HITS

For nearly 40 years now, Monterrey, Mexico-based IT services firm Softtek has been developing customized software and managing IT infrastructure for customers. For media and entertainment firms, the benefits of Softtek’s industry offerings — customer insights using AI, predictive analytics, optimized sourcing and procurement, IoT, and rapid content deployment—have never been more crucial.

A pair of Softtek’s top talent— media industry lead Jorge A. Zarur and video gaming industry lead Kurt Nipp — spoke with MESA about the company’s origins, what makes the company unique in its space and what Softtek has planned next.

MESA: How did Softtek first come on the scene, what was the impetus for the company?

Softtek: We were founded in 1982 as a small IT services company, developing customized software for customers — including Mexico’s second largest bank — and managing IT infrastructure. Following the inception of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Softtek introduced the nearshore model, pursuing projects in the U.S. and Canada to become the IT company of the Americas. In consequence, Softtek opened its first global delivery center in Latin America in 1997.

In August 2000, Blanca Treviño took the position of president and CEO. In August 2007, the company acquired China-based I.T. UNITED, extending its services to the Asian market, and in 2013, it acquired Systech, an SAP company in India. In December 2019, Softtek acquired 75% of Vector ITC, a Spain-based digital technology services firm. These additions to the team consolidated Softtek’s presence around the globe, now with 15 global delivery centers, office presence in 30 different countries and more than 15,000 employees.

MESA: Softtek offers a variety of services for M&E clients, including game launch support, specialized gaming development and testing services, new product launch support and hybrid cloud management. What makes Softtek stand out in these areas, what do you offer that others do not?

Softtek: We’re a systems integrator with experience in 10 industry verticals in more than 72 countries. The difference is that Softtek can bring businesses the best of two worlds: 1. The ability to develop tailor-made applications, platforms and infrastructure, and 2. The incorporation of technologies backed up with the experience of our engineers and practices in this, or other industries, with proven results.

Leveraged by its vast experience in different industries, Softtek has business consultants that are endemic to the M&E vertical. These individuals understand the business perspective, specific requirements, budgets and timeframe in order to bring solutions that maximize the value of the technologies at use.

MESA: Data — and the ability to react quickly to that data — is more important than ever before for media and entertainment companies. How does Softtek approach predictive models and analytics to help its customers?

Softtek: Cognitive computing, machine learning applications and robotic process automation (RPA) can transform operational models and user experiences.

To seize the intelligent process automation opportunity, data is leveraged from existing workflows, job functions and organizational structures, delivering what executives need to make informed decisions. A “clean slate” perspective and design thinking is needed to truly redefine the possibilities of technology-driven transformation based on data turned into information.

Softtek’s Intelligent Automation capabilities help businesses fully leverage data dumps. Our “automation first” mindset optimizes the role of digital labor and continually identifies sources of information. We take a tool-agnostic approach to implement business and IT process automation while effectively managing service delivery to achieve maximum benefits. And by integrating immediate, measurable results with a long-term vision, we align data with customer needs and enable a realistically ambitious strategy for transformation.

MESA: On the tech side, what does Softtek offer for electronics and technology firms, when it comes to designing and creating new product launches?

Softtek: Our proprietary collection of products, platforms and frameworks provide organizations with the fundamentals they need to accelerate time-to market. These digital enablers for growth (DIEGO) serve as a launching point to help address the increasing demands for new products and continual digital transformation.

These products are:

• DIEGO blauLabs: Enterprise IoT solutions; It seamlessly integrates into your technology ecosystem; connects “out-of-the-box” to a wide variety of signal and data sources; processes large amounts of data in a Cloud environment; and provides self-service advanced visualization and analytics tools. Gather, understand and act on information generated in the physical world from things, systems and people.

• Business on Demand: A business management solution based on SAP S/4HANA in the cloud, designed for small and medium-sized companies to access a world-class ERP under a monthly subscription model.

• Infrastructure: Operates under the most robust services platform on the market
• Updates: Forget about implementation costs and future SAP upgrades
• Support: Count on high quality support for requirements and incidents
• Licensing: Costs and legal implications of running SAP S/4 HANA included within the service

• Click-2-Sync: Cloud-based, multi-channel e-commerce synchronization. Manages the complexities of omni-directional platform integration with dynamic standardized and a unified approach. We help individuals and organizations connect storefronts, marketplaces, ERPs and more. Consolidate your information and keep it synchronized across channels and platforms.

• Guest Engagement: For a customer-focused business, a digital transformation strategy must deliver a connected, omnichannel experience. Leveraging data at the point of sale is critical, as is integration between POS systems and customer data.

Today, however, businesses struggle to connect disparate platforms and data silos. Moreover, customer-facing applications typically operate in isolation from back-end data repositories. As a result, customer engagement initiatives often fail to gain the data-driven traction needed to deliver anticipated value. Softtek’s cloud-based Guest Engagement Solution integrates data at the point of customer interaction with back office and loyalty program systems in real time.

The solution delivers detailed customer insight, improved operational efficiency and personalized interaction that takes customer engagement to the next level.

• DIEGO Socializer: Socializer is a corporate mobile app for amplifying brand awareness and gamifying company communications through social media. Employees easily share company news, videos and other content on their social networks and email, right from their mobile device.

MESA: What are some of Softtek’s favorite customer success stories in the media and entertainment space, and why?

Softtek: NBC has been a Softtek client for the past 20 years; that length of time alone makes it a success story. During this period, we have been able to bring all our services to play, including application development, quality assurance, information security, ITIS and AMS. Every project implemented has reached its ultimate potential — either a deliverable or a standalone service — and NBC keeps praising Softtek’s ability to deliver.

Electronic Arts (EA) is another favorite. EA provides game experiences that have continued to WOW their players over the years. During our 11-year relationship with EA, we have ensured EA players consistent access to their games with services provided from many Softtek practices. We have cultural affinity with EA and continue to grow with them as they move their infrastructure to digital services using several leading cloud tools and technologies. EA continues to challenge us to be better than ever, and regularly praise us for our service quality and technical knowhow.

MESA: What’s next for Softtek, what advances and offerings can we expect from you next?

Softtek: Using rock climbing as an analogy, digital used to be like chalk. It made climbing easier, but you could still climb without it. Now, digital is the foothold keeping you from falling. There are trends in the M&E universe that have been present for some years now, however, not indispensable.

Given the unprecedented demand for ultra-personalized content, Softtek is committed to bring solutions to the M&E segment that help deliver specialized content that brings them closer than ever to their consumer, including AI, augmented reality, interactive content, Voice Search and contextualization in the customer experience.