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Java, for the past thirty years, has been a mainstay in the software development world. Ever since it was first founded in the mid-1990s by Sun Microsystems, this flexible programming language has undergone significant evolution and has successfully adjusted to the evolving needs of developers and the businesses that use it. Its popularity is further evidenced by its widespread usage: Java has been mentioned over 1.9 million times on Stack Overflow, consistently ranks among the top languages in GitHub repositories, and frequently holds a top spot on the Tiobe Index for programming languages worldwide.

Initially designed for home devices, not just limited to interactive television—an idea ahead of its time that didn’t fully take off, Java became popular in the tech space through the implementation of its "Write Once, Run Anywhere" model. Year after year, Java has steadily earned a reputation for its reliability, security, and superior performance, making it the preferred choice for many applications, from large enterprise systems to mobile apps.

Wacom's innovative leap into digital rights management with Yuify marks a significant strategic shift for the company, primarily known for its hardware products like graphics tablets. Yuify shines by empowering artists with strong safeguards for their creative assets, ensuring they have full control over their work and its use, including protection from unauthorized access and content duplication. In a world increasingly shaped by AI and AI-generated content, Yuify uplifts artists by verifying the authenticity of their work and support them stand out and build trust with their audiences. 

At Plan A, we recognise the importance of assembling the right team for any project's success. This is why we have established a thorough hiring process that not only saves our clients time and resources but also ensures that they receive the best talent tailored to their specific needs. 

We decided to create a blog about the SOLID Principles and began researching. There are hundreds of articles available, but the majority of them use highly technical language, giving the impression that they are explaining something extremely advanced. We believe that technology concepts can be explained in very simple terms using real-world, everyday examples. Here's our take on explaining SOLID principles in a way that even your grandmother can understand.

In today's competitive digital landscape, ensuring the quality of your software products is more critical than ever. A robust Quality Assurance (QA) strategy aims to enhance product reliability while also ensuring customer satisfaction and loyalty. To achieve this, integrating QA seamlessly into your development process and continuously improving its effectiveness are of utmost importance.

In this comprehensive guide, we delve into nine essential steps to ensure you have the right QA strategy to support your business goals. Whether you're establishing a new QA process or refining an existing one, these steps will help your team achieve better product quality without compromising efficiency and innovation.

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, businesses must stay ahead of the curve to maintain competitiveness and efficiency. One way to achieve this is by leveraging the expertise of external IT specialists. This approach offers numerous advantages, from cost savings to access to cutting-edge technologies and skills. External IT specialist also bring a wealth of experience and knowledge, acquired through working with diverse clients across various projects and industries.

In project management, two huge value-driven methodologies have been imposed: Lean and Agile. Although incomparable, both often find their names in the debate of project management professionals trying to optimize their process efficiency, improve its outcomes, and adapt to changing demands. Below is a comparison of these two well-used frameworks.

In an interview, Nedelcho Stoyanov, Senior IT Business Partner at Kamenitza AD, and Alexander Yovchev, CEO & Founder at Plan A, share more about the innovative software solution that Plan A developed for the beer company.

It is our great pleasure to introduce our colleague Iskra - a Lead QA Automation in Software Development who holds a Ph.D. in Industrial Automation. She has played a key part in the Plan A dream team since March 2023 and has over 15 years of experience in the tech industry.
Iskra excels at developing comprehensive testing strategies, as well as leading and mentoring teams in test automation, and with her enviable expertise and resilient team spirit, she is unmatched in driving projects to success.

Kamenitza is among the leading brewing companies in Bulgaria, founded in 1881, and owns the first beer in Bulgaria that is still produced today – Kamenitza. The company combines the beer expertise of the four world's most famous brewing traditions – the Czech, the German, the Belgian, and the Irish – with loved brands such as Burgasko, Staropramen, Stella Artois, Guinness, Corona, and more.

Committed to maintaining its market leadership, the company focuses on digital transformation to modernize operations for greater efficiency and responsiveness. One such solution, 'Beersteam' developed by Plan A, is part of a suite of software solutions exemplifying Kamenitsa's dedication to operational excellence and strategic innovation.

OPTISTOCK (OSR) is the first module of RetailApps, a comprehensive suite of applications designed to streamline and digitize all aspects of retail commerce management. OSR is a post-ERP solution that seamlessly merges sales data with information on store and warehouse inventories, enabling supply managers to customize daily stock allocation for optimal sales performance.

It's been less than a year since Elena Zhekova joined Plan A's team for our Client Regate, and her impact has been profound. Elena, with over 11 years of experience gained in companies like Merkle and Proxiad, quickly established herself as a key person in her role as QA Manager. Her strategic approach to refining quality assurance processes has paved the way for significant improvements.

Today's blog post delves into the world of FMCG companies navigating the fast-paced business landscape. Adopting digital transformation is essential for optimizing processes, lowering costs, and increasing productivity. A wide range of benefits await these businesses if they abandon traditional paper documents in favor of digital document management. Automation, actionable insights, a lower carbon footprint, improved searchability, regulatory compliance, and potential integration with cutting-edge technologies such as AI and IoT are just a few examples.
Within the scope of this blog post, we will look at key considerations for FMCG companies as they seek to modernize their document management processes and embark on a transformative journey toward success.

In the dynamic world of logistics, accurate and accessible data is essential. This concept is the backbone of OPTISTOCK, an advanced decision support tool. Crafted to combine ERP data from sales, stores, and warehouse stocks, OPTISTOCK aids supply managers in day-to-day tasks. Its main goal? To optimize daily stock distribution strategies and ensure the greatest sales.

With over 15 years of experience in recruitment and HR, including 10 years exclusively focused on the IT sector, the co-founder of Plan A embarked on an adventurous journey.
In 2012, she joined a French company aiming to expand its operations in Bulgaria, where they laid the foundations of the recruitment team. Over the course of 7 years, the team successfully doubled the size of the company in Bulgaria while preserving the spirit of a smaller organization, fostering an informal work environment and a friendly atmosphere.
In 2019, the co-founder felt a compelling need for change and saw the opportunity to contribute to the creation of Plan A as a company. Launching a venture from scratch in the highly competitive IT sector in Bulgaria and globally was initially daunting. However, the experience proved to be immensely rewarding as she witnessed the successful turning of the wheels. This new endeavor provided an opportunity to tackle a range of issues beyond the realms of pure HR and recruitment, further expanding her skill set and entrepreneurial prowess.

The most important thing about building a professional relationship is to know and understand where are the partner's pain points and work together on going through them. As an IT service provider with a solid experience, we decided to share with you some of the challenges that companies face when considering a partnership with a nearshore provider. At PLAN A, we believe in collaborating closely with our partners to navigate these challenges and deliver successful outcomes.

Considering nearshoring for your business growth? Dive into our latest blog to explore why Bulgaria stands out as an option for a nearshoring destination. Uncover the financial, market, and digital dynamics that make Bulgaria your gateway to a thriving IT ecosystem. Read on and you might start envisioning moving your IT operation in Bulgaria.

Have you ever thought of your digital assets as anything that might need to be bequeathed? Meet Ana, founder of the German based start-up DGLeagacy® , seasoned product, engineering, and marketing professionals with proven entrepreneurial track record. They’ve not only already built successful startups but have been in key roles in other companies elevated as unicorns.  

At Plan A, we pride ourselves on having an experienced and dedicated team, and Veselin, the CTO of Plan A, is no exception. With over 19 years of experience in software development, Veselin has held a wide range of positions in the software development field, from intern to software engineer, lead developer, software development manager, and finally CTO. Throughout his career, Veselin has primarily focused on web-based solutions, business platforms and products. He is an expert in technology setup, development organisation, startup consulting, and software development. But that's not all that makes Veselin special. We are thrilled to have him lead our development team not only because of his professional expertise but also because of his kind and responsible nature. In his free time, Veselin actively volunteers for charity causes and gives IT lectures to students, showing his dedication to both his work and his community.

In a conversation with Ralf Oetting, Founder and Managing Director, and Raphael Kahle, CTO, we explore the key factors that make justTRADE grow.

At the core of the platform's success is a user-friendly interface coupled with a distinctive zero-order commission model, ensuring traders retain the entirety of their profits. As justTRADE evolved beyond its initial focus, a pivotal strategic decision was made – the adoption of nearshoring with Plan A. This move was not just about the present but a forward-looking initiative to guarantee scalability and adaptability to meet future market demands. Discover the driving force behind its success and the innovative strategies that continue to shape its trajectory in the financial landscape.

Welcome to our chat with Jean-Baptiste Escoyez, better known as JB, the person who has been steering the tech ship with flair at Regate since early 2022. The product is a game-changer in the French market, helping entrepreneurs, accountants, and CFOs to automate and simplify the finance world.
 

Alexander, Plan A's CEO, gained his experience working in the banking sector as Head of Credit Card Analysis Systems and then in the IT sector as Managing Director. His areas of expertise include business management, service delivery, project management, and IT technical consulting, as well as experience managing cross-national IT projects and teams.

GraphQL is an open-source data query and manipulation language for APIs, and a runtime for fulfilling queries with existing data. GraphQL was developed internally by Facebook in 2012 before being publicly released in 2015.