The new BASSCOM Management keeps focus on current priorities

On 28 May 2014, was held the Annual general meeting of the Bulgarian Association of Software Companies - BASSCOM. As part of the meeting were presented the report of the organization for the past period and were marked the main directions of the Association’s work for next year.
During the past 2013 BASSCOM continued to impose the principles and values that have always been priority – to be open to all participants in the public- private partnership, to aim productivity , practicality and consistency in its actions, to monitor the compliance of the members’ interests with the development of the industry. As a result, the Association plays an increasingly strong role and is recognized as a reliable partner among government institutions, academia and the business community at home and abroad .

During the Annual General Meeting were discussed current issues facing the software industry in Bulgaria, the most important of which continues to be the growing shortage of talent, inhibiting the growth of most companies in the industry.

Next year BASSCOM will again focus its efforts to protect the interests of its members and promoting the key priorities for the sustainable development of the sector. The Association will continue to actively work for the implemention of necessary reforms in the Bulgarian educational institutions, to attract Bulgarian students studying abroad back to the country, to alleviate the regime of issuing the so-called " Blue Card of the EU ", which allows for people from outside the Community to work in the member countries, to promote Bulgaria as a high-tech destination where software companies develop their own products and services with high added value, and for the further development of the ecosystem supporting and encouraging innovation and entrepreneurship.

Stamen Kochkov, representative of " SAP Labs Bulgaria " Ltd. and a longtime member of the Management Board of BASSCOM, took over the presidency from George Brashnarov ( "Nemetschek Bulgaria" Ltd.), who headed the association from 2007 to date, and thus carried on the previously planned continuity.

As Members of the new Management Board were elected : Bisser Ivanov," Businessmap " Ltd., George Brashnarov, " Nemetschek Bulgaria Ltd., " George Zachariev " Netage " Ltd. , George Sharkov, " Soft Innovations " Ltd., Dimitar Peykov, " Johnson Controls Electronics Bulgaria "EOOD, Krasimir Stoyanov, " Orak Engineering " Ltd., Krum Hadjigeorgiev " Melon Inc.”, Rumen Banov " Hemimond " AD, Sonia Nachkova, Software AG Development Center Bulgaria " EOOD, Philip Mutafis, " Balkan Services " Ltd., Yavor Djonev, " Sirma Group Holding " Plc., Maya Marinova, Executive director of BASSCOM.
Twelve new companies joined BASSCOM as full members in the last year - " Accedia " AD, " Businessmap " Ltd., " Viscomp " Ltd., " D Consulting" Ltd., " ERP Bulgaria " Ltd., " Imperia Online" Ltd., " Infragistics Bulgaria " EOOD," Programista " Ltd.," TSD Services " Ltd., " Web Publishing House " AD " First Online Solutions Ltd." and "HighQ Solutions "Ltd., As associate members the Association joined "Junior Achievement Bulgaria", the Faculty of International Economics and administration at the Varna Free University, and the "Nova Idea" Foundation .