Tula region began transition to Open Source of the Interview with the minister of IT

Yaroslav Rakov, minister of informatization, communication and questions of open management of Tula region

TAdviser: Yaroslav Yuryevich, whether after appointment as the minister you are going to change something in an organization structure and activity of the Ministry of informatization, communication and open administration of Tula region?

Yaroslav Rakov: I consider that the structure is balanced. Cardinal changes will not be. Except for accession to our ministry of committee on printing and TV and radio broadcasting as department of mass communications. We made it for the purpose of improvement of structure, more effective interaction with the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications and formations of uniform approach to informing inhabitants on new projects both via online channels, and through traditional media.

TAdviser: What key IT projects should be implemented in Tula region in 2015? The question concerns as projects in the field of automation of activity of the government of the region, and external projects.

Yaroslav Rakov: This year we start 25 new projects. The most large-scale – the project on creation of the uniform contingent of students. It includes all aspects of informatization of education: signing up of children in school, kindergarten, organizations of additional and vocational education, consolidation of all educational systems of ensuring activity of educational institutions, services "Electronic Journal", "Electronic Diary" and many other things.

We continue work on development of the medical information system (MIS). Until the end of the year we are going to finish implementation of modules of emergency medical service and assessment of perinatal risks. We continue work on implementation of the module of an inventory control in health facilities, to piloting of projects on connection to MIS of laboratory analyzers and X-ray equipment. By the end of the year we are going to put into commercial operation the module of formation of account registers in the field of compulsory health insurance.

We prepare the project on creation of a regional GIS segment of housing and public utilities for trial operation. This the flexible and ground under our region solution with wide functionality which is capable to provide market information of housing and public utilities quickly. A system is created based on our regional uniform information calculating center (RUICC).

From internal projects I will note informatization of the state archive of Tula region. For creation of a common information space the next year we are going to replicate the project, having included in it municipal archives.

TAdviser: Whether you are going to adjust somehow already existing plans for informatization of the region?

Yaroslav Rakov: Perhaps, plans will be reviewed in connection with relevance of a question of import substitution. The decree of the president — a timely step. In my opinion, first of all, the subject is useful in terms of disclosure of capacity of domestic developers.

Literally last week we accepted new edition of the plan for regional informatization of Tula region which it is comprehensive affects all aspects of our work. Our priorities are directed towards the Russian producers, as in a software question, and hardware.

TAdviser: How widely in Tula region the free software is used now? What do you think of its use in state agencies and as you are going to develop this direction in the region?

Yaroslav Rakov: We began planned transition to the free software. In particular, it solutions LibreOffice and Appache OpenOffice. We will continue a trend. So far we test on ourselves — in the majority of workplaces of "The center of information technologies", subordinated organization of the ministry. Will scale by results. Speak about complete transition to the free software at the current stage it is premature. Especially for employees whose activity is connected with systems which are densely integrated by page Microsoft Office.

In general, for any information system existing in the markets of a segment of SMB there is a domestic analog. However, it is not always fair for enterprise-solutions. Therefore for "heavy" products we will analyze costs and risks for implementation of free and/or domestic software by comparison to foreign products. In my opinion, always there has to be a balance of functionality and cost of ownership.

TAdviser: How do you estimate the current level of informatization of Tula region? In what directions, in your opinion, this level is especially high and where, on the contrary, it is most insufficient?

Yaroslav Rakov: Rather high. What is mentioned also at the federal level. We received 3 prize-winning places for the first half of the year at the All-Russian tender "PROFESSIONAL IT" and 2 at the tender "The Best Project of Year — 2015". Became owners of the award "Silver Dagger" in the "For Socially Important Solutions in Information Security Field" nomination. Our uniform contact center of the region took the second place in the tender "Crystal Headset". The Infometr project noted our region on 1 place of rating of the publication of open data. It is indicative, considering that for the last 3 years all our structures and processes were constructed almost "from scratch".

From the directions requiring special attention I will note socially important: health sector, educations and also ensuring activity of executive authorities in a question of rendering state services.

TAdviser: Whether you study experience of other regions at implementation of IT in Tula region? Could you give examples of projects where you borrowed experience of other regions?

Yaroslav Rakov: Certainly. Both we study, and we share. Somewhere "we spot", "we overhear", as well as our colleagues from regions. For example, we interact with the Samara region concerning education informatization. We study experiment of the Kaluga region on implementation of a geographic information system.

A lot of things depend on specifics of the region. As practice, implementation even of the typified solution in a separate subject — a unique case with the features shows. Their studying, as well as exchange of experience in general, it is effective and bears fruit.

TAdviser: What main difficulties you face in activities for informatization of the region and how you overcome them?

Yaroslav Rakov: The main complexity –personnel potential by IT. It both "staff shortage", and a question of understanding of end users of systems — the staff of OIV and "subspecies", the place of IT technologies in their everyday work. That the IT is an extra work at the beginning, but serious saving of time and resources a post factum. It is sometimes difficult to inform of it employees "on places". Nevertheless, we overcome these difficulties. By the way, created training center based on "The center of information technologies" with training programs on all systems which we implement.

In general, I am convinced that there is nothing that could not be overcome, having a good and harmonious command, creative approach and belief in result.