Digital transformation
presents particular challenges in traditional sectors where established
operational patterns may resist technological change. Brazilian entrepreneur Haroldo Jacobovicz
has demonstrated remarkable insight into these challenges throughout his
career, developing business approaches that facilitate technology adoption
within conventional organizational structures.
Early
Recognition of Transformation Potential
Despite his
educational background in civil engineering—a field with well-established
traditional practices—Haroldo Jacobovicz recognized information technology’s
transformative potential before completing his studies at the Federal
University of Paraná in the 1980s. This capacity to identify technological
opportunities within traditional contexts would characterize his subsequent
business development.
Born into a family
with strong engineering traditions—his father Alfredo worked as a civil
engineer and university professor, while his mother Sarita was among Paraná’s
first female civil engineers—Jacobovicz might naturally have followed
conventional career paths within established construction practices. Instead,
he perceived how emerging
digital technologies could reshape operational approaches across various
sectors.
Testing
Boundaries with Microsystem
Haroldo Jacobovicz’s
first entrepreneurial venture, Microsystem, aimed to bring computerization to
traditionally manual retail operations. Founded with three technically skilled
friends before completing his university education, the company sought to
provide automated inventory control and cash register systems to stores,
pharmacies, and supermarkets.
Though this venture
closed after two years because “that market was not yet ready for
computerization,” it demonstrated Jacobovicz’s early recognition that
digital technologies could transform conventional business operations. The
timing challenge he encountered highlighted the gap between technological possibility
and organizational readiness that characterizes many digital transformation efforts.
Understanding
Institutional Barriers
After gaining
corporate experience at Esso (now Exxon Mobil), Haroldo Jacobovicz moved to the
Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant as an advisor to the Technical Director. This
position within a major state-owned enterprise provided crucial insights into
the specific organizational barriers affecting technology implementation within
traditional institutional structures.
During this period,
Jacobovicz observed “the difficulty in adopting computers given the
bureaucracy involved in immobilizing
permanent assets“—identifying a precise institutional mechanism that
limited technological advancement. This understanding of how established
organizational processes can impede digital transformation would inform his
subsequent business approaches.
Innovative
Adoption Models
When Haroldo
Jacobovicz returned to entrepreneurship in the 1990s, he established Minauro
with a business model specifically designed to overcome the institutional
barriers he had observed. The company offered “four-year contracts with machine replacement every
18 months, including maintenance” to governmental agencies.
This approach represented
an innovative solution to digital transformation challenges within traditional
organizational structures. By structuring technology provision as a service
rather than capital expenditure, Jacobovicz created an adoption pathway that
accommodated established bureaucratic processes while enabling technological
advancement.
The market validated
this approach, with Minauro winning “several bids in the South and
Southeast of the country.” Jacobovicz had effectively developed a business
model that facilitated digital transformation within traditional institutional
frameworks rather than requiring organizational structures to change before
technology could be implemented.
Comprehensive
Transformation Support
As computerization
became more established in Brazilian institutions, Haroldo Jacobovicz
recognized that effective
digital transformation required software solutions beyond hardware
provision. Through strategic acquisitions of companies including Consult,
Perform, and Sisteplan, he expanded his business offerings to incorporate
“tax, financial, administrative, health and education management
software.”
These moves resulted
in the creation of the e-Governe Group, providing comprehensive IT solutions
specifically designed for public administration requirements. This integrated
approach addressed multiple aspects of digital transformation within
traditional governmental structures, enabling technological advancement without
requiring fundamental organizational redesign.
Telecommunications
Infrastructure for Traditional Businesses
In 2010, Haroldo
Jacobovicz founded Horizons Telecom to serve “the corporate market”
with telecommunications infrastructure services. This venture provided
essential connectivity for traditional businesses seeking to participate in the
digital economy
without necessarily transforming their core operational models.
By developing reliable
telecommunications capabilities specifically designed for business
applications, Horizons Telecom created another pathway for digital
participation by conventional organizations. The company’s success—becoming
“a reference in the corporate niche” of telecommunications within a
decade—demonstrated the value of this targeted approach to supporting digital
connectivity within traditional business contexts.
Current Focus
on Performance Enhancement
Haroldo Jacobovicz’s
most recent venture, Arlequim Technologies founded in 2021, continues his
pattern of facilitating digital capabilities within existing organizational
structures. The company focuses on computer virtualization to enhance the
performance of existing equipment across various markets.
By enabling
organizations to boost “an outdated computer, making its performance
compatible with state-of-the-art equipment” without requiring new hardware
purchases, Arlequim provides another pathway for digital capability enhancement
that accommodates established operational patterns. This approach recognizes
that digital transformation often proceeds incrementally within traditional
organizations rather than through wholesale replacement.
Pragmatic
Transformation Approach
Throughout his career
spanning multiple decades and technology generations, Haroldo Jacobovicz has
demonstrated a pragmatic approach to digital transformation within traditional
sectors. Rather than demanding organizational restructuring before implementing
new technologies, he has consistently developed business models that
accommodate established institutional patterns while enabling technological
advancement.
This pragmatic vision
recognizes that effective digital transformation requires addressing both
technological possibilities and organizational realities. By creating adoption
pathways that work within existing structures rather than requiring their prior
modification, Jacobovicz has facilitated practical digital advancement across
various traditional
sectors of Brazil’s economy.