Information as Business Intelligence
One of the distinguishing characteristics of Haroldo Jacobovicz’s career has been his commitment to staying informed about global developments. Throughout his professional life, he has maintaned a practice of extensive reading, particularly newspapers and magazines. This habit has provided him with broad awareness of technological trends and market shifts—information that becomes the foundation for the business ideas he later implements. For Jacobovicz, reading is not just a personal interest but a critical business intelligence tool.
Educational Foundation for Analytical Thinking
The professional journey of Haroldo Jacobovicz began with a structured education. After seven years at Military College, he pursued Civil Engineering at the Federal University of Paraná, completing the program in four and a half years during the early 1980s. This technical training provided the analytical thinking and problem-solving skills that would later serve him in identifying patterns and opportunities in technology markets, even though his career would ultimately take him beyond traditional engineering.
Family Technical Heritage
The analytical inclinations of Haroldo Jacobovicz were likely influenced by his family environment. As the eldest of four siblings, he grew up in a household where engineering was prominent. His father, Alfredo, worked as both a civil engineer and a university professor, while his mother, Sarita, had broken barriers as the seventh female civil engineer in Paraná. This technical family background provided a framework for systematic thinking about problems and solutions.
Early Recognition of Computing’s Potential
While still a university student, Haroldo Jacobovicz recognized the transformative potential of computer technology for business operations—well before such technology was widespread. This insight led him to gather three friends with computer skills to establish Microsystem before he even completed his degree. Their company aimed to automate inventory and cash register operations for retail businesses. Though this venture closed after two years because the market wasn’t yet ready, it demonstrated Jacobovicz’s ability to foresee technological applications.
Learning from Market Reality
The early closure of Microsystem provided Haroldo Jacobovicz with valuable lessons about the relationship between technological possibility and market readiness. Rather than abandoning his vision for computerization, he gained corporate experience at Esso (now Exxon Mobil Corporation) and public sector insights at Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant while continuing to observe market developments. This period allowed him to refine his understanding of when and how technology adoption occurs in different sectors.
Identifying Specific Market Gaps
After four years in the public sector, Haroldo Jacobovicz had identified a specific barrier to computerization in government agencies: the bureaucratic hurdles associated with classifying computers as permanent assets. This insight led him to found Minauro, offering an innovative solution: computer rental and maintenance with four-year contracts that included equipment replacement every 18 months. This approach directly addressed the observed obstacle and proved highly successful, demonstrating Jacobovicz’s ability to translate market insights into targeted business solutions.
Anticipating Software Integration Needs
As hardware became more accessible, Haroldo Jacobovicz recognized that specialized software would be the next critical need, particularly for public administration. Through strategic acquisitions of companies including Consult, Perform, and Sisteplan, he incorporated software for tax, financial, administrative, health, and education management. This expansion resulted in the formation of the e-Governe Group, which continues to serve Brazilian municipalities with comprehensive IT solutions—showing Jacobovicz’s foresight regarding the evolution of technology needs.
Predicting Corporate Telecommunications Requirements
In 2010, forecasting growing demand for sophisticated telecommunications infrastructure in the corporate sector, Haroldo Jacobovicz founded Horizons Telecom. Built from the ground up with premium resources and based on a project originally conceived by Renato Guerreiro (the first president of Anatel), the company anticipated the increasing reliance of businesses on robust telecommunications. Within a decade, it became a reference in its market segment before being acquired by a major investment group in early 2021.
Foreseeing Virtualization Benefits
Following his telecommunications success, Haroldo Jacobovicz launched Arlequim Technologies in 2021, once again demonstrating his ability to anticipate technological trends. This startup focuses on computer virtualization, offering solutions that enhance the performance of existing equipment to match state-of-the-art machines without requiring new hardware purchases. This approach anticipates growing concerns about electronic waste, resource efficiency, and cost control while providing benefits to corporate, public sector, and retail customers.
The Reading Advantage
The habit of extensive reading that Haroldo Jacobovicz developed early in life has provided a continuous stream of information about technological developments, market trends, and global patterns. This information, filtered through his technical education and business experience, has enabled him to repeatedly identify opportunities before they become obvious to others. His success across multiple technology sectors demonstrates the value of systematic information gathering as a foundation for business foresight.
The professional journey of Haroldo Jacobovicz illustrates how staying informed through consistent reading and information analysis can provide the insights needed to anticipate technological needs and develop timely business solutions.