Ricardo Durao sees in multimedia and audiovisual technology and in the telepresence market, the present and the future of Latin America. Joining efforts to overcome the obstacles that this industry has in the region is its main objective.
by María Cecilia Hernández Ocampo
Although Ricardo Durao declares himself as "a very bad storyteller", between phrase and phrase he reveals an overflowing passion for the industry of which he is part and for which he has worked for more than two decades in the Brazilian territory.
His speech reflects a pride of those who have meticulously embroidered their path and makes it clear that they know that what they have achieved is a result of the effort without pause and the taste for the market to which it belongs, fundamental ingredients of the path he has traveled and of success.
Durao is convinced, and quite rightly, that the universe of telepresence and the technologies that make it possible, videoconference and multimedia, is an industry of the utmost importance in Latin America, in full development and great opportunities in this particular region, an issue that this expert has been able to take advantage of without hesitation.
This vision is not an idea that he has recently discovered, it comes with it in his head even before he founded his company 12 years ago: Solutione, an organization that provides solutions for the areas of videoconferencing, telepresence and automation of audiovisual environments.
For this reason, Ricardo Durao, president and founder of the Brazilian company Solutione, is our Professional of the Month in this edition. With him we talked about the evolution of the multimedia market, remote connectivity and the different audiovisual technologies in Latin America and mainly in his country, the growth prospects and the shortcomings of it, we get a little closer to his personal life and what he expects from his near future.
Dynamism, what I was looking for
For our guest this industry is exciting, liberating, as he himself argues: there is no way to get tired or to reach monotony. "The dynamism of this business is what makes me stay, no project is the same as another, for each case you have to exercise your mind in the search to discover the best way to meet the needs of customers."
Ricardo was born in Recife, Pernambuco (Brazil), in 1965 and his life as an entrepreneur takes place between that city and São Paulo. The first company that opened the doors to his working life was Petrobrás; being there, he started in the technical area and little by little he was ascending through network support work, until he reached the world of videoconferencing. This is 14 years ago.
His entry into the audiovisual universe describes it as an inevitable process, an evolution that occurred naturally, that he did not seek but to which he is grateful and excited to have arrived.
With the conviction of entering a little-known business but with a lot of ground to explore, he opted to have his own business, he saw in this segment an opportunity that was going to define and stabilize his future and without hesitation he threw himself into the ring.
Thus, in 1999 it opened its own office in Recife: Solutione, located in what has been called the Porto Digital technology center, between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Currently, the company has partnered with other organizations and has opened offices throughout the Brazilian territory to provide full coverage and improve the provision of its services.
The organization is dedicated to providing audiovisual, multimedia and telepresence technology services in four main business lines: Corporate networks, distance education, telemedicine and video conferencing for the Judiciary.
"It has been very important for me to create my company. I know I have pulled it off on the basis of hard work and constant dedication. It has been fundamental for our success to permanently renew the company's objectives, adapt to the challenges presented by the global market and be flexible to changes when the context warrants it," says Durao.
Pros and cons of the market in Brazil
Part of Solutione's good track record is also due to the fact that Brazil is a market that has already traveled a fairly long industrial and technological path and has reached maturity to absorb the available technology. This is how our guest considers it, "we have demand from conservative clients to the most daring. Users are hungry for technology."
However, his experience as an entrepreneur gives him the authority to express his opinion with concern about some problems he sees in his country that represent an obstacle to the growth and agile and effective consolidation of this type of companies. According to the guest, the cost of taxes is an inconvenience, since most of the products are imported.
Likewise, another drawback that is evident for him in his area of influence is that it is a poor geographical area and lacks training of labor and professionals in this industry. For him part of this work corresponds to private enterprise, "we are the ones called to fill this gap because in this way we can meet the needs of this market and continue to evolve".
Despite these obstacles that are mainly attributed to the governmental decisions of the South American country, Ricardo Durao recognizes that there is a face opposed to this situation, which fights tirelessly to combat these barriers.
"An important effort is being made, especially from the private company, to stay updated, to train staff in state-of-the-art issues and to offer solutions that are up to current and global needs," he argues.
Designing your future
According to our professional of the month, the future is the convergence of unified communications and the audiovisual industry. "Every day we work more in a network, we share content on the Internet for companies and each dependency; therefore, we have to understand and learn not only about audio and video, but also about the impacts of these new demands on network infrastructure. Demand in Latin America has increased significantly and I believe it will continue to increase significantly and sustainably."
For Durao, growth is fundamental and overcoming these inconveniences that the government of his country sometimes puts is vital to achieve it, that is why he considers it necessary for integrators to structure themselves and design an environment conducive to sustainable growth.
When he thinks about his future our guest thinks big and projects his company internationally through strategic alliances, for him Solutione must be recognized as the provider of innovative solutions and the integrators of greater differentiation in the market, especially in the countries of Latin America; he is confident that he can turn his organization into a transnational company of mutual cooperation with other companies to leverage the technological development of the region.
On a personal level, Durao hopes to share his free time with the people he loves, especially his daughter Marina, who is just eight years old. He imagines dedicating time to his other passions: watching football play, practicing chess, dedicating himself to philately, music and friends.
"I hope I can do everything that allows me to grow in everyone both personally and professionally and that this will lead me on the path of happiness. I am in favor of doing what you really want to do, but you have to add a high component of rationality so that everything goes well."
