National digital
infrastructure development requires contributions from various participants
beyond government initiatives alone. Through multiple ventures spanning
different technology domains and market segments, Brazilian entrepreneur
Haroldo Jacobovicz has made significant contributions to his country’s digital
infrastructure development—creating implementation pathways and operational
capabilities that support broader technological advancement across
organizational contexts.
Early
Computerization Initiatives
During Brazil’s early
computerization phases in the 1980s, Haroldo
Jacobovicz demonstrated forward-thinking recognition of digital
technology’s potential beyond established applications. His first venture,
Microsystem, sought to bring automation capabilities to small retail operations
through inventory control and cash register systems—representing early effort
to extend computerization benefits beyond large organizations that dominated initial digital
adoption.
Though this initiative
closed after two years because “that market was not yet ready for
computerization,” it demonstrated entrepreneurial willingness to pursue
digital infrastructure expansion beyond established patterns. This early
attempt represented important market testing that provided learning for
subsequent infrastructure development efforts despite its immediate commercial
limitations.
Public Sector
Computerization Enablement
When Haroldo
Jacobovicz returned to entrepreneurship in the 1990s after corporate
experiences at Esso and the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant, he established Minauro
with business model specifically designed to enable public sector
computerization despite institutional constraints. The company offered
“four-year contracts with machine replacement every 18 months, including
maintenance” to governmental agencies—creating implementation pathway that
accommodated bureaucratic procurement requirements while ensuring access to
current technology.
This approach directly
addressed specific barrier to public sector digital infrastructure development:
“the difficulty in adopting computers given the bureaucracy involved in
immobilizing permanent assets.” By structuring technology provision as
service rather than capital acquisition, Jacobovicz created adoption mechanism
that worked within existing institutional frameworks rather than requiring
their transformation before digital capabilities could be implemented.
Specialized
Public Administration Systems
Through strategic
acquisitions of companies including Consult, Perform, and Sisteplan, Haroldo
Jacobovicz expanded his contributions to Brazil’s digital infrastructure beyond
basic computerization to include specialized software systems addressing
specific administrative functions. These moves resulted in the e-Governe Group,
providing comprehensive IT solutions for public authorities across numerous
Brazilian municipalities.
This development
represented important infrastructure contribution by creating administrative
systems specifically designed for Brazilian governmental requirements rather
than requiring adaptation of generic business applications to public sector
contexts. The specialized software addressing “tax, financial,
administrative, health and education management” functions enabled digital
operations across crucial public services that form essential components of
national administrative infrastructure.
Corporate
Telecommunications Infrastructure
In 2010, Haroldo
Jacobovicz ventured into telecommunications infrastructure development by
founding Horizons Telecom to serve “the corporate market” with
dedicated network services. This initiative contributed important connectivity
component to Brazil’s digital infrastructure beyond consumer-oriented telecommunications
services, creating specialized capabilities supporting business operations
across various sectors.
By developing
telecommunications infrastructure specifically designed for corporate
requirements, Horizons Telecom enabled business digitalization beyond basic
connectivity offerings. The company’s successful establishment as “a
reference in the corporate niche” within a decade demonstrates significant
contribution to Brazil’s business infrastructure development through
specialized telecommunications capabilities supporting digital operations
across organizational contexts.
Regional
Economic Development Support
The document notes
that Minauro “won several bids in the South and Southeast of the
country,” while the e-Governe Group operates “in several Brazilian
municipalities.” These regional implementation patterns indicate significant infrastructure
contributions across different geographic areas rather than concentration
exclusively in major metropolitan centers that typically receive earliest
technology deployments.
This regional
distribution represents important aspect of digital infrastructure development
beyond headline national statistics, creating implementation pathways and
operational capabilities that support technological advancement across diverse
community contexts. By serving municipalities beyond largest urban centers,
Jacobovicz’s ventures have contributed to more balanced digital infrastructure
development supporting broader economic participation.
Operational
Capability Development
Beyond physical
infrastructure components, Haroldo Jacobovicz’s ventures have contributed to
Brazil’s digital infrastructure through operational capability
development—creating technical teams, implementation methodologies, and support
systems that enable effective technology utilization beyond mere equipment
provision. These operational capabilities represent crucial infrastructure
components that determine practical value realization from technical
installations.
When establishing
Horizons Telecom, Jacobovicz emphasized building “from scratch using the
best technical, human and strategic resources available”—indicating
attention to capability development alongside physical
infrastructure implementation. These human and organizational resources
represent essential infrastructure components enabling effective technology
utilization across institutional contexts despite varying technical
sophistication levels.
Implementation
Pathway Innovation
Throughout his various
ventures, Haroldo Jacobovicz has consistently developed innovative
implementation pathways that enable technology adoption despite institutional
constraints that might otherwise prevent digital advancement. From Minauro’s
service-based hardware provision model through the e-Governe Group’s
specialized public administration applications to his current virtualization
approaches through Arlequim Technologies, these innovations create adoption mechanisms
accommodating practical limitations affecting technology implementation.
These implementation
pathways represent crucial infrastructure components beyond technical
capabilities alone, creating practical routes to digital participation for
organizations facing various constraints. By developing approaches that
function within actual institutional environments rather than requiring ideal
conditions, Jacobovicz has enabled broader infrastructure utilization beyond
organizations with optimal implementation capabilities.
Current
Infrastructure Optimization
Haroldo Jacobovicz’s
most recent venture, Arlequim Technologies founded in 2021, contributes to
Brazil’s digital infrastructure through optimization approaches that enhance
performance of existing resources rather than requiring continuous replacement.
The company’s virtualization technologies enable organizations and individuals
to boost “an outdated computer, making its performance compatible with
state-of-the-art equipment” without purchasing new devices.
This optimization
focus represents important infrastructure development dimension addressing
sustainability concerns alongside performance capabilities. By extending useful
life of existing computing resources while maintaining current performance capabilities,
this approach potentially reduces environmental impacts associated with
continuous hardware replacement cycles while enabling continued digital
participation despite resource limitations.
Long-Term
Infrastructure Development
Perhaps most significantly,
Haroldo Jacobovicz’s persistent entrepreneurial activity across multiple
decades and technology generations represents sustained commitment to Brazil’s
digital infrastructure development beyond individual venture outcomes. From
early computerization initiatives through specialized software systems through
telecommunications infrastructure to current
virtualization approaches, his continuous technology business development
has created implementation capabilities that support national digital
advancement across changing technology paradigms.
The document concludes
with statement regarding his fundamental motivation: “The prospect of
improving the day-to-day running of companies and people is what drives Haroldo
Jacobovicz. His main goal: to contribute to a better world.” This
orientation suggests infrastructure development philosophy extending beyond
commercial considerations alone to encompass broader societal advancement through
technological enablement.
Jacobovicz
aat https://instagram.com/institutoharoldojacobovicz