Import substitution of information technologies: 5 Pro and 5 Contra

Change of approaches to informatization in connection with requirements of %D0%B8%D0%BD%D1%84%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%86%D0%B8%D0%BE%D0%BD%D0%BD%D1%8B%D1%85 %D1%82%D0%B5%D1%85%D0%BD%D0%BE%D0%BB%D0%BE%D0%B3%D0%B8%D0%B9 %D0%B2%D0%A0%D0%BE%D1%81%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%B8 import substitution is a task not simple, especially in a situation when there are big working systems which development should be continuous, and functioning - stable. Therefore it was represented to us important to understand the relation to this task from Chief information officers, - the chairman of the board of directors of IT Group Tagir Yapparov says.

The research conducted by TAdviser is based on poll of Chief information officers of federal and regional agencies. To respondents three questions – about incentives, about restraining factors and about the priority directions of import substitution were set. The list of the practical reasons which are slowing down import substitution was as a result made and also the factors allowing to progress in this direction are defined.

• 1. There is no money for completions of the connected systems, retraining of personnel
• 2. There are no worthy alternatives among the Russian products, weak awareness on stories of successful migration
• 3. There are no sanctions for use of foreign products
• 4. There are risks of failures of information systems during reorganization/migration
• 5. There is a habit to work with the checked suppliers, with proprietary licenses

For the last decades authorities invested hundreds of billions rubles in creation and development of information systems. In the conditions of growth of economy and the stable international relations for creation of systems thought of application of the Russian products extremely seldom. An exception was unless the sphere of information security.

As a result much of the implemented application software functions on import DBMS and operating systems, the federal systems often demand from regions of information transfer in proprietary formats of import software, in departments a huge number of templates in Word and Excel is created, the minister of information technologies and communication of Chelyabinsk region Alexander Kozlov explains.

To replace the foreign proprietary system software, it is necessary to carry out upgrade of the used applied information systems that requires essential finance costs, add in IT department of the Yaroslavl region.

But the budget on alteration of information systems neither at regions, nor at the federal authorities, as a rule not. Besides, according to Alexander Kozlov, in case of migration on new solutions there is a need to retrain personnel: both users, and administrators.

State investments into import products are already made, and to explain to inspection bodies need of new, often, repeated investments upon transition to domestic software impracticablly, the deputy manager of Rosimushchestvo Denis Solodovnikov adds.

One more factor which is slowing down process, according to it, consists in lack of the personified sanctions and sanctions of departments for non-execution of actions, otherwise, non-obligation of implementation of such tasks.

Besides at the state Chief information officers the habit to implementation of tasks through purchase of the proprietary software (licenses) was created, the last 20 years they were convinced that all foreign is better, Igor Skobelev, the department director and communications of Krasnodar Krai considers.

But also it is not always possible to find a worthy alternative among proposals of domestic developers, Solodovnikov says. Here, according to him, on the one hand the laziness of customers, and with another - inability to do something new by developer companies is observed.

In a number of the directions pay attention to lack of the developed domestic or free system software products and in the Yaroslavl region. One more problem - lack of the FSTEC certificate for the most developed by Open Source products that also imposes restrictions for their use in departments.

Some respondents among the reasons which are slowing down import substitution select risks of failures owing to use of crude Russian products.

We should be sure that all systems will regularly work, without loss of functionality, at the same time the compatibility of all necessary software will be provided, - the minister of IT and communication of the Kirov region Alexander Zorin summarizes.

• 1. Regulatory legal acts, orders of the president, government decree, solutions of the working groups
• 2. An opportunity to save due to transition to free or cheaper Russian software
• 3. An opportunity to receive the additional budget for import substitution project implementation
• 4. An opportunity to influence development of products, is higher the speed of adaptation of products to needs of specific customers
• 5. Security and independence of the policy of large foreign corporations

Legislative restrictions and recently adopted regulatory legal acts are the main incentive forcing state agencies to be engaged in import substitution. At the same time, a number of respondents select also other factors.

Chelyabinsk region due to transition to the free software tries to save. Besides, import substitution is an opportunity to receive the budget on updating of computers and office equipment, Alexander Kozlov says.

Igor Skobelev from Krasnodar Krai notes that an important incentive is the possibility of influence on development of a product and speed of adaptation of the Russian developers to needs of a public sector.

Certainly, transition to the Russian of software should have explicit usefulness as in terms of information security, and cost efficiency, Alexander Zorin from the Kirov region adds.

In federal agencies refer also sanctions risks and dependence on the license policy of foreign vendors to stimuluses of import substitution. "I do not want to pay for air or for a brand", - one of respondents explains. Ministry of Transport is afraid of the hidden opportunities of foreign products.

Respondents of TAdviser state agencies are ready to apply the Russian or free software, mainly, at start of new projects (when there is no legacy dependence), and here the category of software depends on specifics of the project.

At the same time, a number of projects of full-scale migration already started though on them the few dare so far. Officials wait for the complete Russian solutions tested, checked in case.

"For the last 25 years there was the common market understanding that in certain spheres there are no Russian products, - Tagir Yapparov argues. - The developed technology landscape long time remained stable, and it is clear that its changes require great financial and organizational efforts. Therefore reserved and even negative first reaction to requirements of import substitution – is quite clear".

Tagir
Yapparov

Often at import substitution customers are focused by br on new tasks

At the same time there are niches where the Russian technologies or play a noticeable role, or even dominate, the chairman of the board of directors of IT continues.

"We come up against situations when domestic goods are more effective, and often they can be implemented for money which needs to be invested in technical I will support foreign analogs. In our practice there are such projects with replacement of foreign workflow systems by free solutions. Also we discuss replacement of SAP HR with one of clients on "BOSS the Personnel officer" according to the similar scheme".

Change of platforms bears certain risks, Yapparov agrees, but large Russian developers are ready to guarantee the continuity of work and understand how to manage these risks.

Other situation – when is tasks which are not automated yet. And here the Russian companies have an opportunity to compete really with foreign products, the expert adds.

Therefore often at import substitution customers are focused on new tasks. They with care treat what already works, but discuss new opportunities and new solutions which are in the Russian market with great interest. For example, our product WorksPad solves tasks which now are only set by customers.

The most difficult situation with technologies in which the Russian companies did not invest earlier and where mature market of foreign players was created. But the example of "MyOffice" shows that Russians invest also in such situations.

Here it is important that there was rather big time period of support of the Russian producers. Such models of support work not only for us. For example, in the USA the RedHat company received the first years financing from security officers, SAP at the beginning of the history lived in Germany for the order account from budget organizations of the German market.

Long-term support from customers, according to Tagir Yapparov, is very important to players of the market. It allows to be engaged in long-term planning and to raise a maturity of products in common interests.

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