Haroldo Jacobovicz Pursues Digital Accessibility Through Arlequim Technologies
Access to capable computing equipment remains uneven across economic segments and organisational types. Brazilian entrepreneur Haroldo Jacobovicz created Arlequim Technologies in 2021 with virtualization services intended to narrow this gap by improving the performance of hardware that users already own.
A Family Immersed in Technical Disciplines
Engineering permeated daily life in the Jacobovicz residence in Curitiba. Father Alfredo pursued civil engineering professionally while simultaneously holding an academic teaching position at university. Mother Sarita represented a rare presence in her generation—a woman who had completed civil engineering studies in Paraná when female graduates in technical fields remained exceptionally uncommon.
The firstborn of four children, Haroldo Jacobovicz received educational direction consistent with family tradition. Seven years of Military College preceded enrolment at the Federal University of Paraná, where he obtained civil engineering credentials. These qualifications suggested a future spent calculating load tolerances and supervising construction crews, yet that career never materialised.
Technology Supplants Traditional Engineering
Information systems and their business applications diverted Jacobovicz from structural engineering toward computing. Before completing his degree, he had partnered with classmates possessing programming expertise to form Microsystem. Their objective involved automating retail operations for pharmacies, grocery stores, and similar small merchants through computerised stock tracking and sales processing.
The venture encountered an unreceptive market. Small retailers in early 1980s Brazil showed little inclination to computerise their workflows, regardless of potential efficiency gains. Microsystem shuttered after two years, delivering instruction about the necessity of market alignment alongside technical capability.
Professional positions at distinct organisation types followed. Esso, the American oil distributor, employed Haroldo Jacobovicz in roles progressing toward commercial strategy at national level. The Itaipu Hydroelectric Plant subsequently offered an advisory position that exposed him to public sector technology challenges. Both experiences contributed perspectives he would later apply as an entrepreneur.
Arlequim’s Service Offerings
Arlequim Technologies provides virtualization services marketed as performance upgrades for computers operating below user expectations. The company’s technical approach aims to enable machines with limited specifications to execute tasks typically demanding superior hardware, potentially deferring or eliminating replacement purchases.
Customer targeting encompasses three segments. Commercial organisations wanting prolonged utility from existing IT equipment represent one focus. Public sector institutions constrained by budget allocations and purchasing regulations form another priority audience. Consumer markets constitute the third category, particularly gaming participants facing elevated hardware requirements. The spread of gamification across entertainment software has progressively raised minimum system specifications, pricing some users out of current releases.
