Number Crunching
In 2017, too, codecentric AG was on a growth trajectory in every respect. The numbers speak for themselves:
More than 400 employees are now working on software solutions of the future, 364 of them at the 10 locations in Germany.
80 of them wrote approximately 180 new blog posts in their +1 time in 2017. In September alone, 29 new blog posts were published – almost one post per day on average, an absolute record!
In addition, approximately
150 community events were organized by and with codecentric AG
approx. 115 talks were given at conferences, and numerous new videos and podcasts were produced.
3 new issues of the Softwerker were published, including a special edition on the topic of digitalization.
More than 3,000 subscribers are now registered for the Softwerker.
The follower count across social media channels grew by more than 20 percent on average, and the Twitter channel broke the 3,000-follower mark. codecentric can now also be found on Instagram at @codecentricag.
New Partnerships
The codecentric network continues to grow: Since the beginning of the year, codecentric AG has been the official and first partner of Amazon Web Services' (AWS) Digital Innovation Program. The partnership is founded on a shared vision of what a successful digitalization strategy must look like – this strategy can be read in the Softwerker special issue "Digitalization." In February 2017, codecentric had already become a Standard Partner of AWS, the platform for cloud services.
Together with AWS, codecentric hosted the AWS Cloud Day in Nuremberg and Solingen in the fall. The goal of the event was to present concrete scenarios and use cases for the right cloud approach model. Our expert Dennis Traub opened the AWS Cloud Day with the keynote "Cloud is not a strategy" (see video). Both events were a great success.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPExLa6_lu0 Since September 1st, codecentric AG and Factory Works GmbH in Berlin have also been partners. Factory Works GmbH describes itself as a "next-generation business club fostering innovation." It brings together startups, freelancers, established companies, investors, and leading figures from business and politics in one place. With this mix, a fruitful exchange is guaranteed. It was therefore a natural fit to kick off this new partnership with a joint launch event on September 8th at the Factory location on Rheinsberger Straße.
factory Berlin – a new partner in 2017
New Awards from kununu
The fact that codecentric is among the most popular employers on the employer review platform kununu is almost old news by now. Nevertheless, we are always delighted by special accolades, such as 3rd place among the most family-friendly companies in Germany across all industries (!), which we achieved in a joint study by kununu and the magazine freundin. This ranking also prompted freundin to interview our employee Elke Törkel. The full interview can be read in our press release. We were also named a Top Mid-Sized Company by the magazine Focus Business.
Blockchain Lab by codecentric
The interest in innovative, disruptive technologies is practically written into the DNA of codecentric AG. True to Steve Jobs' motto "Stay hungry, stay foolish... Keep looking, don't settle," we proactively engage with approaches that some tech entrepreneurs may not yet have on their radar or might dismiss as a passing hype, but which could genuinely revolutionize entire sectors of the economy in the future. One such technology is blockchain, to which we have dedicated our own small innovation center within codecentric AG this year with the "Blockchain Lab." Alongside this, we launched a dedicated article column on our company blog and hosted a first "Chain Day" in Solingen in October, which offered blockchain enthusiasts a forum for exchange as well as expert knowledge in the form of specialist talks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHCb3X3_wL0
The First codecentric Unconf
100 codecentricers, three days without a fixed plan somewhere in the middle of the Soltau forest, over 70 spontaneous sessions, workshops, group sports, whisky/gin tasting, and countless great conversations: In May, codecentric held its first internal Unconf in the company's twelve-year history, and the consensus was unanimous after just the first conference day: "Why did we wait so long?" In the style of an Open Space, there was no fixed program – instead, the agenda was created each conference morning during the so-called "Marketplace." Participants made suggestions as they pleased. The result was a great mix of technical and practical sessions, such as Scala vs. Java, Data Science, Kotlin, or AWS. Many codecentricers also presented their activities from their 4+1 time, such as giving conference talks, podcast and video productions, and much more. There was also intensive discussion about company culture topics, e.g., the tension between knowledge leadership and customer orientation. And personal aspects were also addressed, e.g.: How can you achieve a healthy work-life balance? What are the warning signs of burnout? How do you cultivate mindfulness within a company? Even though codecentric now operates at 15 locations, the team grew a little closer together during these three days – and grew together. The date for a repeat in 2018 has already been set.
Around 100 codecentricers gathered for the first codecentric Unconference in Soltau.
XP 2017
The XP, the "International Conference on Agile Software Development," came to Germany in its 17th year. More specifically, to the beautiful city of Cologne, where codecentric AG had the honor of hosting it as the local organizer. A year earlier, the XP Alliance had approached several codecentric veterans who had attended the conference – which takes place in a different European country each year – on multiple occasions. Without much hesitation, the answer was: "Sure, we'll do it." The small "department" that was subsequently founded specifically for the organization consisted of five colleagues at its core – and of course, all of this happened alongside regular day-to-day business. In the end, you would never have guessed it: When the doors of the Pullman Hotel in Cologne opened on May 22nd, everything was planned to perfection down to the last detail – from the fantastic venue, the custom-branded design, and childcare, to attendee and volunteer management, the conference program, and the evening events. XP 2017 left nothing to be desired. This was reflected by many of the attendees who had traveled from around the world and here and there spoke of the "best XP of all time." The highlight of this four-day exceptional event was undoubtedly the party on the Rhine riverboat MS RheinFantasie, where guests networked and danced well into the night. When it was all over on May 26th, the organizing team looked back exhausted but also wistfully on a year of preparation and four outstanding conference days: The effort had been more than worth it – and who knows: perhaps there will be another XP in Germany someday. :-)
XP 2017: codecentric AG had the honor of hosting the world's oldest agile conference in Cologne this year.
From the Chicken Coop to a Place of Their Own
The Stuttgart codecentric office moved this year. This was necessary above all because the location had practically exploded: Having started 2017 with just three people, the team led by manager Sascha Klein grew to 12 employees over the course of the year. The old "chicken coop," as the Stuttgart colleagues jokingly call it, was already bursting at the seams by March, making a move inevitable. In June, the search for new premises began and proved successful: codecentric Stuttgart is staying in the Vaihingen district, but is now located directly at the train station. In addition to better public transport connections, colleagues now also have more choice for lunch. But above all, they have much more space and comfort. And they are making the most of it, brimming with ideas for how they want to set up their new home: Height-adjustable desks and a new coffee machine are already in place. Ideas for a workbench, a small music corner, and much more are on the table. The goal is to create a real feel-good atmosphere that further strengthens the community – but not exclusively just that of the local staff: Identification with the other locations is also high, which is why the interior design should definitely reflect the codecentric branding, with lounge furniture, the signature codecentric carpet, and everything that goes with it. The new office has 24 workstations – so there is room for a few more new colleagues. Given this year's track record of success, those spots should easily be filled in 2018.
Next up, the Münster team, also a rapidly growing location, will be moving into new premises. The new office in the dock14 is located right on the Münster city harbor. The move is expected to take place in Q1 2018.
Our Stuttgart team in their new kitchen
Sportsmanship and Teamwork
Team sports and endurance sports are a high priority at codecentric AG. Since the 2017/2018 season, we have been supporting not only the men's volleyball team from the Rhine-Main region, United Volleys, but also the baseball team "Solingen Alligators." In addition, codecentric has been a Premium Partner of the Bergischer Handball-Club since this year.
Triathletes and Ironman finishers Melanie Lüdorf and Stavro Günter Petri are also among the athletes supported by codecentric. The personal trainer couple from Wuppertal prepared a group of codecentric employees for the marathon in Palma de Mallorca last fall. On October 15th, the time had come: 13 runners from codecentric AG and the friendly coworking space Rayaworx (Santanyi, Mallorca) competed together in the marathon, half marathon, and 10 km run in Palma de Mallorca. Everyone completed the race successfully, and the results are impressive.
World Robot Olympiad
codecentric also took part in the Olympiad in 2017. Well, not the Olympic Games, but the World Robot Olympiad. The young programmers delivered outstanding performances: At this year's regional competition in Cologne, the young "brickcentric" team qualified for the German national finals in Schweinfurt by finishing second in the Elementary group (ages 8–12). The international robotics competition was created to inspire children and young people to get excited about technology, making it the perfect cooperation partner for codecentric AG.
Young programmers: Team "brickcentric" at the World Robot Olympiad 2017.
codecentric Headquarters as a New Meeting Place for Startups and Companies
It is a feast for the eyes inside and out – the new company building of codecentric AG in Solingen. Its distinctive architecture fascinates everyone who sees and enters it. Because it is neither an end in itself nor an unapproachable status symbol, nor simply a Silicon Valley copy. Rather, it is an expression of the open, innovative company culture that defines codecentric. The company headquarters can now be explored via a flyover, thanks to a drone video by Alchemy Productions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjx-ewyONzU
The fact that the auditorium of the new codecentric headquarters – also due to its unique atmosphere – is an excellent event venue was demonstrated not only at the events already mentioned. The local startup scene also seems to have found a new home here. This works out well, as supporting young companies has always been a matter close to codecentric AG's heart. As host and cooperation partner, we hosted the startup competition "Berg-Pitch" – the largest public startup pitch in the Bergisches Land region – for the second time at the end of November. Anyone who wants to see the codecentric auditorium truly packed should make sure to attend the next Berg-Pitch.
The reading on the topic of "Methodically correct beer drinking" by physicist and renowned podcaster Reinhard Remfort on September 15th was also very well attended. People sat together until late in the evening, exchanged ideas, and drank beer – methodically correctly, of course.
In addition to the mechanical engineering network, the Bergischer Zukunftssalon Automotive also met at codecentric in Solingen in October and discussed the future question: Quo vadis, Artificial Intelligence – between Autonomous Driving and Citizen Data Science.
And 2018?
Looking ahead to the coming year 2018, every one of our employees is also asking: Quo vadis, software development? What will the new year bring: more virtual reality? More machine learning? Blockchain or Hashgraph? And what about smart home? IT security? Data science? Predictions are difficult – especially when they concern the future, as a not entirely serious bon mot goes. Thanks to the 4+1 model and individual professional development opportunities, each codecentric employee retains a degree of personal choice over where their technological journey takes them in 2018. But one thing is certain: We will continue to identify new trends, get up close with promising technologies, exchange ideas with others – and share our insights with the community as always with the community Stay tuned!
Your codecentric AG