Public Sector Solutions: How Haroldo Jacobovicz Addressed Government Technology Needs

Government
institutions often face unique challenges when adopting new technologies, from
procurement regulations to budget cycles that complicate equipment upgrades. Brazilian entrepreneur Haroldo
Jacobovicz has built significant portions of his career around
understanding and addressing these specific public sector needs, creating
technology solutions tailored to governmental contexts.

Early Insights
into Public Sector Operations

After initial professional experiences
at Esso (now Exxon Mobil), economic circumstances during Brazil’s Cruzado Plan
prompted Haroldo Jacobovicz to join the Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant as an
advisor to the Technical Director. This position provided crucial firsthand
exposure to public sector operations and the specific constraints affecting
technology implementation within governmental organizations.

During this period,
Jacobovicz observed “the difficulty in adopting computers given the
bureaucracy involved in immobilizing permanent assets”—a key insight that
would shape his subsequent business approach. Unlike private companies that
could make technology investments based primarily on performance and return
calculations, public institutions faced additional procedural
requirements that complicated equipment acquisition and replacement.

Innovative
Solution Design

After four years at
Itaipu, Haroldo Jacobovicz returned to entrepreneurship with a business model
specifically designed to address the public sector challenges he had observed.
He established Minauro as “a computer
rental and maintenance company” that would “offer four-year contracts
with machine replacement every 18 months, including maintenance.”

This approach directly
targeted the bureaucratic hurdles involved in government technology
acquisition. By structuring the offering as a service rather than capital
expenditure, Jacobovicz enabled public agencies to access current technology
without navigating the complex procedures required for permanent asset
purchases. The regular equipment replacement schedule ensured institutions
could maintain technological currency despite procurement constraints.

Market
Validation

The effectiveness of
this tailored solution was confirmed through market response—Minauro “won
several bids in the South and Southeast of the country,” demonstrating
that Jacobovicz had indeed identified and addressed a significant public sector
need. The company’s success validated his understanding of governmental
technology acquisition challenges and his capacity to develop practical
responses to institutional constraints.

Comprehensive
Software Solutions

As computerization
became more established in Brazilian public institutions, Haroldo Jacobovicz
recognized the growing importance of specialized software solutions beyond
hardware provision. Through strategic acquisitions of companies including
Consult, Perform, and Sisteplan, he expanded his business offerings to
incorporate “tax, financial, administrative, health and education management
software.”

These moves resulted
in the creation of the e-Governe Group, providing comprehensive IT solutions
specifically designed for public administration requirements. This expansion
reflected Jacobovicz’s understanding that effective public sector technology
implementation needed to address both infrastructure and application layers,
with particular attention to the specialized administrative processes of
governmental institutions.

Sustained
Public Sector Focus

The e-Governe Group’s
continued presence “in several Brazilian municipalities” demonstrates
the sustainability of Jacobovicz’s public sector technology approach. By
developing solutions that accommodate the specific procedural requirements and
operational needs of governmental organizations, he established a business
model that could maintain relevance across changing technological
generations.

This sustained focus
on public sector needs contrasts with his parallel ventures targeting private
corporations, such as Horizons Telecom founded in 2010. The differentiated
approach across these market segments reflects Jacobovicz’s recognition that
effective technology solutions must address the specific operational contexts
and constraints of different institutional environments.

Recent Public
Sector Applications

Following the sale of
Horizons Telecom in early 2021, Haroldo Jacobovicz launched Arlequim
Technologies focusing on computer virtualization. While this venture serves
multiple markets including corporate and retail clients, it specifically
includes public sector applications among its target segments.

The company’s approach
to improving “computing
performance of previously limited equipment” without requiring new
hardware purchases addresses persistent public sector challenges related to
technology acquisition and replacement cycles. By enabling
performance improvements through virtualization rather than physical
replacement, Arlequim offers another pathway for governmental organizations to
maintain technological capability despite procurement constraints.

Understanding
Institutional Contexts

Throughout his career,
Haroldo Jacobovicz has demonstrated that effective technology entrepreneurship
requires understanding not only technical possibilities but also the
institutional contexts in which solutions will be implemented. His sustained
success in addressing public sector needs highlights the importance of
recognizing and accommodating the specific operational constraints that shape technology adoption
within governmental organizations.

For technology
providers seeking to serve public institutions, Jacobovicz’s approach offers
valuable lessons regarding solution design that aligns with governmental
procurement processes and administrative requirements. His professional journey
illustrates how detailed attention to institutional context can create business
opportunities through precisely targeted technology offerings.