The prima+ service, a successful VOD (video on demand) product of Prima television, is celebratomg one year since its launch with over 1,000,000 users. The IT team responsible for its creation and operation started with just one person a year ago. In record time, Deputy Director of the Online Department and Director of Online Technology Development, Hung Nguyen, needed to assemble a combination of internal and external IT experts who can build, launch and deliver a long-term output in the highest quality on the prima+ streaming platform. Why did he turn to TITANS for IT outsourcing and what does working in the IT team of a prestigious digital product involve?
‘We’re creating a global product on a local level. For a service as ambitious as prima+, you need top motivated specialists with a good ratio of external and internal team members. Then you have to create the right conditions for them and give them the freedom to do their best,’ says Hung Nguyen.
Why did you decide to use talent acquisition services, and why specifically from TITANS?
Although we have an HR department at Prima that is in charge of recruiting new employees, technology positions have their own specific requirements. This is why we decided to outsource the selection process, so that someone can professionally help us ‘filter out’ a large number of people and select those who meet our requirements. And to be honest – even choosing the agency was a difficult taks for us and we got burned a few times. We weren’t happy with the selected applicants. Then we contacted TITANS, which had positive references, and I must say that there was mutual chemistry from the start. They found us good candidates that met our expectations.
‘We work like a start-up in a corporation,’ says Hung Nguyen
What was the hiring process like?
It only took four days from our request to the first interview. A detailed brief also helped – we were clear about who we wanted and with what kind of tech stack. The TITANS provided several candidates, from which we selected two key ones according to our requirements – a back-end specialist and QA team lead. It was also thanks to them that we were able to build and launch such a robust service on time.
Why are top developers attracted to work in TV?
The very fact that you can start with one person and build a platform with a million registered users within a year is attractive. Talented IT experts want to participate in creating products that are seen. We started on a greenfield and continued to advance the project in terms of its robustness and ambitions. Now we operate like a start-up in a corporation; we have our own guidelines and great freedom. We create the whole architecture together; everyone can come up with their own innovation.
In what way is the develpoment of a product such as prima+ unusual? What does it offer users?
prima+ is a service for the whole family, so it needs ot be user friendly. It has an attractive design that’s in line with the rest of Prima Group’s portfolio. We’re also the only flexible video service on the Czech market. We allow users to consume content in three different tariffs (FREE, LIGHT or PREMIUM), each of which allows up to five individual personalised profiles. You can also connect up to five devices in your home – SMART TV or HbbTV, phone, computer or tablet, and three prima+ streams can be watched at the same time.
Would you recommend IT outsourcing for other types of projects too?
I think outsourcing is a great way to supplement internal capacities and acquire adequate know-how in digital projects, precisely because of their flexibility and quick availability. I believe a combination of outsourcing and internal recruitment is an absolute must for innovative projects. This provides a team that can adapt quickly, has a long-term strategy and is built on senior experts, allowing us to move our product ahead of our competition.
What do you enjoy about leading an IT team most?
I had to learn a lot of things from scratch. I was very young when I moved to IT from business projects, which is why it was such a big challenge for me. I like challenging tasks and working under pressure. I started with one developer, was tasked with building a product that can compete with best-in-class services and given a deadline.
What I enjoy most of all is putting together a strong team, giving people space for self-realization, and guaranteeing a high-quality result together. It feels great to have enabled 1,000,000 users to watch over 43,000,000 hours of shows on their own terms. And this number continues to grow every day.
What kind of a boss are you?
I try to be fair, but sometimes the situation calls for firmness and consistency. We work like a football team – cohesion and support in matches is important to me. We’re open with each other and everything we say remains between us. We like to compete and we want to be the best. My goal is to transfer this motivation to the team, and I try to lead by example.
Is there something you would say to clients or candidates considering using the services of an IT recruitment agency?
I would definitely recommend the services of TITANS for several reasons. Negotiations were always quick and efficient, and the quality of the candidates is in line with the professional experience and requirements of our company. They provided colleagues that form the backbone of our development team. Communication with them was transparent and very professional. All this has led us to use the services of TITANS for outsourcing external IT experts as well as hiring full time employees. I’m very satisfied with the cooperation and I would like to thank the whole team.
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