This is because the management of IXTENT has always been aware that employees were the biggest company asset and it also approached them in this way. Absolute plurality of opinions and FREEDOM (not only in management ) of speech are the cornerstones of the company.

You are one of the two employees who managed to join IXT twice. How is it possible? You don’t enter a river more than once…
Yes, it’s true. Although our paths parted for six years, when I returned, I joined the company that still professed the same values but the changes in staff and organizational area were obvious. From the professional perspective, IXTENT had moved a big step forward during those few years. The important thing was that both parties felt the same and looked forward to further cooperation.

How long have you been working at IXTENT? In total?
In total, I should have served for the eleventh year with one break at IXTENT this year…

What do you like best about IXT / what was the reason for your return?
In general, I do not like returning to the same places, because the everlasting desire for knowledge drives me forward. But when I was returning to the Czech Republic after five years, I needed to stop for a while and at that moment IXTENT called again. This connection came to me as natural in the end.

Which stage do you consider better from professional perspective? The first one or the second one? And why?
I would not compare these stages at all, because the second stage would probably be impossible to happen without the first one, and each one gave me a lot. The path I take must fulfill me and at the same time move me forward. If we start to stagnate for a long time, there is a feeling of emptiness and I believe that life is too short for that.

What difference do you see between IXT staff in the first and second phase?
I probably would not have returned if there had been a complete personnel change. I definitely wanted to work again with the colleagues with whom I get on well and on whom I can absolutely rely. A pleasant surprise for me was that I also found plenty of new interesting people in IXTENT, with whom I really enjoy working every day.

Describe the “team spirit” at IXT… I hear you know the most about it 🙂
It is probably impossible to describe it, you have to experience it… It all starts with the recruitment of newcomers – it may often seem that we have great demands on them. This is because the management of IXTENT has always been aware that employees were the biggest company asset and it also approached them in this way. Absolute plurality of opinions and FREEDOM (not only in management ) of speech are the cornerstones of the company.

You worked in the UK, in OpenText. Can you compare the work commitment of IT staff in England and the Czech Republic?
I don’t think the work commitment is fundamentally different, at least according to what I experienced. Perhaps only the projects in Arab countries were characterized by somewhat more lackadaisical approach to work. However, the fundamental difference I see is in the approach to customers. OpenText is a large corporation that can be, say, more uncompromising to customers. Here I feel that we would sometimes do anything to make the customer happy and get them anything we see in their eyes, even at the cost of company profitability.

What is it like working for a software manufacturer?
In many respects, it’s easier. You are in a bilateral relationship with the customer and there is no one else between you. The way to achieve the same result is then somewhat faster. But if I were to talk about the corporate approach in general, then, of course, it has a lot of advantages and disadvantages. I personally enjoyed working in different countries and getting to know cultural differences. On the other hand, I worked in a virtual team and in dynamically changing project groups. Because of that, I missed the team spirit I was used to.

And for the implementer?
In this case, you often have to play the role of a mediator, which can be ineffective in certain way and at the same time quite exhausting or frustrating if the ideas of the parties differ. The great advantage of the implementer is the independent range of product solutions. Our goal is not to deploy an OpenText product, but a solution that meets customer’s expectations. The most fundamental decision is usually made already at the beginning of the project. The most important thing here is to listen and find common ground with the customer. I firmly believe that we have succeeded in most cases and will continue to do so. Then our work makes sense.

Advantages – disadvantages?
I think are clear from my answers. It depends on what you are looking for in your life. I found myself in both worlds, but since I have returned to IXTENT, it is clear what is closer to me.

Do you draw on your experience from OpenText at IXTENT?
Definitely yes. Every project is different, but even so, there is a certain intersection, whether in the expectations of customers or in the resulting delivered solution. I always try to bring positive experience from previous implementations.

What do you consider the most valuable experience?
There are definitely plenty of them. The most valuable experiences are usually redeemed by enormous effort, but this is probably how it should be. The motto of a race in which I recently took part came to mind: “Things that are easy to achieve are worthless!”

What would you say to companies that have not yet transformed their business into the digital environment?
If such a company still exists and has not gone bankrupt, please contact our sales department. We will still try to help you if it’s not too late .

Why should they choose a solution from OpenText?
OpenText products are definitely a guarantee of quality and a long-term developed solution. Another advantage are the investments in the development based not only on current trends, but especially on the needs of the customers to whom OpenText is trying to listen.

Where do you recharge energy? How is it possible that you look fresh and productive even after a sleepless night?
I prefer to relax with family and friends, ideally somewhere in the mountains, both in winter and summer. Anyway, thanks for the flattery, even though my wife sometimes says (and she’s right again) that the amount of productive time is not what it used to be when she met me… but that’s probably because of the children :-).

Goldfish? What could it do for you?
For me, the goldfish has already fulfilled almost all my wishes. Maybe it could bring us all the COVID-19 vaccine now.