARET DUO 2008. All the tricks and transformation costumes used in their performances have been developed by Sos exclusively for their original act.
KIM Tze Wen, Lawrence (aka Lawrence Kim) is a prominent entrepreneur and businessman from Singapore and currently heads Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd and HTT International Pte Ltd. He is among Singapore’s youngest entrepreneurs, known for his energy and enthusiasm and he recently won the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards’ National Champion Award for Singapore and will be representing Singapore in the Global competition being held by Global Student Entrepreneur Awards in November of 2009
Education and Early Career
KIM Tze Wen, Lawrence was born in Singapore on 12th of March 1982. Coming from a lower class family, he led an ordinary life and completed his secondary schooling from Pioneer Secondary School. In 1999, after completing his O level examinations, Lawrence founded his first company Ebenezer Print Solutions Pte Ltd with a small 2000 Investment. The company bought and sold reams of paper and provided basic printing services for Name cards, invoices. Within 3 years Lawrence transformed his company into a successful business with over 100 corporate clients. In 2003 graduated with a diploma in Banking and Financial Services from the Singapore Polytechnic.
National Service and Downturn in Business
In 2003, Lawrence was enlisted into the Army to serve his National Service in Singapore and couldn’t devote sufficient time to his business and as a result the profits suffered. By 2004; Ebenezer Print Solutions Pte Ltd had seen a massive decline in revenues and its losses were on a rise.
Recovery and University
In 2004, during his second year of National Service, Lawrence turned the company around and within months, the company was back on its way to making profits. In 2005 Lawrence was selected into the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University for his undergraduate studies. 2006 marked the year when Lawrence sold his entire stake in Ebenezer Print Solutions Pte Ltd and decided to expand his business by investing in bigger ventures. Lawrence decided to step into the Non Destructive Testing industry by investing in his fathers, then stagnant business, Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd. In 2006 Lawrence also founded HTT International Pte Ltd, an R&D company.
HTT International Pte Ltd
Lawrence founded HTT International as a technology company to venture into the research and development of innovative products that bring solutions to everyday problems. The Company works under the slogan "Bringing Innovative Solutions to Life". HTT International currently has one product patent under its belt.
Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd
Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd was founded by Mr. Kim Kerh Chay on 23 May 1994 as a sole proprietor. In 2006, Lawrence invested in Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd and became the company’s Managing Director. Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd provides quality technical inspection and testing services to customers both locally and overseas.
Lawrence has revived Ebenezer NDT Service Pte Ltd into a reputable company providing its services to companies such as Aalborg Industries, MMI Boiler, Mun Siong Engineering Pte Ltd, Exxon Mobil, Keppel Shipyard, Pulau Ular, Marina Bay Sands and etc. Under his supervision, the company’s revenue increased from S$ 100,000 in 2006 to over S$ 1 million in 2008 and its workforce increased by over 300% in these 3 years. Today it is a multimillion dollar company, employing over 20 employees with operations all over South East Asia.
Eliezer Pte. Ltd
In 2009, Lawrence graduated from Singapore Management University with Bachelor in Business Management, majoring in Law and now devotes his time to pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams. In a celebration of his 27th Birthday and his decade long entrepreneurial journey, Lawrence launched Eliezer Pte Ltd on 12th March 2009. Eliezer act as a front to help provide funding to young entrepreneurs in Singapore. The biggest fund under this firm is The Angel Fund, worth over S$ 100,000 and provides students in Singapore up to S$ 15,000 each in funding for start of new businesses. The company also offers a Kim’s Entrepreneur Scholarships which awards S$ 3000 every year to a student entrepreneur from Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University. Besides this, each year, Eliezer also hands out a S$500 book prize for the most outstanding student entrepreneur and also matches the SPICE funding from Singapore Polytechnic dollar for dollar scheme.
Key Posts Held
# Council member, Northeast CDC (2009 to Present)
# Honorary treasurer, NDT Society Singapore (2008 to Present)
# Young Business Leader (MCYS), NYC (2008 to Present)
# Honorary Treasurer, School Advisory Committee Pioneer Secondary School, M.O.E (2007 to Present)
# President, Singapore Polytechnic Student Entrepreneurs Club (2002 to 2003)
# Public Relationship Coordinator, School of Business Club, Singapore Polytechnic (2001 to 2002)
Awards, Achievements and Nominations
# Nominees: Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (2009)
# Recipient of theGlobal Student Entrepreneur Awards' National Champion Award for Singapore (2009)
# Nominee: Singapore Youth Award (2008)
# First in Singapore Management University Business Innovations Challenge (2007)
# Nominee: Spirit of Enterprise (2007)
# Nominee: National Youth Award (2007)
# Recipient of the ETDF Funding and ICS under the SPRING Singapore and Economic Development Board (2007)
# Patent filed: 200404174-2 (2007)
# Nominee: Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore's Innovations award (2007)
# Finalist in 5th Singapore Polytechnic Entrepreneurship Competition (2002)
# Honor Roll. School of Business Academic Excellence Award(2001)
# , Edusave Scholarship (1995 to 1999)
Conferences Attended
* China-Asean Young Entrepreneurs Forum 2008 The China Asean Expo for the Discussion and adoption of the constitution China-Asean Young Entrepreneurs’ Association (CAYEA)
* China-Asean Youth Conference 2008 A conference hosted by the government of the Republic of China so as to foster relationship between the China-Asean member nations.
* Aseanpreneurs 2008 Represented Singapore Management University in the Annual Aseanpreneurs conference held in the National University of Singapore to host representatives from all across the Asean-member countries from the entrepreneurial arena
Media Features
* Lianhe Wanbao, “Undergraduate set up Angel-Fund to help student-entrepreneur” (12 March 2009)
* The Straits Times, “27-year-old pledges $100k to help students” (12 March 2009)
* Lianhe Zaobao, “Undergraduate set up scholarship to help student-entrepreneur” (12 March 2009)
* Today, “Student and Benefactor” (12 March 2009)
* Lianhe Wanbao, “26 years old, Million dollar Entrepreneur” (28 Dec 2008)
* Lianhe Zaobao, “ Singapore Spirit” (09 Aug 2008)
* Nanning RuBao, “Singapore entrepreneurs’ new found opportunity” (05 Aug 2008)
* Lianhe Zaobao, “Government will invest more than $1 billion more to promote research innovation and enterprise” (29 Mar 2008)
* Lianhe Zaobao, “SMU students visit Israel to experience “wartime” business spirit (12 Mar 2008)
* Singapore FM 93.8 Live, “Interview” (22 Nov 2007)
* EDUScape Magazine, “I was a Teenage Boss” (1 Sep 2004)
* The Straits Times, “Outstanding graduate of Singapore Polytechnic” (20 Aug 2003)
* FULLStop magazine, “More than a wishy-washy business” (1 Feb 2003)
* The Straits Times, “Ok Home Biz“ (19 Mar 2003)
* STREATSLocal, “Towkay Student” (21 Aug 2002)
Education and Early Career
KIM Tze Wen, Lawrence was born in Singapore on 12th of March 1982. Coming from a lower class family, he led an ordinary life and completed his secondary schooling from Pioneer Secondary School. In 1999, after completing his O level examinations, Lawrence founded his first company Ebenezer Print Solutions Pte Ltd with a small 2000 Investment. The company bought and sold reams of paper and provided basic printing services for Name cards, invoices. Within 3 years Lawrence transformed his company into a successful business with over 100 corporate clients. In 2003 graduated with a diploma in Banking and Financial Services from the Singapore Polytechnic.
National Service and Downturn in Business
In 2003, Lawrence was enlisted into the Army to serve his National Service in Singapore and couldn’t devote sufficient time to his business and as a result the profits suffered. By 2004; Ebenezer Print Solutions Pte Ltd had seen a massive decline in revenues and its losses were on a rise.
Recovery and University
In 2004, during his second year of National Service, Lawrence turned the company around and within months, the company was back on its way to making profits. In 2005 Lawrence was selected into the Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University for his undergraduate studies. 2006 marked the year when Lawrence sold his entire stake in Ebenezer Print Solutions Pte Ltd and decided to expand his business by investing in bigger ventures. Lawrence decided to step into the Non Destructive Testing industry by investing in his fathers, then stagnant business, Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd. In 2006 Lawrence also founded HTT International Pte Ltd, an R&D company.
HTT International Pte Ltd
Lawrence founded HTT International as a technology company to venture into the research and development of innovative products that bring solutions to everyday problems. The Company works under the slogan "Bringing Innovative Solutions to Life". HTT International currently has one product patent under its belt.
Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd
Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd was founded by Mr. Kim Kerh Chay on 23 May 1994 as a sole proprietor. In 2006, Lawrence invested in Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd and became the company’s Managing Director. Ebenezer NDT Services Pte Ltd provides quality technical inspection and testing services to customers both locally and overseas.
Lawrence has revived Ebenezer NDT Service Pte Ltd into a reputable company providing its services to companies such as Aalborg Industries, MMI Boiler, Mun Siong Engineering Pte Ltd, Exxon Mobil, Keppel Shipyard, Pulau Ular, Marina Bay Sands and etc. Under his supervision, the company’s revenue increased from S$ 100,000 in 2006 to over S$ 1 million in 2008 and its workforce increased by over 300% in these 3 years. Today it is a multimillion dollar company, employing over 20 employees with operations all over South East Asia.
Eliezer Pte. Ltd
In 2009, Lawrence graduated from Singapore Management University with Bachelor in Business Management, majoring in Law and now devotes his time to pursuing his entrepreneurial dreams. In a celebration of his 27th Birthday and his decade long entrepreneurial journey, Lawrence launched Eliezer Pte Ltd on 12th March 2009. Eliezer act as a front to help provide funding to young entrepreneurs in Singapore. The biggest fund under this firm is The Angel Fund, worth over S$ 100,000 and provides students in Singapore up to S$ 15,000 each in funding for start of new businesses. The company also offers a Kim’s Entrepreneur Scholarships which awards S$ 3000 every year to a student entrepreneur from Lee Kong Chian School of Business at Singapore Management University. Besides this, each year, Eliezer also hands out a S$500 book prize for the most outstanding student entrepreneur and also matches the SPICE funding from Singapore Polytechnic dollar for dollar scheme.
Key Posts Held
# Council member, Northeast CDC (2009 to Present)
# Honorary treasurer, NDT Society Singapore (2008 to Present)
# Young Business Leader (MCYS), NYC (2008 to Present)
# Honorary Treasurer, School Advisory Committee Pioneer Secondary School, M.O.E (2007 to Present)
# President, Singapore Polytechnic Student Entrepreneurs Club (2002 to 2003)
# Public Relationship Coordinator, School of Business Club, Singapore Polytechnic (2001 to 2002)
Awards, Achievements and Nominations
# Nominees: Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (2009)
# Recipient of theGlobal Student Entrepreneur Awards' National Champion Award for Singapore (2009)
# Nominee: Singapore Youth Award (2008)
# First in Singapore Management University Business Innovations Challenge (2007)
# Nominee: Spirit of Enterprise (2007)
# Nominee: National Youth Award (2007)
# Recipient of the ETDF Funding and ICS under the SPRING Singapore and Economic Development Board (2007)
# Patent filed: 200404174-2 (2007)
# Nominee: Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore's Innovations award (2007)
# Finalist in 5th Singapore Polytechnic Entrepreneurship Competition (2002)
# Honor Roll. School of Business Academic Excellence Award(2001)
# , Edusave Scholarship (1995 to 1999)
Conferences Attended
* China-Asean Young Entrepreneurs Forum 2008 The China Asean Expo for the Discussion and adoption of the constitution China-Asean Young Entrepreneurs’ Association (CAYEA)
* China-Asean Youth Conference 2008 A conference hosted by the government of the Republic of China so as to foster relationship between the China-Asean member nations.
* Aseanpreneurs 2008 Represented Singapore Management University in the Annual Aseanpreneurs conference held in the National University of Singapore to host representatives from all across the Asean-member countries from the entrepreneurial arena
Media Features
* Lianhe Wanbao, “Undergraduate set up Angel-Fund to help student-entrepreneur” (12 March 2009)
* The Straits Times, “27-year-old pledges $100k to help students” (12 March 2009)
* Lianhe Zaobao, “Undergraduate set up scholarship to help student-entrepreneur” (12 March 2009)
* Today, “Student and Benefactor” (12 March 2009)
* Lianhe Wanbao, “26 years old, Million dollar Entrepreneur” (28 Dec 2008)
* Lianhe Zaobao, “ Singapore Spirit” (09 Aug 2008)
* Nanning RuBao, “Singapore entrepreneurs’ new found opportunity” (05 Aug 2008)
* Lianhe Zaobao, “Government will invest more than $1 billion more to promote research innovation and enterprise” (29 Mar 2008)
* Lianhe Zaobao, “SMU students visit Israel to experience “wartime” business spirit (12 Mar 2008)
* Singapore FM 93.8 Live, “Interview” (22 Nov 2007)
* EDUScape Magazine, “I was a Teenage Boss” (1 Sep 2004)
* The Straits Times, “Outstanding graduate of Singapore Polytechnic” (20 Aug 2003)
* FULLStop magazine, “More than a wishy-washy business” (1 Feb 2003)
* The Straits Times, “Ok Home Biz“ (19 Mar 2003)
* STREATSLocal, “Towkay Student” (21 Aug 2002)