Interview with the director of information technology "Perm plant "Mashinostroyetel" Oleg Fofanov

TAdviser: Oleg Gennadyevich, how relevant for you the question of import substitution in the field of IT is now and on what IT areas, in your opinion, it is necessary to resolve this issue first of all?

Oleg Fofanov: We solved this problem for ourselves 10-12 years ago when the management of the enterprise made the conceptual decision to be guided by the Russian developers in all directions of IT solutions.

Now the complex of the systems of Ascon works for us:CAD,PLM system and system of the reference information. Also we use the CAM system of the Russian company Adem, the engineering products "Tesis". Main system of management of production we the Russian development have KCT-M-3. Besides, we assume to use software of 1C, though is limited: only for formation of the accounting, tax and corporate reporting. Thus, the main niches of the application software at us are closed by the Russian software long ago.

However here I see one negative point. Now actively say that it is necessary to help the enterprises to leave from import products: help financially, subsidize purchases of domestic software, including - small enterprises, it is told about different schemes of grants. Also it turns out that those who bought import earlier received certain preferences: the first time when received from the state of means on import, and the second time – when receive funds for their substitution. The same who always bought the Russian do not receive anything.

TAdviser: The solution as much as possible to use domestic software then was connected with questions of information security?

Oleg Fofanov: Of course. Already then, as defense industry enterprise, we weighed all risks of dependence on the western software and understood that to give key technologies in a charge to the western companies inadmissibly because it is a basis of development of all enterprise in the future. At any time the producer can state that "everything, your time expired", to include a locking gear, and systems will cease to work. The Perm plant "Mashinostroyetel" to present sanctions was placed on the sanctions lists of the West - the list of State Department of the USA therefore for us the matter was always particularly acute.

Also we detected mismatch of the calculation results which are carried out on the foreign systems, to results of further natural experiments on our products. It concerns, for example, calculations of durability of composition materials. We think that calculation results in systems were artificially distorted. We carried out the same calculation for check in the similar solution sold to the western enterprise and in that case results matched. And how to regard it?

TAdviser: As far as the functionality of the Russian solutions for the solution of the tasks is enough for you?

Oleg Fofanov: He more than is enough. Our enterprise is not engaged in mass development of any new difficult products. Though our products are very difficult technology, they include a small number of parts and assembly units - no more than 1000. We conduct developments for technologists: devices, stands, equipment. We have enough complex of Ascon. Development is generally conducted by our partners - different experimental design bureaus and scientific research institute. We only began to move in the direction of own developments. Though there is already certain progress. Several our developments are demanded by customers.

Some say that at their difficult development they lack functionality of domestic solutions, but my especially personal opinion – all this a show off. It is fashionable to say what is not enough, and all functionality which is put in the solution actually just is not used.

TAdviser: So regarding applied software your enterprise does not use foreign products at all?

Oleg Fofanov: There are areas where we use foreign programs. We have partners and customers using foreign and to be in this business, we should conform to this standard. Therefore for these tasks we use the same software that is used by the customer.

TAdviser: Still we spoke only about applied software. And what situation at your enterprise with the system software and hardware solutions?

Oleg Fofanov: Here we have no plans for import substitution yet, and will explain why. We made a number of experiments, for example, with network equipment of the Russian production and they were very sad. We had to reboot the equipment weekly. In my opinion, there is no high-quality Russian equipment of the kernel level of network in the market yet.

Also we experimented with "iron" based on Elbrus processors, and I can tell that it not that equipment which can use the enterprise for perfect accomplishment of state defense order. We did not manage to configure on it the databases, for example. We tried to unroll a complex of Ascon on the Elbrus server, but neither we, nor at Ascon had enough qualification for this purpose. Here it is necessary whole to research, and to waste a lot of efforts and funds for it we have no opportunity, our enterprise should be engaged in the activity. And I do not say already that Elbrus so far very expensive.

Exist the good reliable network and computing equipment of domestic development which is supplied for military, but it is issued small batches, for them, and costs as the spaceship of the average sizes. It is clear, that it is unavailable to us. I hope that such equipment will be sometime issued more in large quantities.

As for OS, it is very fashionable to implement different OS based on Linux both regarding servers, and regarding workstations now. At us very many server applications work at Linux, and here at workstations he did not get accustomed: as our practice showed, at its use you fight against a system more, than work. Linux is not friendly to the user whatever spoke. We, in particular, tried to use Ubuntu, and in it too much time is spent on the fact that in [[Windows becomes one button. In addition, the drawing application software which at us is used can work only under Windows.

TAdviser: We did not mention about DBMS. Whether you Russian use software in this part?

Oleg Fofanov: We use the free software. At our enterprise DBMS is used PostgreSQL and MySQL. Our portal, mail, etc. works at it. I very much hope for development of domestic technologies. It seems to me that over time the DBMS developer "Linter" will gain the lead. We are going to use this DBMS too. Her developers signed the contract on cooperation with the system developer of production management which we use, and the last will support Linter DBMS. Promise that it will occur this year.

TAdviser: Some companies against the background of sanctions as secure sign the delivery agreements "iron" with Asian vendors. For example,Sberbank - with Huawei. What do you think of it?

Oleg Fofanov: In this plan we follow a trend. The last delivery contract of network equipment against us was won by the Asian supplier. It I cannot provide the name. There was a delivery about two months ago.

Before the core of network at us was provided by the American solutions. It fulfilled about 12 years, and time to change it for new came. And at first we designed a new core of network on solutions of other American supplier, but burst sanctions, and we made the decision to pass to Asian products. If everything goes according to our plan, then within three years all our network infrastructure will be constructed on solutions of the Asian supplier.

Of course, at the same time, we have a confidence that any foreign supplier – though American though Asian – builds in "tabs" the equipment. And concerning our new Asian supplier such information is available too. You should not build illusions that one is safer than another. We understand: leaving the American supplier in the Asian we do not solve completely a security concern.

TAdviser: What trends on import substitution in IT could you select in the industry? You watch experience of other enterprises in your sphere.

Oleg Fofanov: The general movement – the management of the enterprises began to notice more that there are also Russian worthy products that here not absolutely everything is bad. A number of the enterprises faced sanctions, estimated the risks and try to be unrolled towards the Russian software, generally applied, for obvious reasons. And many try new solutions now, but still do not approach substitution as to strategy. Still there is an illusion that sanctions are not seriously and for a while that they will end soon and again there will come happiness.

My opinion: in the next one or two years you should not wait for active sales of the Russian software on defense industry enterprises. The enterprises stood waiting that will be farther and that they will be done by colleagues on the industry. Process of replacement of import solutions will hardly be fast, I think, it will take 5-7 years.