Steve Belt discusses DFS' new software plant in Poland
Dover Fueling Solutions (DFS) opened a new Software Engineering facility in Krakow, Poland, in May 2018. We spoke to Steve Belt, VP of Global Engineering for DFS and leader of the Krakow team, about the plant.
Global forecourt equipment manufacturer DFS opened its eighth software facility in the world in Poland. The plant is now fully operative with around 50 software architects, developers, and testers working on the company’s present and future solutions.
One of the main reasons why DFS chose Krakow as the location for the new plant was the huge pool of talent available.
“After doing some research I was very surprised with what I found in Poland and, in particular, Krakow. At any given time there are over 200,000 students enrolled in college in the city. That is a giant pool of talent. In addition, it turns out that Krakow is also a hub for software development multinationals. We have access to early talent as well as experienced professionals in one place,” says Belt.
The software group will be tasked with developing innovative solutions and services to support automatic tank gauges, payment systems, remote diagnostics, cloud data services, and global wetstock management initiatives. However, the primary focus of the plant will be cloud platform development.
Following the initial success of the plant, Belt says that they already took an option for more space on the building that could see an additional 20 to 30 people join the team. “It has been an exceptionally good experience so far,” adds Belt.
As one of the leading players in the forecourt equipment market, DFS wants to stay ahead of times by investing heavily in new technologies.
“We are working on a number of technologies that allow users to have a completely different experience than today. How you can retail different, how you can provide services that start out on the forecourt and continue inside… There is going to be a dramatic difference in how forecourts and c-stores look in 5 to 10 years,” explains Belt.
The modern office facility is situated just 4 kilometres outside of downtown Krakow.
