Developed and made in Ankara, bought by Germany

VAHAP MUNYAR vmunyar@hurriyet.com.tr

Two and a half years ago, Head of the Executive Committee of Middle East Technical University (ODTÜ) Technokent Professor Volkan Atalay and General Manager Mustafa Kızıltaş visited the online security software company Comodo in New York, U.S. 

Founder, Chair and CEO of the company Melih Abdulhayoğlu from Mersin was excited when he saw ODTÜ Technokent executives. He told them he wanted to set up a Research and Development (R&D) center in his own country. Professor Atalay and Kızıltaş did not miss the opportunity: “Here you are; we are ready.”

Abdulhayoğlu set the bar high: “In the R&D Center we will set up at ODTÜ Technokent, I want 2,000 engineers to work.”

Kızıltaş pulled the brakes on for him: “In the center that you will set up in our Technokent, it would be enough for you to employ 500 people. If business soars, then you can open other centers in other techno cities and hire 1,500 people there.”

Ömer Güneş who publishes the “Turk of America” magazine together with Cemil Özyurt, when he took on the position of Comodo’s general manager in Turkey, he insisted on setting up an R&D center in Turkey.

ODTÜ Technokent management opened a classroom in the university as an initial work center for the company. 

About two years ago, I met with Abdulhayoğlu for the first time in Istanbul. Later, I went to Comodo’s headquarters in New York. When Abdulhayoğlu was in Istanbul recently, we met together with Özyurt and Güneş.

They told me that 167 engineers were working at the R&D center they set up at ODTÜ Technokent. “We have started developing technology. We have applied for 16 patents; three fourths of them have come out. One of the softwares developed in Ankara is a ‘security wall’ named ‘Korugan.’”

He said, “Companies would install this appliance at the main entrance of the computer system. The software inside it catches attacks to the computer system of that company or institution.” 
 
They have even made their first exportation connection. A techno chain from Germany is the first buyer of “Korugan.”

They have also contributed to setting up a Cyber Security Center at ODTÜ Technokent. Before that, there was no center to analyze virus attacks.

When Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci visited them, Abdulhayoğlu asked him which antivirus system they were using at the ministry. The minister promised they would use their products.

“I am developing technology, software here, paying my taxes. Public institutions buy the products of my rival abroad. Public institutions should buy the ones developed in Turkey to support them,” Abdulhayoğlu said.

Comodo was born in the U.K., settled and grew up in the U.S. and then flourished at ODTÜ Technokent R&D Center.

He is right in his call to buy software developed in Turkey, isn’t he?

Providing security for on-line ads

Last week, I was with Güneş at the R&D Center in ODTÜ Technokent. He showed me their first product “Korugan” and mentioned software that is being developed in Ankara: “Certain online advertisements have serious risks in terms of computer safety. We developed software called ‘ad-trust’ against such ads. TÜBİTAK supported us in this and in developing Korugan.”  

Considering some virus attacks that are disguised as ads, it looks as if “ad-trust” will be a very popular product.