🎙️Voicu Oprean, CEO and Founder of AROBS Transilvania Software: Beyond AI, cybersecurity, low code/ no code tools and connected systems are becoming critical

Outsourcing Today, the business services industry’s integrated networking and news platform, continues its interview series with leaders shaping the future of business services and related sectors. We explore key perspectives on the year ahead, strategic priorities, and growth opportunities.

These are not short-term trends. They’re long-term shifts. And businesses that prepare early will move differently in the next decade. AI provides insight. Leadership applies judgment.

Read below the key standpoints and perspectives of Voicu Oprean, CEO and Founder of AROBS Transilvania Software:

🔵 Power words for 2026: Execution. Discipline. Long-term value.

The AI-based technologies changing the company’s competitive edge

In 2026, AI is no longer something we “adopt.” It’s something we operate with, another helpful push towards output-based delivery during the entire lifecycle of the project vs the old ways of “time and material”. At AROBS, AI is embedded in how we build software, optimize delivery, and create value for clients. We run AI in complex enterprise processes, in automotive, embedded systems, and healthcare, where reliability and accountability are non-negotiable. The impact is measurable: better predictability in delivery, faster development cycles, stronger product capabilities.

Our strategic advantage lies in our structured approach. AROBS was the first Romanian technology company to achieve ISO/IEC 42001 certification for its AI Management System, awarded by Bureau Veritas. This ensures clear ownership, defined risk controls, and accountability throughout the AI lifecycle.

For me, the advantage in 2026 is clear: companies that combine innovation with governance will outperform those chasing hype. AI gives us speed and intelligence. Governance gives us trust. And trust is what sustains long-term growth.

The biggest misconception business leaders still have about AI

I think one common misconception is seeing AI as a standalone solution, like a cherry on the top of one company’s internal software ecosystem, rather than as a long-term opportunity and capability. AI delivers value when it’s integrated into processes, products, and decision-making frameworks. Without strong data foundations, clear ownership, and governance, expectations can easily exceed reality.

Another misconception is that AI is primarily about replacing people. I don’t see it that way. AI is a productivity multiplier. It raises the standard. It pushes teams to think better, move faster, and focus on higher-value decisions.

I remember the debate back in the ’90s about the “paperless world.” The assumption was that technology – personal computers, email, and the internet- would eliminate paper completely. That didn’t happen. Paper didn’t disappear; it evolved in how it’s used. Technology and paper ended up coexisting.

I see AI in a similar way. It won’t eliminate people. It will redefine how they work. The companies that understand this shift and invest in upgrading skills will be the ones that truly benefit.

The real differentiator is who builds the capability properly: with structure, governance, and long-term thinking. Without that foundation, AI remains a topic of presentation. With it, it becomes a business engine.

Which business decisions in your company are AI-led?

In AROBS, AI supports operational and product-level decisions.

It plays a role in effort estimation, delivery optimization, predictive analytics, quality assurance, and in the intelligent features embedded in our automotive, telematics, and healthcare solutions. It helps teams detect patterns faster, anticipate risks earlier, and improve execution accuracy.

At leadership level, AI is also used to prepare better decisions — from strategic planning sessions to board discussions and investor calls. It helps synthesize data, identify performance trends, and stress-test scenarios. That increases clarity and speed, but not at the expense of responsibility.

AI provides insight. Leadership applies judgment.

The strength lies in combining data-driven intelligence for speed and precision with experienced leadership and 25+ years of cross-industry expertise for long-term direction.

AI changing CX

AI has raised the bar. Clearly, customers no longer expect software that simply works. They expect systems that learn, adapt, and anticipate. Predictive capabilities, real-time insights, automation built into the core, these are no longer differentiators. They’re becoming baseline expectations.

At the same time, expectations around responsibility have increased. Clients want transparency in how AI models operate, how risks are managed, and how data is protected. In regulated industries, especially, performance without accountability is not acceptable.

So the shift is double: higher intelligence and higher standards. For us, that means delivering AI-powered solutions that drive measurable business outcomes, while operating under clear governance frameworks aligned with international standards.

How do you stay differentiated in your market? What tools and competitive advantages do you leverage in 2026?

For me, differentiation at AROBS comes from three things: engineering depth, scale, and discipline.

First, our differentiation is rooted in deep expertise across industries. From automotive and aerospace to healthcare and enterprise platforms, we operate in complex environments from the R&D phase onward. That level of technical maturity is built over time, and it’s not easy to replicate.

Second, we operate as a regional technology group with international reach. Through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, we expanded across Europe and the US, while keeping Romania as a strong engineering backbone.

A defining step in strengthening our global positioning was the acquisition of Codingscape in the US. It gives us direct access to the US market, closer relationships with innovation-driven clients, and a stronger presence in one of the most competitive technology ecosystems in the world. It changes our scale and our ambition.

And third, we scale with structure: financial discipline, public-market transparency, and a strong internal governance framework for emerging technologies. Controlled growth is what sustains value.

Balancing rapid innovation with responsible and ethical AI use

For me, innovation and responsibility are not opposites, and they have to grow together. If you innovate fast without control, you create risk. If you focus only on control, you slow down progress. The balance comes from embedding governance directly into the development lifecycle.

As a company working with clients across both Europe and the United States, we operate in a landscape shaped by evolving regulatory expectation. Of course, the EU regulations and requirements are more advanced, by far. That requires structure. Therefore, at AROBS, AI projects undergo structured risk assessment, clearly defined ownership, continuous monitoring, and performance evaluation. Obtaining the ISO/IEC 42001 certification for our AI Management System formalized the expectations our partners and the market have from us.

What technology trend beyond AI should businesses be paying attention to now?

Beyond AI, cybersecurity, low code/ no code tools and connected systems are becoming critical. At Group level, our engineering ecosystem supports the full enterprise low-code spectrum, from established leaders up to specialized platforms, such as Outsystems, Airtable, Thinkwise, Jobrouter, etc.

As more products and industries become software-defined, exposure to cyber risks increases. Cybersecurity is now a strategic issue. Without resilience, organizations are vulnerable.

At the same time, we’re seeing a strong shift toward fully connected ecosystems: embedded software, cloud, and data platforms working together as one architecture. Companies that understand how to integrate these layers properly will have a structural advantage.