The plan of import substitution of the software in Russia

Promotion of the plan

Americans can update for an hour all devices in the territory of the country - N. Nikiforov

Acting on a round table in Sochi on October 2, 2015 the Minister of Communications of the Russian Federation Nikolai Nikiforov made a number of statements for danger of large-scale use of the American software.

"Information technologies are very important industry because they concern all, their role grows day by day. Already about 65% of the population of our country are connected to the Internet, more and more business processes are connected with these technologies. Therefore when the geopolitical situation stops being stable, it becomes obvious that IT — one of the first spheres where we begin to have system problems", - the minister noted.

Problems, according to him, a little.

Round table "Import substitution. Check-up of implementation of industry plans", on October 2, 2015, Sochi

There are companies which because of sanctions just cannot use more those software products which got used to use, Nikiforov reminded. It is a big problem because it can lead to a stop of production processes, he considers.

The problem of information security is relevant on the one hand for state structures and state companies, and with another — for each resident of the country and the state in general, the minister added.

"It is necessary to understand that any mobile device, just owing to the fact that there was technical revolution, is almost constantly connected to network. And within one hour we can see for example that all devices in the territory of the country were updated. It can occur even not because some, for example, American company made such decision but because it can make it under the influence of the relevant special services, in case of this or that political and motivated solution".

According to Nikiforov, Russia should act together with foreign partners especially as in a type of military-political aspect this subject is important to the countries not - the NATO block. 

"And first of all we pay attention to our colleagues on the economic block of BRICS. There just the same problems — each country of BRICS also argues on monopoly in information technology field", – the Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications noted.

He also added that the Internet is under the influence of policy and political solutions, despite statements for the return from foreign partners. Nikiforov gave removal of domains of legal entities and the websites of the organizations registered in the Crimea as an example.^[1]

Directions of the plan

The industry plan of import substitution of software includes three blocks, in each of which key actions and also fixed terms and stages of their implementation are planned.

The first direction of the plan of import substitution of software assumes providing preferences of domestic IT products at implementation of purchases at the expense of public funds. It extends to segments of the market of the corporate software in which there is already a backlog in the form of competitive domestic IT products.

Department, for example, carries business applications according to which the share of import products for 2014 makes 75% to like those, and by 2025 should decrease to 25%. The same group includes antivirus software,cybersecurity solutions which share of import should be reduced from 60% to 40% by 2025 and also the Internet services used in corporate environment. The share of import of the last is 50%, and a target indicator - 10%.

It should be noted that this point is not approved yet. The draft of the corresponding government decree was developed the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications in February, 2015 and caused notes in the Ministry of Economic Development. After public discussions till May 15, 2015 the project is going to be revised and only then to enter to the government.

The second block of the plan includes support of collective software development in those segments of the market of the corporate software where, by estimates of the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, there is no sufficient backlog in the form of competitive domestic goods. Here also mobile operating systems (OS) where import makes 95%, server OS,DBMS, management tools "cloud" infrastructure virtualization are carried client. The maximum share of import in the second block - at the consumer office software: it makes 97%, and by 2025 should decrease to 50%.

Till June 1, 2015 the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications together with the interested domestic IT companies and industry associations the Government is going to develop and introduce p the draft of the order about creation of the autonomous nonprofit organization (ANO) which activity will be directed to the organization of collective software development for segments with the high level of dependence on foreign solutions. The plan sets terms of development of such software till 2025 inclusive.

The third direction of the industry plan of import substitution assumes state support of domestic manufacturers in segments of the market of software connected with industry specifics such as: Software for the industry, fuel and energy complex, construction, health care, the financial sector, transport. The greatest shares of import in this block - at software for energy industry and health care: 95% and 90% respectively. As envisioned by the Ministry of Telecom and Mass Communications, in 2025 on all categories of the third direction the share of import should not exceed 50%.

Plan of import substitution of the software