Atento’s expansion in Brno is top investment of 2009

Atento Česká republika implemented the most significant investment in the IT and business support services sector in 2009. The company won the top award in the IT and Business Support Services category within the Investor of the Year competition for opening a modern customer-care centre in Brno. Second and third places in this category were won by Asseco Solutions and Tieto Czech, respectively.The awards were presented today at 7:00 p.m. during the announcement of the results of the tenth annual Investor of the Year competition organised by CzechInvest and the Ministry of Industry and Trade in cooperation with the Association for Foreign Investment (AFI).

Atento Česká republika ensures comprehensive communication between firms and their customers. “Our services are used particularly by clients in the telecommunications, banking, insurance and mail-order segments,” says Slawomir Laskowski, Business Development Director, Atento Česká republika. 

Due to its acquisition of new customers, Atento Česká republika decided in 2009 to build a new customer-support centre in Brno. The centre currently employs 200 operators and 20 other persons in support positions. The number of employees should grow to 250 next year. Atento employs a total of nearly one thousand people, including those at its branches in Prague and Liberec.

Similarly as in other countries, in the Czech Republic the company provides opportunities for young people to enter the workforce, though it also employs people at pre-retirement age. “Atento employs a group of workers from the market who otherwise have difficulty finding work,” says Soňa Brčáková, HR Manager, Atento Česká republika.

Second place in the IT and Business Support Service category went to Asseco Solutions, which is involved in the development, implementation and support of modern information and economic systems. The company was recognised for its investment in the development of new models and IT solutions such as Helios information systems.

Tieto Czech took third place in this category. The company, which is one of the country’s biggest employers in the area of providing IT services, decided to invest in the development of a software solution for the iMedOne hospital information system, whose parameters derive from new legislation and hospitals’ requirements.

Investor of the Year is a competition organised each year by CzechInvest and the Ministry of Industry of Trade in cooperation with the Association for Foreign Investment (AFI). The general partner of this year’s competition is the ČEZ Group; the partners are ČSOB, the National Gallery, QUIX and Zátiší Catering. The media partners of the event are Euro, Z1, E15 and Strategie.

The competing investment projects are evaluated by a committee composed of representatives of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, the AFI, CzechInvest and previous winners. For the first time this year, the celebratory announcement of the winners was realised in conjunction with the announcement of the results of the Business Property of the Year competition. The awards were presented to the winners today at 7.00 p.m. at the Cloister of St. Agnes of Bohemia in Prague.

BRIEFLY:

Investor of the Year 2009 – IT and Business Support Services

1st place: Atento Česká republika a.s.

2nd place: Asseco Solutions, a.s.

3rd place: Tieto Czech s.r.o.

For more information please contact the CzechInvest Press Centre

Štěpánka Filipová, spokesperson, phone: +420 296 342 538, stepanka.filipova@czechinvest.org

Contact to the AFI:

Martin Michalov, PR and Marketing Manager, tel.: +420 224 911 750, martin.michalov@afi.cz