The ongoing war in Ukraine has made it difficult for businesses to thrive, a lot of businesses were destroyed, and some had to close due to market stagnation. At the same time, some companies were not only able to survive throughout the war but even grow and develop, and technology was a critical factor that helped Ukrainian businesses. In this article, we will discuss three technologies that have played a significant role in supporting companies in Ukraine.
Starlink
One of the biggest challenges for businesses in Ukraine has been the unreliable internet infrastructure. The country's internet infrastructure needs to be updated and is often subject to disruptions due to the ongoing conflict in the eastern part of the country. Therefore, the Starlink launch in Ukraine became a turning point for the military and business.
Mykhailo Fedorov, Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, stated that more than 150k Ukrainians use Starlink daily.
Rough data on Starlink's usage: around 150K active users per day. This is crucial support for Ukraine's infrastructure and restoring the destroyed territories. Ukraine will stay connected no matter what. pic.twitter.com/XWjyxPQJyX
— Mykhailo Fedorov (@FedorovMykhailo) May 2, 2022
Elon Musk's technology helped businesses during total blackouts all around Ukraine. You can find Starlinks at the offices and homes of entrepreneurs. It was also very popular in Bukovel, the mountain region of Western Ukraine, where a lot of businesses moved after the start of the war to stay in a more safe place.
With Starlink, Ukrainian businesses can stay connected with their customers and partners, access the latest technologies, and expand their reach beyond their local markets. This has enabled many companies to thrive, despite the ongoing conflict.
"Starlink is what probably helped one of our employees from Mariupol after seven months of war, finally send a message that he is alive," says Alexander Kompaniiets, owner of Ukrainian company CRMOZ.
Zoho software
Zoho is a company that makes software apps for all kinds of business needs - sales, marketing, HR, bookkeeping, analytics, customer service, etc. Zoho One is a suite of apps for almost all business process automation, allowing quick and effective collaboration and connecting all data for deep analytics. But how does Zoho software help Ukrainian businesses?
Despite being an Indian company, Zoho Corp. canceled a subscription fee for Ukrainian companies that used it before the start of the war. And that helps Ukrainian entrepreneurs to use high-quality software for free.
Second, it is a great option for Ukrainian entrepreneurs that used cheap Russian CRM systems and other software products because Zoho offers excellent value for money for its software.
"We use Zoho One at our company. Using Zoho One at our company has been incredibly efficient, especially when the internet works slowly. All employees have one login for all the different app needs, allowing pages to load faster and information to be accessed more quickly. Additionally, Zoho offers mobile apps for most of its software products, which has been invaluable during times of total blackouts and cable internet problems. This feature has enabled employees to continue working from their phones, ensuring productivity even during periods of significant disruption," says the founder of the CRMOZ, Alexander Kompaniiets
Chromebook
Another key tool for Ukrainian businesses has been using Chromebooks, which can operate for up to eight hours on a single charge. This makes them ideal for employees working remotely or in areas without reliable power sources.
Alexander also shared insights into how they could continue operating their business during total blackouts. "A few of our Project Managers purchased Chromebooks, which allowed them to work even after critical infrastructure was bombed," he said. "Some of them worked from what are called 'Points of Invincibility' - shelters with internet connections from Starlink. While Chromebooks may not be as powerful as other laptops, their ability to support Zoho, which is entirely cloud-based, made them the perfect choice for the circumstances."
Дія.Бізнес
In addition to these technological solutions, Ukraine's government has also taken steps to make it easier for businesses to operate during wartime. One example is the Дія.Бізнес app, which allows entrepreneurs to register a company and pay taxes online in a matter of minutes. This app has been beneficial for businesses in areas that are difficult to access due to ongoing conflict.
Ukraine also boasts some of the best online banking services in the world, such as Monobank and PrivatBank, which have made it easier for businesses to manage their finances and make donations to causes related to the conflict.
"Governmental digitalization of business and finance operations initiative makes running a business much more efficient and cuts off the bureaucracy. Managing the operations, contract signing, and paying salary and taxes are easy to manage. In addition, the digital banking system is one factor that helped us stand in this war because the raising donations process is straightforward. You can donate to different volunteer organizations directly from the bank app in seconds or, like some of our employees do, choose a sum of money that is transferred automatically from your salary each month to the chosen fund. This enabled businesses to help the army and people who suffered from war," says Alexander.
