The Information technology sector in Russia employed around 300,000 people in 2012,[1] and contributed 1.2% of the country's GDP in 2015.[2] The sector is concentrated in the cities of Moscow and Saint Petersburg.[1]
History
The Russian IT sector drew comparatively little from Soviet-era institutions.[3] Russian IT companies were started in the early 1990s by founders with an academic background seeking to find a place in the new market economy.[3] Piracy was widespread in the country, with an estimated 90% of all software in Russia being pirated in 1997.[4]
In the 1990s, companies such as Vist began assembling computers out of foreign-made components, targeting small businesses and families who could not afford foreign brands like IBM and Compaq.[5] DVM Computer gained some traction in the laptop market with its RoverBook brand.[6] The Russian Computer Association (Российская компьютерная ассоциация) was the trade association representing the sector.[7] In 1997 Yandex was established in Moscow.[8]
In 1999 MCST developed the Elbrus 2000 processor, which was initially hyped as an Itanium killer,[9] but the project was hampered by a chronic lack of funding.[10]
Over time, Russian companies moved to software development, an activity which enjoyed higher margins.[1] Local companies cater to the specific needs of the Russian market, such as ERP software developed by 1C Company with a focus on Russian accounting rules.[11] Kaspersky Labs is described as the flagship company of the Russian IT industry.[12] Exports of software and IT services from Russia reached $7 billion in 2015, up from $2.8 billion in 2009.[13]
![](https://web.archive.org/web/20220601184620im_/https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/MCST_HT-R1000_Elbrus_laptop_%28cropped%29.jpg/220px-MCST_HT-R1000_Elbrus_laptop_%28cropped%29.jpg)
In 2012 MCST launched the NT-ElbrusS, a rugged laptop for military applications.[14]
In the aftermath of the War in Donbass and the annexation of Crimea, the Ukrainian government banned a number of Russian IT companies from conducting business in the country.[15]
In June 2015 the Russian parliament passed a law to establish a preference system for software developed in Russia.[16]
Worsening relations between the United States and Russia have led some to advocate a purge of Russian software.[17]
Largest Internet companies
List of the largest internet companies based in Russia, according to the local version of Forbes:[18]
Rank | Name | Established | Headquarters |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Yandex | 2000 | Moscow |
2 | VK | 1998 | Moscow |
3 | Avito | 2007 | Moscow |
4 | Wildberries | 2004 | Moscow |
5 | Lamoda | 2011 | Moscow |
6 | Ozon Group | 2000 | Moscow |
7 | HeadHunter | 2000 | Moscow |
8 | Citylink | 2008 | Moscow |
9 | 2GIS | 1999 | Novosibirsk |
10 | KupiVIP Group | 2008 | Moscow |
See also
References
- ^ a b c Pulya, Vsevolod (1 February 2012). "Russian IT market faces cloudy future". Archived from the original on 25 July 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ "IT Outsourcing & Software Development in Russia" (PDF). Schneider Group. September 2016. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-03-03.
- ^ a b "The Growth of Russia's IT Outsourcing Industry: The Beginning of Russian Economic Diversification?". Wilson Center. 7 July 2011. Archived from the original on 5 July 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ "Gates Urges Russia to Stop Software Piracy". partners.nytimes.com. 10 November 1997. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ "Russian Computers Break Out of the Red". The Moscow Times. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ ""Белый Ветер" продолжает продвигать "красные" компьютеры". Computerworld Россия (in Russian). 13 April 1995. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Ассоциации компьютерных фирм в России". Kommersant. 22 December 1995. Archived from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Yandex, Russia's biggest technology company, celebrates 20 years". The Economist. 30 September 2017. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "Top Microsoft boffin votes for Russian Merced Killer". 16 June 1999. Archived from the original on 3 October 2012. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ "Russian "Itanium Killer" Isn't Dead Yet - ExtremeTech". ExtremeTech. 23 May 2002. Archived from the original on 26 June 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ "A Russian Software Billionaire Takes on SAP and Oracle". Bloomberg.com. 15 June 2017. Archived from the original on 31 October 2017.
- ^ "Information technology could become a Russian window to the Asia-Pacific". Russia Direct. Archived from the original on 2 July 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ RBTH, special to (12 January 2016). "Russian software is conquering the world". Archived from the original on 24 July 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ "This 22-pound "Made in Russia" laptop is actually pretty useful". Quartz. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "KYIV BLOG: Ukraine goes overboard with Russian internet bans". Intellinews. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
- ^ "Restrictions on Foreign Software for State Procurements" (PDF). EY.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ Perlow, Jason (9 October 2017). "Beyond Kaspersky: How a digital Cold War with Russia threatens the IT industry". ZDNet. Archived from the original on 31 January 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
- ^ "20 самых дорогих компаний Рунета — 2018". Forbes.ru. Retrieved 19 October 2018.