Leonid Kokovin, Softline: We should help regions to create own programs of "Digital economy"

Leonid Kokovin: I direct division which is engaged in informatization of regional public authorities, health facilities and educations. We implement complex projects within which all problems of our customers in the field of activity informatization are solved "turnkey".

Leonid Kokovin: For regional bodies of a state administration we implement projects on creation of infrastructure of the electronic government, creation of end-to-end systems of public security, development of intelligent transport systems, informatization of housing and public utilities, we offer energy efficient contracts with schemes of financing, profitable to the governments of regions and the cities, and also end-to-end systems for the solution of ecological tasks.

Leonid Kokovin: We developed the whole concept – "The region of the future" which includes the IT solutions and services automating practically all spheres of life activity of the region – public security, transport infrastructure, the social sphere (health care, education, culture and sport), a state administration and environmental safety. Within each direction we propose specific solutions, for example, the Situational center of the governor allows to trace in real time different indicators of development of the region, to manage all spheres, to analyze and predict activity of executive authorities. We developed own solution for transport – the automated control system for traffic, we implement projects on deployment of the systems of photovideo fixing of violations of traffic regulations and implementation of other IT solutions intended for management of transport infrastructure. In the field of ensuring public security we are ready to offer implementation of complex projects on equipping of stations, stadiums and other places of big accumulation of people the systems of video monitoring, video analytics and access control. All these solutions are known and extremely demanded in regions. Are less popular, but solutions in the field of ecology are not less demanded: monitoring systems of the fires, water bodies, control of harmful emissions – are very relevant in all regions, not only in Siberia and in the Far East.

Leonid Kokovin: We pay much attention to development of an education system. In this direction we carry out a lot of work on integration into a uniform complex brand – Digital University and Digital School – the different systems existing today in the market, the equipment and a specialized software. Our key advantage – existence of examination and own methodology on integration of new solutions into the existing infrastructure of educational institution. Such approach allows our customers to save considerably on implementation of new IT systems and as much as possible to involve the existing IT resources.

Development of information systems in health care – one more our focus. We increase competences of telemedicine and not only we perform delivery of the medical specialized equipment and software, but also we implement large-scale projects on equipping of institutes of health care modern IT infrastructure and the medical systems.

Leonid Kokovin: At the first stage we see the task to help regions to create own programs of "Digital economy". Here, in particular, the package of measures for change of the normative legislation enters. Besides, "The digital economy" assumes change of approaches in the higher education system for training of highly qualified specialists in all scientific directions, including in the field of IT. In this direction of Softline actively participates in projects of creation in regions of Russia of children's technoparks – Kvantoriumov. For example, such project was implemented by our command in Rybinsk of the Yaroslavl region.

The methodology containing recommendations about change of approaches in a training system taking into account modern trends of general digitalization is developed for the sphere of the higher education.

Naturally, we pay much attention to import substitution which we prefer to call "importonezavisimost" as a main goal of our customers – not just to substitute the western solutions domestic, but also to ensure increase in cost efficiency and safety of the state information resources. The regulations adopted in recent years regulating purchases of software coming from the foreign states led to intensive growth of domestic office software products which are ready to compete with the western developments today. Our specialists carry out a lot of work at the choice and testing for compatibility of the most effective of them and now we propose to our customers the solution "The Automated Workplace of the Government Employee", pilot implementations already go in several Russian regions.

Leonid Kokovin: It is a complex of the software, the equipment and services. On initial stage we book audit of IT infrastructure of the customer then we offer the most optimal in terms of a configuration and compatibility with the existing hardware-software park office and another necessary for software according to methodical recommendations 334 of the Federal Law. Here it is appropriate to mention one more unique service - complex licensing of domestic software which we bring to the market. It includes the software whole set from the Russian developers closing all range of needs of the customer – OS, DBMS, the office suite, solutions for management of IT infrastructure. In addition to licenses for all software, this service includes training and support of software included in service. Complex approach both in the first, and in the second case allows the customer to save significantly when implementing IT projects.

Leonid Kokovin: The state customers also really are under considerable legislative pressure. It is aggravated not only terms which should be recorded in respect of transition to use of the Russian office software, and in which it is offered to them to replace a part of import solutions with domestic, but also to requirements of compliance to the stated indicators of efficiency of this transition. Double pressure provokes customers to costs to which they were not ready. Yes, in the market say much that the Russian analogs are not for all foreign solutions. But those solutions for which they exist it is impossible just to take and add to infrastructure of the enterprise. They need to be unrolled at least within test integration. For this purpose the equipment, several specialists, a complex of tests (from check on working capacity in a specific IT environment to information security tests) and rather large number of time for all these procedures will be required. In my opinion, a task of IT consultants – to remove from the customer if not all headache connected with implementation of import-independent solutions then its part.

I will explain how it looks on the example of the MyOffice software product. Together with vendor we developed methodology of acquaintance of customers to the solution. And for this purpose did "homework": purchased the equipment made by the Russian producer "zheleza", unrolled "opensorsny" virtualization and the Russian operating system at which "MyOffice" works. Account managers of Softline tell about this a demo zone to customers and initiate test operation. Customers do not need to do anything at all, it is not even required to make out and approve any documents. In general, the costs of customers connected with acquaintance to a new solution are so minimum as far as it in general is possible.

Demo zone gave us one more advantage which was unevident earlier. Customers who try on "MyOffice" on themselves are ready to further steps in the direction of an importonezavisimost. Understanding it, we build the work with them as appropriate.

Leonid Kokovin: From our point of view normative regulation of IT market gives to the companies consultants chance to leave in those segments in which before them not especially waited. A relevant example – housing and communal services. In the summer of 2014 Federal law 209-FZ "About the state information system of housing and communal services" which is designed to make a housing and utilities sector of more transparent in terms of delivery and resource consumption was adopted. Resource supplying and management companies are obliged to send data to GIS of housing and public utilities. At failure to meet requirements of the law they are waited by heavy fines. At the same time, the vast majority of the organizations which it is possible to make responsible on 209-FZ are not ready to work with GIS of housing and public utilities yet. Before IT consultants the big field of activity opens. Became Softline one of the first. We developed the RIAS housing and public utilities cloud system which automates sending data to the state information system. Large public implementation of RIAS housing and public utilities already took place in Khanty-Mansiysk. There our system is used by the local information calculating center which collects data from management companies and the resource supplying organizations, sends them to GIS of housing and public utilities and also creates on the basis of these data payment documents on the consumed services.

The movement of the state in "digit" is absolutely correct trend. Society was long prepared for digitalization on the example of the developed countries, such as Singapore. And though sometimes there is also a wish that this movement was faster, but it is necessary to be realists: in a year and even for three to implement everything that was planned within informatization of work of state structures, hardly such big and geographically distributed country as Russia will manage in full.

Leonid Kokovin: The market of regional informatization unambiguously seems growing. In terms of business volumes for us as for the direct participant of this market I see big perspectives. The priority national projects initiated by the government in the field of health care and education generate new IT projects. The concept "Digital economy" adopted in the summer of 2017, will also significantly influence development of both already known, and new directions, such as use of artificial intelligence in a state administration.

It is obvious that the largest contractor of the state order – Rostelecom with which Softline builds up partnership. At us enough joint projects in regions. In general, a top trend today – gain of regional presence of federal system integrators in territories.

Legislative regulation of the market of state informatization gave an essential impetus to development of domestic development of software and hardware solutions. Customers became more competent and exacting to suppliers and select the IT consultants capable to implement the project in a complex – from audit and development of the regulating documentation before training and technical support of all levels. Softline was accepted by this call and is ready to provide all range of services to the customers.

Leonid Kokovin: The policy of regions is different, some select big budgets for informatization, others – smaller, in many respects it depends on stability of economy of the region. Last year, according to data of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, impressive growth rates were shown by Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, the Chelyabinsk and Novosibirsk regions, some other the Siberian regions. Tatarstan and Bashkortostan are traditionally active in respect of informatization.

Leonid Kokovin: The engine of informatization in the region unambiguously is desire of the management of the region to keep up to date and develop the priority directions using IT technologies. Where there are such heads with desire to make life of the fellow countrymen better, there will be a significant financing of projects of "Digital economy".

Leonid Kokovin: Yes, of course, it is one of the directions of classical consulting. We have an extensive examination in this area, the methodology and the whole complex of offers including recommendations about formation of the regulatory base, correction of an organization structure, development of the scheduled plan of project implementation according to their priorities is developed. We already implemented and we implement such projects in several territories.

Leonid Kokovin: We understand budget restrictions which exist even in the largest and rich regions therefore we practice flexible approach within which we not simply master during implementation of IT projects financing from the state budget, but also we act as the investor. For example, we offer municipal entities power service contracts on upgrades of a system of city lighting, so-called "Smart lighting", and we invest in other energy efficient projects. Similar contracts allow the city to make minimum budgetary funds in implementation of the new expensive IT project, we will receive return of investments within certain years and at the expense of the means saved as a result of such upgrade.

Leonid Kokovin: First of all we act as the IT consultant for our customers and we offer the most conforming them to requirements and tasks of the solution on the basis of the equipment and software of the vendors presented at the Russian market. At the same time, we develop own industry solutions which are already included into the Register of domestic software of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, is a solution for distance learning of Mirapolis LMS, a management system for IT assets of iTMan, a monitoring system of activity of employees in a workplace Stakhanovite, RIAS housing and public utilities (an information system for automation of sending the reporting to GIS of housing and public utilities), and some other solutions. In the nearest future we are going to enter in the register our development – the automated control system for traffic.

Leonid Kokovin: There is a lot of projects, among sign – Kvantorium which is already mentioned by us above in Rybinsk of the Yaroslavl region helping children to develop technical skills and to create the interest of school students in engineering specialties. For the benefit of administration of Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug the system of audio-video recording and storage of records of meetings of magistrates, the exclusive rights to which in project completion are assigned to the customer, was developed and implemented by forces of specialists of Softline. Now he can finish, replicate on the discretion and even to sell it, if desired.

In Chelyabinsk region the project within creation of a system the Safe city was implemented. The platform of video analytics to which more than 550 city video cameras of Chelyabinsk were connected that allowed not only to carry out monitoring of events in real time was developed and unrolled, to accumulate statistical data, but also to carry out data analysis for forecasting and modeling of situations. As a result all city security agencies, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and administration are connected to the solution. It is going to replicate the project in other municipalities of area.

Leonid Kokovin: We are going for a third to increase volumes of our business on financial performance. As for quality characteristics, in the last two years the Softline company extensively and intensively increased the resources and in respect of examination expansion, and in respect of involvement of specialists in the priority directions of a solution portfolio. In 2018 we are going to develop very actively further, to increase product examination and to cover more and more regions, implementing projects in the priority directions – importonezavisimost, cyber security and informatizations of key spheres of life activity of Russian regions.