For typical software houses like Webmedia, Nordic and Baltic markets are not at all flattering. They’re boring and congested. “Everything is in place here,” Priit Alamäe, CEO of Webmedia bewails.

Webmedia is one of the biggest software houses in the Baltics and, to large extent the architect of Estonian banking, telecom and public IT services infrastructure as we know it.

Now all the excitement is in the Middle East and Africa for the company. Because over there, according to Alamäe, the IT-services market is in its infancy and surprise-surprise - unlike in Europe the governments there actually have money!

For starters Webmedia has provided services for Palestinian Tax Board. But recently  the company opened a new office in Doha, Qatar, an oil-rich country, that want’s to become the Silicon Valley of the Middle East. Wembedia will establish –  based on the knowledge gained from Estonia – a visas- and ID-cards-related e-services platform for local Ministry of Interior. The former chief architect of Estonian E-Tax Board, Aare Lapõnin now keeps an eye on the progress of Webmedia in the Middle East. He is the guy thanks to whom about 80 percent of Estonians declare their taxes online in 5 minutes.

Qatar seems to be only the beginning if Webmedia guys keep their heads cool and learn Arabic Alamäe is convinced that partly thanks to foreign activities Webmedia will keep up the growth pace 30-50 percent a year despite all worrying trends.

Here’s a video (sorry about the sound), where Priit Alamäe talks about the goals of Webmedia, Estonia as unfortunately not very good IT-services export reference country and the effects of global economic recession to the relevant market.

What’s Webmedia up to? from Toivo Tänavsuu on Vimeo.