Optinet Oy Ltd. 6/09

Managing Director, Mr. Ismo Paananen

Optinet is an online service provider and the company´s managing director, Mr. Ismo Paananen, summarizes the company´s policy by saying: “We do everything from small things to big things.” By big things Mr. Paananen means creating websites for different organizations, like enterprises and municipalities. The smaller things are wrapping up their know-how for lighter packages that serve different associations and clubs.

It is obvious that a smaller society doesn’t need the same services and systems than e.g. a municipality does. Optinet has this way taken into concern the needs of different customer groups that are really important in the competition. The main income comes from larger solution deliveries. Mr. Paananen says that the ready-made products, such as home sites with versatile qualities, are one of the growing sectors of the industry.

Optinet office is situated in the heart of Lempäälä

By train and on-line

Optinet has two branch offices, one in Lempäälä and the other one in Helsinki. However, they work in whole Finland. This is no problem as the customer contacts are updated basically by internet. On the other hand, both places are situated in the heart of Southern Finland and the public transportation works well also in Lempäälä, from where it is easy to travel to see the clients. The Helsinki office serves mainly associations, right beside the railway station. Lempäälä office is situated also next to railway station so the travelling is really easy. Lempäälä office takes care of company and municipality services as well as administration and product development. Mr. Paananen says that it is easy and comfortable to come from Helsinki to Lempäälä for a meeting by train. The idyllic and small municipality creates nice setting, e.g. for a business lunch in Ideapark.

With confidence to the future

When first starting, Optinet was, if not pioneer, one of the first companies providing web site services. The competition has increased remarkably in the past 10 years. Mr. Paananen thinks that good quality is always appreciated. The financial crisis might even increase the demand of internet services as the organizations are forced to rethink more effective solutions e.g. in internal process developing and marketing and other communication. Optinet is keeping watch by listening the customers’ needs and wishes in order to provide even better solutions in the future.

One of the problems in the future is the inadequacy of the facilities. They are already struggling with limited office space. Even if there was enough square meters, the facilities are not too practical. They don’t, however, want to build their own hall, so they wish to find new, practical facilities in the near future.

Paananen seas Lempäälä as a vital and good growing environment for the business and there fore they wish to stay there.

Engineers and humanists

Optinet´s personnel are a mixture of young and promising business people, as well as experienced professionals. The company invests a lot in finding good people. Even though there is good workers and lots of potential people during the financial crisis, Mr. Paananen is worried how the situation turns out in a couple of years as the economical situation starts increasing again. Nevertheless, they think that keeping good care of their personnel the employees stay longer and the knowledge of a nice working place leads new professionals to Optinet.

The company provides online services for very different kinds of organizations which might also be challenging: although the technical solutions are similar, the ideas of the organizations are different. In order to get the best possible results, it’s important to hear the customer’s needs and be able to change them into technical solutions. Mr. Paananen tells that they have engineers as well as humanists working in their company because the technical skills are as important as the communicational skills.

Energy from the garden

In order to get the hectic working life and personal life in balance, Mr. Paananen likes to relax working in his garden. Also motorcycling is a good way to avoid stress. He has a custom-type motorcycle and he likes to see the beautiful Finnish landscapes and smell the nature. Being outside and keeping fit are the most important things to Mr. Paananen.

Karate is one of his favourite hobbies: he is also a karate coach. This active gentleman is many things – anything but a couch potato!

(Mr. Ismo Paananen was interviewed by contact manager Päivi Nahkola)