Autodesk CIS

The American company Autodesk has been represented in Russia since 1986.

As of 2018, 23 people work on the staff of the Russian office of the company.

Autodesk conducts all sales in Russia only through partners. In the country, the company has gold, silver and bronze partners. Gold and silver make up the backbone of the chain and bring in more than 80% of sales. These include Softline, Russian Industrial Company, NIP-Informatics, Infars, iDiTi (IDT), CAD Bureau, NTC Constructor, ESG Bureau, PSS, Jazl, Neolant and SysSoft. There are also open channel partners who can sell AutoCAD with basic functionality, of which Autodesk says there are hundreds.

History

2024: Banning Russian customers from using the company's software

From March 20, 2024, Russian companies are prohibited from using Autodesk software. The manufacturer sent a corresponding notification to its partners in the Russian Federation.

You should not allow any of your Russian authorized subsidiaries or third parties that are based in Russia or are Russian legal entities to use our products and services, the Autodesk letter says, excerpts from which RBC cites.

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Autodesk explained the ban on customers from using their software in Russia by the 12th package of European sanctions against the Russian Federation, which included a ban on the supply of software for industrial design and production.

Nanosoft explained to the publication that, in fact, Autodesk now does not allow the use of software that works under perpetual or "extraneous" licenses. The director of product management at Nanosoft Sergei Sych does not see "any catastrophic consequences" of the Autodesk solution. According to his estimates, by March 2022, the company accounted for 20% of the Russian CAD market, and then this share among buyers of licensed software decreased significantly, "primarily due to the availability of high-quality and ready-to-use Russian software products."

Dmitry Demin, director of the BIM division of the ASCON Integration engineering software company, in a conversation with RBC, confirmed that by March 2024 Autodesk software was practically not used in the industrial sector. The transition to Russian software is going "well both from the technical and organizational side": the main difficulties are in retraining users - to overcome the established habits, established methods of work in foreign software.^[1]

2022

Liquidation of the Russian legal entity and dismissal of employees

On August 17, 2022, it became known about the liquidation of the Russian subsidiary Autodesk. According to Kommersant, by the end of the summer of 2022, the American manufacturer of software for various types of design of buildings, factories and equipment will close Autodesk (Si-Ai-Es) LLC and lay off the company's employees.

Autodesk told the newspaper that since the decision to suspend its activities in Russia in early March 2022, the company continues to assess the prospects for the development of business and employees in the country.

Chairman of the Board of Directors of BASEALT Alexei Smirnov told the publication that the Russian office of Autodesk mainly consisted not of developers, but sales managers. According to him, only 30% of companies in Russia use similar domestic software.

According to Alexei Smirnov, chairman of the board of directors of BASEALT, the Russian office of Autodesk mainly consisted of program sales managers, and not developers.

Alexei Nikitin, general director of Digital Solutions in Construction LLC, in turn, noted that Autodesk's departure is a blow to Russian designers who are accustomed to working with the software of the company, which occupied one of the leading positions in BIM design.

On the basis of Autodesk, companies created auxiliary tools that, after leaving the country, will become useless, and a lot of money, effort and time was invested in their creation, said Mikhail Tsarev, technical director of the Olimproekt group of companies.

And just like that, one day it is impossible to switch to the "rails" of another vendor, this is a matter of more than one month, - says Tsarev.

According to Daniil Tukayev, a specialist in automation, data management and PDM systems of WE-ON GROUP, the main processes related to BIM, standards, libraries of auxiliary materials, training projects, etc. are in most cases almost completely based on software from Autodesk. Alternatives exist, but more expensive, and complex ecosystems that cover most BIM needs are in the works, he added.^[2]

Autodesk calculates losses from leaving the Russian market

At the end of May 2022, Autodesk management spoke about the consequences of the suspension of the company's activities in the Russian market. Here's what CEO Andrew Anagnost said about this at a conference on Autodesk's first quarter fiscal 2023 earnings release (the three-month period corresponds to the February-April 2022 calendar year):

We strongly believe this decision was right and in our long-term interests, even though it comes at a cost... Of course, our focus today remains on the safety and wellbeing of employees in the region and we continue to monitor the situation there closely.

Autodesk calculates losses from leaving the Russian market

As Autodesk CFO Debbie Clifford clarified, the company's decision to stop selling products and updating licenses in the Russian Federation led to the fact that in February-April 2022 the total volume of orders from the company decreased by $115 million, revenue - by $40 million, and free cash flow - by $80 million.

Against this background, Autodesk's forecast for revenue in fiscal 2023 was reduced by $20 million, for the volume of orders - by $80 million, for free cash flow - by $50 million.

Of course, we are unhappy with this result. We will make every effort to mitigate the impact by accelerating the development of our channel, customer retention and digital growth initiatives, and by scaling the early successes of recent acquisitions, including Innovyze. Outside of Russia, the US dollar continued to strengthen during the first quarter. Despite a fairly successful hedging program, the rate of currency volatility was incredibly high, "said Clifford.

According to Deutsche Bank analysts, the direct shutdown in Russia will lead to the loss of 2% of Autodesk's revenue.

Suspension of activities in Russia

On March 3, 2022, Autodesk announced the suspension of activities in Russia due to the crisis around Ukraine. Experts believe that domestic analogues will come to the places of software products for construction, which are being developed by the American manufacturer.

Autodesk immediately suspends its activities in Russia and continues to fully comply with all current sanctions. We will consider additional restrictions for our business in the region as sanctions expand and the situation develops, Autodesk said in a statement.

Autodesk suspended activities in Russia

The company noted that the Autodesk Foundation has allocated financial support to help Ukraine. The funds will be directed to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).^[3]

President of the National Association of Organizations in the Field of Information Modeling Technologies (NOTIM), head of the commission on digitalization of the construction industry of the Public Council under the Ministry of Construction of Russia Mikhail Viktorov, in a conversation with TASS, noted that AutoCAD in Russia could replace the domestic development of nanoCAD.

You can take criticism that some developments are less convenient from the point of view of services, but this is being quickly finalized taking into account the increase in demand of consumers, design organizations, customers and general contractors. Therefore, there are analogues, there are replacements, the refinement of domestic software will go as quickly as possible now, - says Viktorov.[4]

The interlocutor of the news agency also noted that Autodesk was expected to leave. A few days before the company announced this decision, at the request of the Ministry of Construction, NOTIM compiled a register based on the development of the members of the association, and included 134 software products analogues of Western software, Viktorov said.

2020: New head in Russia - Nikolai Dubovitsky

In June 2020, Nikolai Dubovitsky was appointed regional head of Autodesk in Russia and the CIS. He is responsible for developing and expanding Autodesk's business in the region, the company said. Over the past year, this is the second reshuffle at the level of the head of the Russian Autodesk. Read more here.

2019: Autodesk changes top management of Russian office, including CEO

Autodesk has begun reorganizing its office in Moscow. This was reported on November 15, 2019 to TAdviser from the official Autodesk Partner Newsletter address. The author of the letter is Luay Dahmash, who identified his position as director of growing markets in the EMEA region. The report says he will now run Autodesk's business in Russia.

According to him, the team for working with partners in the Russian office will be headed by Jarek Olszewski, Autodesk sales manager in EMEA countries. The Strategic Customer Team will be led by Naji Atallah, Director of Architecture, Engineering and Construction at Autodesk. Dale Welch, Director of Demand Generation at EMEA, will become the new head of marketing in the region of growing EMEA markets. And Sergey Markin, head of the business development department at Autodesk CIS, will lead the work of the Russian office, follows from the letter.

Autodesk sees growth opportunities in Russia "(photo - Kenneth Mejia)"

Autodesk is making these changes in line with our commitment to business success in Russia. We are inspired by the opportunities for growth in this region. Creating the conditions for the success of our partners remains our priority, - explains the motives for the reorganization of Luai Dahmash.

According to him, the change in the organization will not affect the work of the Moscow office of Autodesk.

The Russian and British offices of Autodesk did not comment on TAdviser these personnel changes at the time of publication of the material.

Two Autodesk partner companies in Russia told TAdviser that the company's Russian office removed the entire management team, including the general manager. Moreover, according to a source close to one of these companies, this is due to the general course of Autodesk to centralize management in Europe, and not to the performance of the department. We can expect a similar reorganization with the reassignment of local office operations to European leaders and other regional markets in this region, says the interlocutor of TAdviser.

Since 2016, Autodesk's office in Russia has been headed by Anastasia Morozova, who had worked for the company for about 15 years by the time she left. According to the Kontur.Fokus database, as of November, she is no longer the general director of the legal entity under which Autodesk works in Russia (Autodesk Si-Ai-Es LLC).

The day after the news about personnel changes appeared, Anastasia Morozova on her Facebook page confirmed her departure from the company.

This fall, I realized that it was time for change both for the company and for me personally. Business is on the rise, many of the tasks I set myself have been solved, while Autodesk has decided to reorganize the Emerging Countries region. Everything came together at one point, - said Morozova to the CAD portal Isicad in an interview published on the same day[5]

Speaking about the prospects for a new place of work, Morozova noted that before making a possible decision to work in another large company, she wants to implement several projects that will bring her pleasure.

Interestingly, in the Unified State Register of Legal Entities, instead of Anastasia Morozova, since November 8, Larisa Shnitko has been listed as general director, about whose career there is no information on the network in the public domain. According to TAdviser, she previously worked at Russian Autodesk and was appointed to the post of general director nominally.

2017

Regional center in Minsk

Autodesk opens regional center in Minsk

Autodesk announced in November 2017 the opening of a regional center in Minsk. The company hired the first employees and will continue to expand. The center employs 10 people and works with Autodesk clients throughout the CIS.

Similar centers already exist in Barcelona and Jordan. The specialists of the center in Minsk will also work according to international standards adopted by Autodesk. All sales will continue to be carried out through local partners of the company. Kalitein Dmitry was appointed the head of the center, who had previously headed the department for work with medium and small businesses in the Moscow office of Autodesk for 1.5 years. Dmitry will move to Minsk, the rest of the employees are recruited directly in Belarus.

At the request of CNews, the company explained that the Minsk employees approached Autodesk in terms of qualifications - skills, education and work experience. In particular, the company requires employees to speak English.

In addition, Autodesk attracted in Belarus "convenient location and neutrality to all CIS countries," which should help in working with Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and other countries. It is convenient to get from Minsk to both Moscow and Europe, Autodesk believes. If there is a need to invite foreign colleagues, then the legislation of Belarus simplifies the procedure: since January 2017, citizens of 80 states, including the entire European Union and the United States, can stay in the country without a visa for five days. At the moment, Minsk is just receiving a group of Autodesk leaders from Europe and the United States, all of them do without a visa.

In addition, the opening of such a center in Minsk turned out to be more profitable than, say, in Moscow, the company reports. Autodesk does not disclose specific figures for the organization of the office.

Access to the Russian-language knowledge base and free advanced technical support

In May 2017, Autodesk announced the expansion of technical support for Russian users. Now the main knowledge base of the Autodesk Knowledge Network will be available in Russian, and domestic users will have access to Advanced Support. In addition, all Autodesk subscribers recently have access to the AVA digital assistant. In addition to these innovations, Russian users can still receive professional advice on the Russian-language forum and participate in training events held by the company and its partners. A single contact center will also continue to work.

Autodesk Software as a Service with a Data Center Subscription

In April 2017, Autodesk announced the launch of a program that will allow you to access some of the company's software products as part of the services provided by two data centers in Russia.

To use resource-intensive software, users will no longer need to purchase expensive hardware. Customers can reduce initial investments not only in software, but also in hardware. In addition, you can increase or decrease both the number of Autodesk subscriptions and the capacity of the IT infrastructure to work with them, which is especially important for non-permanent staff or project work. At the same time, architects, designers, engineers and designers will be able to work not only in the office, but also remotely at the facilities, connecting to the project and running the software from any device. The service will also be useful for companies wishing to purchase a comprehensive service, not just software.

The program is implemented through two Autodesk partners in Russia - Cloud Computing and ActiveDesk services. Each of the services will offer its own tariff plans and additional features. In both cases, data can be stored both on the customer's equipment and in the data centers of partners in the Russian Federation with a security level of at least Tier III. At the same time, users will be able to subscribe to hardware as well as to software, and switch to the latest versions of Autodesk products with minimal initial investment. In addition, customers will receive round-the-clock technical support for the IT infrastructure and the ability to back up data. The most popular Autodesk products available are AutoCAD (including Electrical and MAP 3D), 3ds Max, Revit, Inventor, Vault.

2016

CIS subscriber growth + 35 %

The growth in the number of subscribers ON Autodesk in the CIS countries in 2016 amounted to 35%. This was CNews told by the head of the Russian office of the company. Anastasia Morozova The Russian office of Autodesk disclosed data on local users for the first time in at least four years^[6]

The top manager did not disclose the absolute values ​ ​ of the user base and sales, noting that the Russian indicator of subscriber growth is better than the world one. In the global market, Autodesk's subscriber growth in fiscal year 2017 (ended January 31, 2017) was 21%. By the end of fiscal 2017, 3.11 million Autodesk software licenses were sold worldwide.

According to Anastasia Morozova, the growth in the number of users in the CIS occurred at the expense of medium and small businesses, at the expense of private users, probably performing design work at home, as well as by migrating some users of counterfeit Autodesk software to licensed products.

According to Morozova, during the import substitution campaign at Autodesk, "they felt pressure from Russian design software developers, but the increase in the number of new users significantly exceeded these losses."

She attributes the growing interest in licensed products to Autodesk's withdrawal from the sale of perpetual licenses and the transition to a subscription software distribution model in February 2016, which lowered the initial cost threshold for users of the company's products.

Autodesk opened a Russian online store

In November 2016, Autodesk announced the opening of a Russian online store where you can subscribe to the company's most popular products.

The store is integrated into the main Autodesk site. At the time of the announcement, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT, Civil 3D, 3ds Max, Maya and industry collections are available in it - Architectural, Engineering & Construction collection (collection for the design and construction of industrial and civil objects), Product Design collection (collection for the development of industrial products and industries, Media & Entertainment collection (Collection for animation and visual effects).

The products are sold on the site at a suggested retail price. Subscription to AutoCAD for a period of one year, for example, costs 48,183 rubles, for 3ds Max - 50,478 rubles. You can pay with Visa or MasterCard and pay with PayPal.

Autodesk notes that the store is targeted at individuals.

We want to provide a quick purchase opportunity for individuals who are comfortable paying for orders with a credit card. Previously, we did not work with this segment of the market at all, but we see great potential in it. After significantly reducing product prices for this segment, this is a logical step for us to democratize technologies, "said Anastasia Morozova, CEO of Autodesk CIS.

Autodesk told TAdviser that they began to use the direct sales model in Russia, while the company's main business - sales to legal entities - is still carried out 100% through partners: this is more a new business than a change in the existing one, the company explains.

The start of online sales of Autodesk products from the vendor's website will not affect partner sales in the near future, Softline believes.

Firstly, Autodesk's focus is more on single sales, while the main revenue is made by sales through authorized partners such as Softline, says Dmitry Rusin, head of CAD and GIS Softline. - Secondly, it is inconvenient to purchase large volumes of software through the site, not all software products and not all types of licenses are available. Thirdly, the Autodesk site so far supports only payment with credit cards or through PayPal - this is not suitable for corporate customers.

Allsoft (part of the Softline group) believes that the opening of Autodesk in Russia of sales from the official website indicates the development of the vendor's online channel.

It's good. I think the next step will be to organize a complete sales infrastructure on the site: support for buyers in Russian, payment methods familiar to Russian buyers, an adapted solution for online sales in Russia for buyers - individuals. For example, Yandex.Money or Sberbank OnL @ yn, says Anna Zhirova, director of marketing and business development at Allsoft.

Alexander Skripalshchikov, director of Neolant Infoling (Neolant Group of Companies office in Krasnoyarsk), noted that the Autodesk online store is aimed at individuals, and Neolant works mainly with the corporate segment, so the interests of companies do not overlap.

How Russian customers reacted to the abolition of permanent licenses

The reaction of customers in Russia to the new Autodesk product sales model turned out to be more positive than the company expected. Anastasia Morozova, appointed in July 2016 as the general director of the Russian representative office of Autodesk, told TAdviser about this. According to her, every quarter the number of temporary licenses purchased grew in relation to the previous quarter. Absolute indicators of sales results in the company do not disclose.

In terms of the number of subscriptions sold, Russia in 2015 was the second in the EMEA region, excluding sales of the Autodesk online store and the fourth in the world, Morozova said. The first place is occupied by the UK.

Sales in the 1st quarter of 2016 were higher than in the 4th quarter of the previous year, which traditionally accounts for the largest sales volumes, the company says. Small companies have joined the new model most actively: Autodesk has a significant volume of business for 1-2 places.

Up to 80% of all companies that acquired temporary licenses in the first quarters after the launch of the new model are completely new customers, Anastasia Morozova told TAdviser. Now temporary licenses began to be acquired by those companies that had previously bought perpetual licenses. Among them, those who have a subscription to permanent licenses and still want to increase the number of jobs, either buy temporary licenses to upgrade to a new version long after purchasing an indefinite license for an old version of the product, or buy new places instead of unlicensed or competitor products.

Autodesk fully switched to a new business model worldwide, including Russia, on August 1, 2016: the company stopped selling perpetual licenses for all its products, replacing them with temporary licenses (subscriptions). The minimum temporary license period is three months, the maximum is three years. The gradual transition to this model began in February 2015, when flagship products began to be sold on the subscription model - AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT, Revit, Civil 3D, Inventor, 3ds Max and several others.

As part of the new business model, Autodesk has also changed its approach to comprehensive, bundled offerings. Previously, there were twenty-one such proposals - these were software complexes (Suites). Each of them had at least two products that were needed by one specialist, and their cost within the software complex was less than the purchase of these products separately. In the new business model, they were replaced by three "Industry Collections": architectural and construction, mechanical engineering, as well as a collection for animation and graphics.

Autodesk notes that at the same time they expanded the functionality that became immediately available to users of package products, and included cloud services in the packages, which were not previously included in such offers, and the total price of packages decreased.

The company expects that the transition to a new, more flexible, in its opinion, model will push those who previously used unlicensed software to switch to licensed software, and those companies that previously could not afford to use more complex products due to their cost will now be able to purchase more functional solutions.

An annual product subscription costs about 40% of the price of an indefinite license, and the cost of owning a product by subscription for three years now costs about 17% lower than owning an indefinite license for the same period, cited TAdviser data in Autodesk.

According to Anastasia Morozova, for each region Autodesk sets separate prices in foreign currency, and for Russia they are set at a lower level than for some other countries - the price list is one of the lowest in the world.

Impact on business of import substitution policy

The positive dynamics of sales of subscriptions to Autodesk products in Russia in 2015 and 2016, despite the policy of import substitution, the general director of the local representative office of the company Anastasia Morozova largely connects with the fact that it is unprofitable to switch to new solutions from solutions in which a lot of funds have already been invested. The transition means new large investments, which are especially difficult to make against the background of the crisis, she notes.

Companies have trained employees to work with the product, employees have developed certain habits, large developed bases and archives have already been created, practices have been obtained to include new employees in the work process. In order to break all this and switch to new software, even close in fact, huge investments are needed, and significant changes within the company that need to be managed, and, which is extremely important, you need to clearly understand why what has been breaking for a long time and successfully works, - said Anastasia Morozova.

In this regard, it turns out that there is a lot of talk about import substitution, but it is extremely difficult to switch from one tool to another, the CEO of Autodesk in Russia summed up.

Morozova noted that there are quite a few companies with partial state participation among Autodesk software users, but government agencies that have the most stringent rules for using Russian software have never made up a significant part of Autodesk customers.

In any case, the company does not expect a significant impact on its business due to the import substitution policy, since Autodesk Industry Collections has no competitors among Russian products. The set of functionality is so rich that not a single Russian vendor can provide it at the moment, - Anastasia Morozova is convinced.

She added that Autodesk in Russia has a large support infrastructure, a large network of partners and training centers, the company has been represented in the country since 1986. In this regard, in Russia, the company is perceived by many customers almost as "native," despite its foreign origin, she believes.

New CEO - Anastasia Morozova

On July 19, 2016, Autodesk announced the appointment of Anastasia Morozova as CEO in Russia and the CIS. She replaced Alexei Ryzhov, who in early 2016 moved to Autodesk's competitor, Dassault Systemes, heading its Russian office. Read more about the tasks and goals of Anastasia Morozova - at the link.

2015: BIM standard template for Russian companies

On December 18, 2015, Autodesk offered an open BIM standard template to construction market participants. The document will be available to all organizations implementing and using information modeling technologies^[7].

The goal is to set uniform rules for the exchange of information between customers and subcontractors, as well as speed up the adoption of new technologies, reduce the implementation time. The template can be applied by users of any software that supports information modeling technology.

Structural Design and Integration Standard Control Components (2014)

The BIM standard is a key document in the formation of information modeling processes in the organization. The template contains the main terminology, a list of basic BIM tasks that need to be solved at each stage of the design and stage of the life cycle of the object, rules for naming elements and layers, general approaches to the level of detail and informatization of the model at different points in time, principles of quality control and much more. Attached to the BIM standard are templates for Autodesk Revit and Autodesk Civil 3D, designed with all the rules in the standard in mind. Thus, the document will help organize joint work, ensure the quality of the project and interoperability of digital data, build the work of subcontractors in a single BIM environment.

The developed template of the BIM standard consists of two sections. The first regulates work with buildings, the second - with linear objects (roads).

author = Anastasia Morozova, Head of Architectural and Construction at Autodesk in Russia and the CIS The need for a single basic BIM standard for all CIS countries has been understood for a long time. It was announced both according to the results of the first meeting of BIM leaders, and as part of live discussions after each of the BIM events held by us. It was clear that the task should be solved as quickly as possible, until most companies created completely disparate standards that would complicate interaction. The developers of the standard really analyzed and collected the best world and Russian experience. I am sure that it will help lay very correct foundations for the formation of BIM technology in Russia. In addition, the standard will be translated into English. It will be used by Autodesk in other countries around the world.

author = Andrey Belyuchenko, Director of the Department of Urban Planning and Architecture of the Ministry of Construction of Russia The need for BIM standards is obvious, the entire expert community is interested in this. At the moment, the Ministry of Construction of Russia is implementing a plan for the phased introduction of information modeling technologies in the field of industrial and civil construction. An examination of 23 pilot projects developed using BIM is underway, after which it is planned to analyze the experience gained and submit to the government a list of regulations that need to be adjusted for the unhindered use of BIM technologies in Russia. The adjustment of the regulatory framework is planned to be completed in 2016, and thus, by 2017, all issues related to the use of BIM will be resolved in the country. We welcome the initiatives of market experts, carefully consider the developments of the professional community and, undoubtedly, will take into account the most constructive proposals when forming regulatory documents.

2014

Autodesk banned its partners from working with the Russian defense industry

Autodesk, a developer of computer-aided design (CAD) systems, has banned its Russian partners from selling products and services to domestic companies that are on the sanctions list of the US Treasury .

This letter, signed by Annie Goranson, Autodesk's Compliance Counsel, and sent August 12, 2014, is available to CNews (PDF text).

The authenticity of this letter was confirmed to CNews by Natalya Raikova, a representative of the Russian office of Autodesk. Based on the text of the letter, the ban applies to both the sale and implementation of Autodesk products and their update.

The author of the letter informs Russian partners that Autodesk is a company headquartered in the United States, and therefore falls under American export control rules.

When the US authorities impose trade sanctions, this ban also affects Autodesk and all its partners, who from now on can no longer sell and provide products and services to the sanctioned party (although in some cases they may receive special permits from American regulators).

In its letter, Autodesk reminds Russian partners that the United States and the European Union have imposed sanctions on several Russian and Ukrainian organizations. The company cites their 14-page list, emphasizing that it applies not only to these entities and individuals, but also to companies they own and control.

The list of companies indicated in the letter coincides with the well-known sanctions lists of the US Treasury. It includes: bank Russia""; Almaz-Antey Corporation; owned by Gennady Timchenko, the producer of drinking water "Akvanika" company "Russian Time"; "subsidiary" of Sheremetyevo airport "Avia Group," engaged in the development of the business aviation project; SMP-Bank; leasing company "Zest"; concern "Kalashnikov" (former "Izhmash"); "Concern" Radioelectronic Technologies "(KRET); manufacturer of ammunition for the ground forces, air force and navy FSUE "Basalt"; Tula "Instrument Design Bureau"; Investkapitalbank; "MILITARY INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX NPO Mechanical Engineering "; Sobinbank; Constellation Concern; Stroygazmontazh; Stroytransgaz; "Transoil"; IC "Abros" ("subsidiary" of the bank "Russia"); NPK Uralvagonzavod; Sakhatrans Transport Company and Feodosia Oil Export Terminal.

Alexey Ryzhov, CEO of Autodesk in Russia and the CIS, regrets the negative consequences of the sanctions faced by a number of Russian Autodesk client companies. The head of the Russian office of the American CAD developer announced this in an open letter (PDF) (September 2014) received by CNews. The imposition of sanctions for Autodesk was the same force majeure as for other companies headquartered in Europe or the United States, writes Alexey Ryzhov. The head of the Russian representative office of Autodesk admitted that the rejection of his company's software, which is a means of production for his customers, "may be quite painful," but, according to him, the US government sanctions affected only a small number of Autodesk customers.

Results of the certification program in Russia

In March 2014, Autodesk announced the first results of the certification program in Russia, which had been operating in the country for a little over a year. According to the company, as of February, Russia has 32 of its certification authorities based on authorized Autodesk training centers. In addition to them, there are also 25 certification centers at universities, where teachers and students can pass certification exams on special conditions.

Authorized Autodesk training centers, in particular, operate in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnoyarsk, Bashkortostan, Saratov, Ufa, Ukhta, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Novosibirsk, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, Tomsk and Cheboksary.

Since the launch of the program, more than 500 engineers, designers and designers using Autodesk products have passed certification for it in Russia, the company reports. Autodesk also notes that it sees interest in passing certification not only among practitioners who use its products in their daily work, but also among the student audience.

Autodesk products for which exams are available in Russia include:

• AutoCAD
• Inventor
• Revit,
• 3ds Max,
• "Maya."

During the certification of specialists, both their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in working with these products are tested. In addition, the BIM Road and Highways exam is available, which includes a skill test on Civil 3D and Navisworks.

Autodesk notes that obtaining a certificate for its products allows Russian specialists to confirm their qualifications and makes it possible to work with international projects of the highest level, as well as become more valuable and in demand employees in their industry. In addition, certificate holders have the opportunity to enter the international database of Autodesk certified professionals. Companies whose employees have received international certification will be able to conduct more complex projects due to high training of employees, increase sales, and find new promising customers, Autodesk believes.

At the end of 2012, only five company partners and four government schools provided Autodesk certification services in Russia. The first certification center was opened on the basis of the "iT Academy." Then Autodesk expected that the start of certification would become a driver of growth and interest in its products in Russia.

It's no secret that AutoCAD is widespread in Russia, but in pirated versions, so I think that there will be enough people who want to try to get certified, "Alexei Andreev, head of Autodesk's Authorized and Certification Centers, told TAdviser earlier. - For example, in the same India there was a double growth of certified specialists, and in China tens of thousands are certified annually.

At the time of the opening of the first center, the iT Academy, in turn, told TAdviser that before Autodesk did not have its own certification centers in Russia: students of a particular course on the company's products received a certificate of its passage, but there was no Autodesk certificate itself.

Notes