Swisscom DevOps Center celebrates five years in Rotterdam
In 2019 Swisscom, Switzerland's largest telecoms company specialising in telecommunications, IT and entertainment, established its DevOps Center in Rotterdam. Situated in the iconic WTC building at the heart of the city, the center has grown significantly over the past five years. We spoke with Quentin Lopes Cardozo, Head of Product at Swisscom DevOps Center, about their reasons for choosing to invest in Rotterdam, their journey so far, and future ambitions.
RP: Quentin, what is the DevOps Center about?
QLC: “From our DevOps Center in Rotterdam, we develop and operate high-quality software. We actively drive digitalisation and networking, continually tapping into new innovations and embracing emerging technologies.”
RP: You are celebrating your five-year anniversary in Rotterdam. How has the Swisscom DevOps Center evolved over this period?
QLC: “We are very pleased with our progress. Our initial hypothesis proved correct: the Netherlands, and specifically Rotterdam, aligns well with Swisscom’s company culture. Rotterdam has been a fantastic location to compete in the global war for talent in software engineering. Over these years, the DevOps Center has matured from a start-up-like phase into a fully functioning and high-performing software development organisation.”
“Rotterdam has been a fantastic location to compete in the global war for talent in software engineering.”
RP: What were the main reasons for Swisscom to choose Rotterdam as location for this center?
QLC: “Rotterdam is a vibrant and dynamic city with international appeal. It is geographically well-situated and offers an excellent quality of life at a competitive price point. Being in the city centre means we are in a prime location.”
Guido PijperRP: Reflecting on the past five years, what has your experience in Rotterdam been like?
QLC: “One of the key successes has been our ability to recruit globally and attract top talent to Rotterdam. The city’s international atmosphere and accessibility have been instrumental in this. Additionally, Rotterdam Partners have been incredibly supportive, providing a proactive and service-oriented approach that helped us land and settle here. This actually has been one of the main reasons for us to choose this city. Of course, there have been challenges as well. Housing for our international staff can be challenging, as it is everywhere. But we’ve managed to navigate this effectively so far.”
“Rotterdam Partners have been incredibly supportive, providing a proactive and service-oriented approach that helped us land and settle here.”
RP: What are the main ambitions for Swisscom DevOps Center in the coming years?
QLC: “We aim to continue expanding our operations in Rotterdam, increasing both the size of our team and the scope of our software engineering projects. Alongside our current junior programme—which includes approximately 40 interns annually—we aspire to contribute more to the local and regional educational ecosystem. Sharing our expertise with students and institutions is a key part of our vision for the future.”
Header photo: the Swisscom DevOps team posing in their Rotterdam office. Quentin Lopes Cardozo is standing third from the top left.
