Open Your Projects Day!
Open Your Projects Day!
In large and global companies, to an individual it looks as if everyone is working on something that’s unrelated to you, yet they’re all doing something. There’s loads of projects and clients, all in different phases, and with teams that vary in both sizes and skills!
Well, we noticed that one of the questions that seemed to be flying around the office was “Well, what are you on right now?” and so, we decided to bring all of our projects and teams together and let them pick the most creative way they want (no limits) to show what it is that they’re working now, who’s involved, what’s the dynamics – and just present the project to all IT Labbers!
In our Skopje Office Arena, as well as online, we had the “Open Your Project” days, where we had the chance to hear one from another what are they actually working on right now.
Some went with video, some with presentations, while others focused on explaining the work they do in a story-drive narrative – all in all, the “Open Your Projects Day” has helped everyone one in the company not just have a clearer idea of what’s at work on all levels, but also learn more about their teammates and know who they can contact when in need for specific issues!
So, what are you working on right now?
Work Hard, Play with Hardware
Work Hard, Play with Hardware
As a tech company working on delivering software solutions to our clients, we simply love code – we write it, line by line, we tweak it, change it – it’s something we’re good at. But as we all know, there is another component to technology – hardware – so we dive into that as well, honing our skills in handling it and working on assembling cool pieces.
On March 21st, we had an internal Electronics Workshop, organized and orchestrated by Blagoj Kjupev, CIO, at which team members had the opportunity to learn more about hardware, and get invaluable hands-on experience in working with it.
A group of IT Labbers had the chance to assemble a watch, a door-lock keypad, an electronic name tag (that we then connected to an app), a bluetooth speaker, and other pieces – working closely as they dived into schematics, tools, and snacks.
Why hardware? Well, understanding and appreciating hardware brings a lot of benefits for software engineers, helping them acquire a better understanding of what it is that they’re working on, how it all “plays out” once everything has been finished, and of course – it’s really fun.
Pics from the workshop say it all 🙂
IT Labs at the Embedded World Exhibition&Conference!
IT Labs at the Embedded World Exhibition&Conference!
As a company, IT Labs is dedicated to following the newest trends in technology, which means that participating or visiting some of the biggest events is a must – so off we went to this year’s Embedded World Exhibition&Conference!
At this event, which took place in the Messenzentrum in Nuremberg, Germany, from March 14th until March 16th, IT Labs’ Blagoj Kjupev (CIO) and Ilija Mishov (Co-founder) had the chance to talk to some of the world’s leading experts in IoT and BMS, see the achievements and innovation of leading companies in the fields, and just learn about the newest trends in embedded technology.
One of the highlights of these events was following all the emerging technologies in the world of FPGA and HDL, providing valuable information on where this technology will go in the coming years, and how IT Labs can adjust to align with the movement in this domain.
The Embedded World Exhibition&Conference brings the entire embedded community together once a year in Nuremberg and provides a unique overview of the state-of-the-art in this versatile industry.
Looking forward to the one next year!
Days of IT Labs – On the Road!
Days of IT Labs – On the Road!
We’re happy to announce that we’re going on the road – to bring IT Labs to college students and graduates looking for a place to start their careers in tech.
Next week, on March 20th, 22nd, and 23rd , we’ll hold sessions at which engineering students and graduates will have the chance to learn more about IT Labs and the Chip Design with HDL Training Program.
What will these sessions be about?
At these events, IT Labs’ Chief People & Talent Officer, Frosina Zafirovska, will talk about Life at IT Labs – covering everything from the opportunities we offer to young and aspiring techies all the way to how you can grow with IT Labs. We’ll also have IT Labs’ Chief Innovation Officer, Blagoj Kjupev, cover a variety of topics around – from what is FPGA and what can be done with the technology, all the way to diving into detail about the Chip Design with HDL Training Program.
At the end, they’ll both answer all of the audience’s questions!
Who should consider attending?
Are you an electrical engineering student in your 3rd or 4th year, or you’ve graduated and are looking to work with exciting technology, in an environment?
When and Where?
Mark the following dates and places!
- 20.03.2023 from 13:00 – Štip – Faculty of Computer Science at the University Goce Delchev
- 22.03.2023 from 17:00 – Skopje – Faculty of Computer Science and Engineering at the University Ss. Cyril and Methodius
- 23.03.2023 from 13:30 – Bitola – Faculty of Technical Sciences at University St. Kliment Ohridski
See you soon!
IT Labs Collaboration with Plug and Play!
IT Labs Collaboration with Plug n Play!
We’re proud to announce that we have officially partnered with Plug and Play Tech Center– joining our efforts in helping startups and corporate partners with their innovative projects and team(s) build–up! We’ll also support processes that involve finding vetted candidates that will fit specific roles or tasks!
What’s IT Labs’ role?
We’ll be working closely with startups and corporate partners, sharing our experience and know-how and helping them refine their products, as well helping established companies find the solutions that would cater to their business and tech needs.
From developing digitalization strategies and laying out improvement plans, all the way to working side-by-side with startups and established companies – helping them become more efficient and competitive in the market.
With our experience in a variety of industries, working for established international companies like Deloitte, PwC, and Anthology, we believe it’s our duty to help up-and-coming startups in turning their potential into success!
How Can I Get a Hold of IT Labs and Get Started with This?
All you need to do is contact Al Vaks at (al.vaks@it-labs.com) and we’ll get you started right away!
IT Labs, Winner of an Award at the Semos Academy Awards!
IT Labs, Winner of an Award at the Semos Academy Awards!
The team at “Semos Education” organized an award ceremony – aptly named the “Semos Academy Awards” at which awards were handed out to some of their talent partners, as well as some of the best students from their academies.
At the ceremony, IT Labs has been recognized as a premium talent partner, winning the award for most active participation in their JavaScript and Automation Software Tester academies. We had Erzana Maliqi, Talent Acquisition Specialist at IT Labs, present at the ceremony to receive the award.
As a company dedicated to developing talent and helping techies, we’re happy that our efforts and effect have been recognized, and we’re grateful for the opportunity that Semos Education has given us to share our knowledge and experience by engaging in a collaboration that supports their efforts.
Looking forward to next year’s awards ceremony!
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IT Labs at the First Power Platform Bootcamp in Skopje!
IT Labs at the First Power Platform Bootcamp in Skopje!
IT Labs was part of the first ever “Power Platform Bootcamp” that was held in Skopje, on February 25th 2023! Aside from supporting the event through sponsorship, IT Labs also had two representatives, Blagoja Panovski and Aleksandra Vinokjikj, holding a session titled “The Power of Platform Apps – Lessons Learned” at which they shared their experience working on the platform and using its functionalities.
The bootcamp was organized by Power Platform Macedonia, an independent organisation that looks to create a community in which will follow all the newest trends in the world of Power Platform, and a space where all enthusiasts and IT professionals who use the platform can meet, debate, and discuss on various topics.
The rise in popularity of the platform around the world highlighted the need for such an organisation, culminating with the Bootcamp – an event we know will become a mainstay in the tech community.
The agenda of the event was as follows:
- Accelerate Innovation using Power Platform
- The Power of Power Apps – Lessons Learned
- Unlocking the Power of Data with Data-drive Insights using Power BI
- Build Power Platform Complex Business Applications using Custom Connectors
As a supporter of new technologies and innovative solutions, it was an honour and a pleasure to be part of this event, which was attended by tech enthusiasts, businesspeople, startups, and education institutions!
Looking forward to next year!
Open Call for IT Labs’ Chip Design with HDL Training!
Open Call for IT Labs’ Chip Design with HDL Training!
We’re proud to announce that we’re opening a new training program for all interested in Chip Design with HDL (Hardware Description Language)! But before we dive into all the requirements and specifications, a short introduction on the program.
The goal of this training is to dive deep into how modern technology computer systems are designed, seen from a low-level design perspective. The training will be led by International experts from Denmark, Germany but also local experts, like our Chief Innovation Officer!
What will this training include?
It’s basically a training and learning course on how modern technology computer systems are designed, seen from a low-level design perspective. The technology is available worldwide, but now IT Labs would like to build a team of highly skilled engineers with knowledge on creation of digital systems using HDL (Hardware Description Language) on different types of silicon architectures like CPLD, FPGA and potentially on ASIC. With support of our colleagues and partners, IT Labs has crafted a fine-tuned roadmap that will unravel the secrets of specific skillsets and craftsmanship required to have a design and verification of HDL based designs. The training will contain a lot of practical examples, projects and hands on experience in working with real FPGA and CPLD chipsets that will be configured to execute diverse types of data and signal processing.
Chip Design with HDL
This is a methodology that is the only way to design a custom and highly complex digital systems with use of textual modelling language that describes the behaviour of digital electronics devices. The used HDL syntax in this training will be VHDL and the target architecture will be CPLD and FPGA.
Who can apply?
This program will be a fit for college students in the field of technology and computer science, who’re currently in the last year of their studies, as well as computer science and engineering graduates.
Candidate Prerequisites:
Mandatory:
- Successfully passed exams on Basics of Electronics course
- Successfully passed exams on Digital Circuits course
- Good understanding of Algorithms and data structures
- Basic understanding of Computer Systems and Architectures
- Basic understanding of Embedded Systems
Nice to have:
- Successfully passed exams on Advanced Electronics course
- Basic understanding of HW configuration with VHDL
- Basic knowledge in creation of electronics with digital circuits
- Basic knowledge of CPU/MCU architectures
- Basic development of SW using C or any assembly
IN-PERSON
On Wednesday, March 22nd , starting from 5 PM CET, an Open Day for Chip Design with HDL Training will be held at the Amphitheatre on FINKI, at which IT Labs’ Chief Innovation Officer, Blagoj Kjupev, will dive into detail about FPGA – from what FPGA is and how it can be used, all the way to talking about the training program, the structure of the program, and dive a bit more into all the necessary requirements in order for applicants to be able to successfully complete the training!
Driven for Success: The Story of Gjorgji Gjeorgjievski
Driven for Success: The Story of Gjorgji Gjeorgjievski
Here at IT Labs we’re all about learning, and the stories of successful people are something that we can all learn from. Meet Gjorgji Gjeorgjievski, Director of Engineering at one of the fastest-growing cloud computing–based data cloud companies in the world!
We asked him a few questions regarding his journey, and Gjorgji answered promptly and directly, laying it all out for everyone to see – from how he developed his love for tech, how he put that love to work and learning, all the way to what drives him, who are his heroes, and his one piece of advice worth its weight in gold for all aspiring techies!
Furthermore, this interview is just a prep for what’s to come!
We’ll have Gjorgji as part of our Re:Imagine Sessions, which is due to be held on 02/23/2023 from 07:00 CET, and his session will be titled ‘Scaling Engineering Organizations for Success’!
Interested in the session?
Read on for the whole scoop!
Gjorgji, your journey so far has been nothing short of spectacular - care to give us a short intro on how you got to where you are today?
I have to say that I have been fortunate enough for multiple things to align and open the gates at various crossroads of my life. Here are a few of the pivotal points in my career:
- Getting a scholarship from SOROS and affiliated organizations to attend Deerfield Academy high school in the US. This experience exposed me to a society where success is solely dependent on you. It served as a jumping board to my education and helped me eventually get accepted at Yale University.
- Starting my professional career at Microsoft. Such large tech companies focus on growing junior engineers, enabling them to not only develop their technical skills, but also learn how to operate across teams and organizations effectively.
- Joining Snowflake at the right time. Snowflake was on my radar for a number of years. As they started to scale exponentially, I felt that my experience and interests were quite aligned with what they wanted to do, and I wanted to help with this growth, all the while learning on the go.
What got you into technology?
I got my first computer as a gift from my aunt in my early teens. That initially got me into video games, followed by discovering the internet. That connected me to other young people who were passionate about computers and technology. I learned programming in BASIC and Pascal, which eventually led to me participating in various local and international programming competition
We all have our heroes - people that we look up to, who drive us to do better every day - who’s your hero? Or heroes? Do you have any?
My father Slobodan was always a role model for me. He taught me how to be happy about the things I have, but never be satisfied. To be hungry and foolish is something I think is very important, and I was inspired to be like this from a speech by Steve Jobs. My father passed away back in 2011, but at every point of success, I look back and thank him.
Learning lasts a lifetime, right? What feeds your hunger to learn and do more?
I spent most of my youth swimming competitively, and swimming is a sport in which you often compete against yourself. I used to spend up to 5 hours per day working out, swimming between two walls back and forth. Every stroke I took was an opportunity to learn and improve – a chance to do better and be better, and I was racing against myself to improve my best time. This striving later on transferred in my professional life – every chance given, is a chance to improve and achieve more. There will be mistakes, there will be setbacks, however, as the old quote by Alexander the Great goes – “there is nothing impossible to him who will try”
What’s the one thing that you wish you knew before you started your journey in the world of tech? Something you can share with young techies that are making their first steps?
Focus on experiences, not skills. Knowing a specific programming language or having a certificate for knowing a particular product will acknowledge you have gained appropriate skills. However, if you are not able to adjust those skills and transfer them to the appropriate situation or need, they are as good as not having them at all. For example, if you become an expert for C#, but your new job requires Java, you will need to start from scratch. On the other hand, doing a deep dive into designing and building distributed systems will help you in any related project, regardless of whether you are using C#, Java, C++, or just pseudo-code on the whiteboard.
What’s in store for the future? Where will data take the world?
Cloud Computing, ML/AI, Augmented Reality, Cybersecurity, e-Health, FinTech are some of the top technology trends developing in the past decade. Data is in the middle of all of them. They all generate, use, and manipulate data to the point where we are completely drowning in data. If we figure out how to store, transform, and access that data effectively, additional insights will open up inspiring new technological forefronts. Data is the new gold and it will become even more important.
Yay or Nay: Should You Get Involved with Crypto?
YAY OR NAY?
Should You Get Involved with Crypto?
Marko Tagliavia
Back-end Engineer at IT Labs
Crypto, crypto, crypto – if you haven’t been living under a rock, you’ve heard this at least a few times a day – either someone’s trading in it, or analyzing it, some people say it’s the next best things since sliced bread, while others say it’s all just a sham.
But which one is it? We had Marko Tagliavia, Backend Engineer at IT Labs and crypto enthusiast, guide us through the basics of crypto and give us the explanation on it, as well as help get us closer to answering that one question we’ve all thought of since the crypto craze began a few years ago – should you get involved with it?
On December 13th 2022, he held this Yay or Nay Session, which was structured in the following manner:
- Basics about crypto
- BTC and ETH as most popular coins
- Price history
- Why invest now?
- Trading platforms
- Live demo of trade on platform
- Advice for newbie folks how to start