History – SYNTAX IT Group™

1984-1994

1984

When the story begins

The founders have been scouting the US and the global industry for the birth of diamonds in Information Technology. Starting as pioneers in the Arabian Gulf, with ArAmIS Inc. (Arabian American Information Systems), they successfully promoted and implemented innovative Independent Software Vendors (ISV) solutions in leading and demanding enterprises in the Oil, Finance, Telecoms, Energy, Airline and Government sectors.

1994

SYNTAX Establishment

On February 1st the founders expand their business activities to Greece by establishing SYNTAX IT Inc.. The business scope of SYNTAX is to provide expert services to large companies in Greece and enable them to use IT as a value-added asset and a driver for their business development. IT Innovation, Quality of Services, Business Value & Reliability are the fundamental elements of SYNTAX business approach.

The founders mandate is simple and meaningful:

“ We shall add value to our customers every time we talk to them ”

Since 1984 the founders have brought to the region new, innovative Information Technologies that within a few years proved to be the market leading standards:

From such legends as Pansophic’s Easytrieve Plus, Panvalet and Telon, SKK’s ACF2, Candle’s Omegamon, Micro Focus MF Express, Rational’s Rose and UML, IONA’s Orbix, Utimaco’s Safe Guard Easy, NetIQ’s Security Manager, KVS’s and later Veritas Enterprise Vault, Oblicore’s Guarantee SLAM and now CA-BSI, BMC’s Control-M, TrueSight and Patch Management, and CAs APM, to ‘modern’ technologies such as Sweagle’s Metadata Configuration Management and Microstrategy’s Business Analytics.

These software technologies have enabled major enterprises, throughout the EMEA region and beyond, to address their needs and retain leadership in the market by being innovative in Information Retrieval, Computer Aided Software Engineering, Object Oriented Technology, Information Security, IT Infrastructure & Applications Optimization Management, Email & File Archiving, Business Service & SLA Management, Data Management & BI Analytics.

SYNTAX has been a pioneer and leading consultant in compliance for the historic moments in IT, such as the Millennium Bug, the EMU/Euro transition and the GDPR regulation. Also, SYNTAX has been a leading provider for Anti-money Laundering & Counter Terrorism Financing services.

From the National Bank of Greece to Saudi Aramco and Holland’s ABN Amro to Qatar’s Ooredoo, Australia’s Vodafone and South Africa’s T-Systems, SYNTAX management and IT consultants have helped more than 400 enterprises and organizations – including the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, to implement and deploy technologies and best practices that have secured and optimized their performance and competence. SYNTAX has also participated as a team leader in EU and national R&D programs. The company has organized and sponsored more than 20 international conferences and more than 200 public seminars and has participated as a prime sponsor in numerous industry conventions and tradeshows in the region. More than 4000 IT professionals have attended SYNTAX public seminars & events. Since 1984, the highlights of the parallel routes of Information Technology history and SYNTAX IT Group’s own evolution are summarized below. This exciting journey will be continued in the years ahead…

1995-1999

1999

ERP SAP

SYNTAX becomes a SAP partner and forms a SAP consulting team that specializes in the assessment, configuration and implementation of SAP R/3, the world leading ERP system.

1998

Y2K Bug Solution

SYNTAX undertakes the crucial role as the official advisor to the government Year 2000 Task-Force for the Year 2000 Bug challenge.

1997

Facing the Year 2000 Problem - 1st International Conference

In March 1997, SYNTAX organizes in Athens the first international conference for the Y2K problem known as ‘The Millennium Bug’. The keynote speaker Mr. Abbas Y2K project manager of ARAMCO presents the success story of the cooperation of ARAMCO with ArAmIS/SYNTAX in implementing the Technology of American Financial Group, to conform the Applications of ARAMCO. The event becomes a highlight for the local and international media.

1996

SYNTAX brings OO Technology in Greece & Partners with Rational & IONA

The company signs exclusive distribution agreements with Rational and IONA and shakes the market with products and methodologies such as Rose, RUD, UML and CORBA Orbix.

1st Object Oriented Technology Conference

The company organizes the first international conference in the region for OO Technology.

1995

SYNTAX transforms the way software houses develop Cobol applications

SYNTAX transforms the way software houses develop Cobol applications by using Micro Focus Cobol application modernization solutions to develop new or transform existing Cobol applications in modern GUI, Client/Server, Web Enabled, and Component environments systems

Object Cobol conference with keynote speaker Jerome Garfunkel

SYNTAX organizes the first international conference for Object Cobol with keynote speaker Jerome Garfunkel the so called Mr. Cobol. SYNTAX launches a new way of promoting high technology in Greece. The brother of Art Garfunkel attracts the media lights and the conference becomes front page news on all papers an TV. The IT professionals rush to listen to Mr. Cobol. The charismatic Garfunkel representing the World Cobol Forum, excites the audience with the announcement of Object COBOL.

Y2K Saudi Aramco Project

SYNTAX’s associate, Arabian American Information Systems Inc. (ArAmIS), is chosen by the world’s largest company SAUDI ARAMCO, as their IT consultant and technology provider for the Y2K project.

IBM Systems Availability Management & Candle’s Omegamon

SYNTAX brings to Greece Candle’s Omegamon leading technology for IBM Mainframe Systems Availability Management and performs the first large implementation in the National Bank of Greece. No more downtime and customer waiting in front of the tellers occurs.

SYNTAX_Conference_Object-COBOL_Jerome_Garfunkel_1995

2000-2004

2004

Athens Olympic Summer Games

SYNTAX contributes to the successful and secure organization and operations of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. With NetIQ’s software manages the availability and security of the Olympic applications, spread in 450 Windows Servers and almost 10,000 computers and deployed across all game venues.

In addition, with Rational’s configuration management solutions SYNTAX enables the development of vital applications such as the Internet Broadcasting and Press Agency systems of the Olympic Games.

2003

E-mail/Messaging Archiving Management

SYNTAX partners with KVS, a UK emerging software vendor that has developed Enterprise Vault (EV), and offers for the first time in the region an innovative solution for centralized Email/Messaging Archiving and Management that soon becomes the world’s leading solution.

All-in-One Security Appliances

The same year SYNTAX brings in the region for the first time Fortigate, a Unified Threat Management System (UTM), which soon becomes the best market-seller.

2002

Research & Development

SYNTAX is leading as a project manager and main developer two important R D projects. Mirror, an EU project in the concept of Communities of Practice for Virtual Exhibitions of the Natural History Museums and Glafkopis a national project for centralized management of biometric security systems.

2001

Network Systems Administration for Athens 2004 Games

SYNTAX signs a distributor and consulting services provider agreement with NetIQ the world leader in Windows Network Systems, Applications and Security Management.
SYNTAX gets from the International Olympic Committee and Schlumberger/Atos Origin the technology approval to use NetIQ technologies in the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens, the first summer Olympic Games organized in IT distributed systems.

S.M.A.R.T. & Casewise

SYNTAX develops a methodology for Planning & Optimizing Business Processes under the trade name S.M.A.R.T. and signs an agreement with Casewise to distribute Corporate Modeler, their innovative tool that simulates operational models and business processes.

2000

SYNTAX becomes certified EMU & EURO Consultant & organizes the first international EMU and Euro compliance conference

While the EU is in the process of finalizing the list of countries that will join the European Monetary Union, SYNTAX creates a new unit to provide business and IT consulting services to enterprises and help them comply with and take advantage of the new economic environment and the Euro. SYNTAX receives the relevant EMU consultant accreditation from the European Central Bank and becomes the leading EMU & Euro consulting group in the Greek market.

SYNTAX is the first consulting company in Greece to get the ISO 9001:2000 certification.

“Technopolis Acropolis”

SYNTAX becomes a founding member and shareholder of the, the technology park project of Athens.

New Economy & e-Business

SYNTAX consolidates its technologies and knowledge to provide solutions and consulting services to industries in the rising “New Economy” environment. SYNTAX organizes an international conference with the title “Look into the Future” that addresses the needs of Apps Development and IT Infrastructure in the era of the “New Economy”.

Male hand holding globe on Singapore city background. Double exposure. Elements of this image furnished by NASA

2005-2009

2009

BMC Selects SYNTAX as its Mainframe and Control-M Partner

BMC, a leading software vendor, selects SYNTAX as its distributor in Greece and the Gulf for its mainframe performance systems and its Job-scheduling system Control-M and implements Control-M in the Olayan Group.

SYNTAX international SLAM implementations

SYNTAX implements Oblicore in Globul (Bulgaria), IT Systems (South Africa), KPN (Netherlands), Trenitalia and FastWeb (Italy).

2009_SYNTAX_Mainframe_Control-M_Partners

2008

SYNTAX Expansion in EMEA

SYNTAX expands its activities across Europe. In cooperation with Oblicore gets three new SLAM implementation contracts in Europe – in Italy for Enel & Wind and in Holland for ABN Amro.

SYNTAX wins SLAM project in OTE, the Greek Telecom

After a competitive POC the Greek Telecom decides to implement Oblicore Guarantee SLAM and leads the market in Greece,

2008_SYNTAX-expansion-emea-slam-oblicore

2007

Ten Force Project Execution

SYNTAX signs a marketing agreement with Ten Force and becomes the sole value-added distributor and consulting services provider for the east EMEA region, adding in its portfolio an innovative solution for Project Execution Management.

NBG Email Archiving Implementation

SYNTAX implements Enterprise Vault – Symantec’s email archiving solution in the National Bank of Greece for 16.000 users, the largest EV implementation outside the USA.

Legacy Applications Modernization

SYNTAX helps EFG Eurobank (Greece) and Samba (Saudi Arabia) to modernize their Legacy Applications by implementing Micro Focus Mainframe Express Suite.

SYNTAX becomes a permanent member of the ITSM Forum

2006

SLAM Implementation in Qtel

SYNTAX implements Oblicore Guarantee SLAM in Qtel (Doha, Qatar). The Oblicore solution helps Qtel to assure the level of services provided to the Asian Games organized in Doha in 2006.

TMF Member & Sponsorships

SYNTAX becomes a permanent member of the TMForum and participates as a sponsor in in Nice, France and in the first TMF in the Arabian Gulf held in Dubai.

SYNTAX partners with Symantec

KVS/Veritas is acquired by Symantec and from then onwards EV with SYNTAX are the undisputed leaders in the market.

2005

The Dawn of SLA Management

SYNTAX is showing again the route and a new era begins in SLA Management. SLAM in service provision is rising as an inevitable demand. SYNTAX invests in SLAM and signs an exclusive value-added distributor and consulting services agreement for the east EMEA region with Oblicore the leading SLAM vendor.

“The Adventures of an Email”

SYNTAX organizes a unique international conference, called “The Adventures of an Email”. The company consolidates all its technologies to facilitate the industry with end-to-end solutions for the secure deployment of corporate e-mails and enable organizations to benefit from e-communications.

2010-2014

2014

SYNTAX introduces APM Systems and WEB & Network Managed Security Services

New partnerships with WhiteHat and Skybox expand SYNTAX Solution portfolio in WEB, Cyber & Network Security as well as the customer base in Greece and in the GCC.

2013

SYNTAX Legacy Apps Modernization Success Story in The Ministry of Finance in Cyprus

SYNTAX implementation of Micro Focus Visual Cobol enabled in time and in cost the modernization of the Inland Revenue Department of Cyprus Legacy Application, increasing 50% performance improvement of the tax systems responsible for the enforcement of direct tax legislation and the Double Tax Agreement, thus providing for consistency with government policy and ensuring sound public finances, combat tax evasion and provide quality service to taxpayers. The success story is published by Micro Focus internationally.

2012

SYNTAX associates with the Royal Diamond Group of UAE

In April SYNTAX IT Inc. signs, a strategic association agreement with The Royal Diamond Group of UAE, and facilitates the expansion of business in UAE and GCC. The two organizations combine skills in IT with influence in the local market, in one mutual business strategy. The same year a partnership with Informatica the world leading Data Management vendor begins and the kick-off of the first large project with Daman in UAE is a fact.

SYNTAX participates in the development of the first e-Insurance products

...that become immediately the best-selling insurance products in the market launching a new era in the insurance business.

2011

SYNTAX Introduces SYNTAX AML/CTF e-TS, Dow Jones PEP lists and Nolio in the market

SYNTAX releases its proprietary “SYNTAX AML/CTF e-TS™ e-learning system and establishes a partnership with Dow Jones, in Anti-money Laundering. Also, SYNTAX introduces Nolio Application Service Automation Platform, an innovative technology that automates application release deployment, maintenance, remediation and recovery across the data center.

2010

SYNTAX Establishes AML/CTF Business Unit

SYNTAX establishes a new business unit to provide consulting and training services in Anti-Money Laundering (AML) & Counter Terrorist Financing (CTF).

New Implementations

SYNTAX implements several important projects, SLAM in Vodafone Greece and in Mobistar in Belgium Enterprise Vault in Hellenic Petroleum, Symantec Security Information Manager for the Public Power Company (DEI), Symantec DLP in Regency Entertainment, Symantec End-Point Protection in EFG Eurobank, Control-M in the Bank of Piraeus and mainframe solutions in Commercial Bank, Saudi Arabian Airlines and Saudi Social Services.

2015-2019

2019

SYNTAX expands in Kuwait

SYNTAX expands its international activities with the establishment of SYNTAX IT Consulting WWL, a local company in Kuwait, with immediate success adding to its existing important customer base in Kuwait two banks, KIB and Boubyan Bank.

SYNTAX partners with two leading international ISVs

MicroStrategy in Business Analytics and Rocket in modernization and optimization of z/OS systems.

2018

SYNTAX expands in Qatar

SYNTAX expands its international presence in Qatar with the establishment of the local company SYNTAX Doha IT & Services WLL and implements an advanced Applications Performance Management system in Ooredoo, the telco of Qatar.

SYNTAX implements ITOM in DEWA

SYNTAX after a successful POC undertakes the implementation of the critical enterprise IT Operations Management system in DEWA in Dubai. In Greece SYNTAX continues its success with new important software implementations in the Banking and Insurance sectors and GDPR services.

2017

SYNTAX raises awareness of the new European GDPR

SYNTAX leads the market awareness campaign for the new European regulation of GDPR presenting its service portfolio, as the platinum sponsor of the first GDPR conference in Greece.

SYNTAX co-develops an innovative Metadata Configuration Automation Management System

SYNTAX signs an agreement with SWEAGLE, a Belgian software vendor and undertakes the development of an innovative Metadata Configuration Automation Management System that enables for Applications Continuous Delivery.

SYNTAX modernizes the Apps of merged insurance companies

SYNTAX undertakes the merge and modernization of the applications of two merged leading insurance companies in Greece.

2016

SYNTAX partners with TmaxSoft

SYNTAX introduces TmaxSoft™ the leading South Korean software vendor and its leading in East Asia alternative RDBMS Tibero™ that provides for cost reduction, security improvement and high availability and which is used, among others, by the Korean manufacturing global giants, Samsung, Hyundai and LG.

SYNTAX modernizes the mainframe systems of Kuwait Finance House

SYNTAX undertakes the migration and modernization of the Tandem mainframe systems of Kuwait Finance House to modern .net environment.

2015

SYNTAX performs a successful POC

and wins among other competitors a major Applications Performance Management project in National Bank of Greece.

Gold sponsor in the 7th ITSM Forum

SYNTAX participates as a Gold sponsor in the 7th ITSM Forum. In a joint presentation with OTE, the Greek Telecom, they present the success story of implementing and deploying SLAM, that enabled OTE to provide excellence in ITC services and dominate the corporate and government markets.

2020 -

2020

SYNTAX wins & implements important projects for major organizations

BMC Patching & Control-M Scheduler in National Bank of Greece, BMC Orchestrator in Kuwait National Petroleum, CA APM & UIM in Ooredoo, Qatar, VB6 Migration to .Net in Kuwait Finance House, BMC Discovery in Qatar Gas, BMC Remedy ITSM in Hamad International Airport, Qatar, BMC Control-M in National Bank of Bahrain, BMC Remedy ITSM in Boubyan Bank, Kuwait, Dow Jones in Kuwait Clearing Co., CA Performance Management in Ooredoo, Qatar.

SYNTAX supports the merge of Sweagle MCM software with Servicenow software

SYNTAX continues to support the development of Sweagle metadata configuration management software after the acquisition of Sweagle startup by Servicenow.

SYNTAX establishes new partnerships with important software vendors

In the ITGRC sector,with Microsoft, Bitsight, Bitdefender, Netwrix, Docusign,Thycotic, Reposify, Cymulate, Broadcom, Buguroo and Process Unity. In the ITOM sector with, Nextthink and Logicmonitor, and in ALCM with Fresh Solutions.