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Russian Government Develops
a New IT Concept


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The Russian information technology market is considered to be one of the most dynamic in the world, with more than 20 percent growth annually.


by Irina Lakaeva, U.S. Commercial Service

Russian Government Develops a New IT Concept

The IT sector plays an important role in Russian-U.S. services trade because most high-tech equipment used in Russia is imported. Growth is expected to continue due to a favorable economic situation and high demand in the corporate and government sectors.

 In the end of September 2004, the Russian government approved “The Concept of the Use of Information Technologies in the Activity of Government Agencies until the Year 2010,” which may become an important demand driver for IT products in the government sector.

The concept document was prepared by the Russian Ministry of IT and Communications and approved by Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov on September 27, 2004. For the next six years, it will become a key document for regulating IT development processes in federal government bodies. The document describes the main priorities of government policy in the sphere of IT use by government entities. The main goals of the concept are to:

 

• improve the efficiency of government management with the help of IT tools;

• establish a single IT infrastructure and combine federal information systems and resources of different federal agencies; and

• improve electronic document exchange between federal agencies and the general population.

 

 According to the Ministry, the main engine and source of financing to realize this project will be the Federal Program “Electronic Russia 2002–2010,” ad-opted in 2001. According to the head of the Federal IT Agency, Vladimir Matyukhin, in the fourth quarter of 2004 the Ministry will prepare an updated version of “Electronic Russia” in order to adjust its needs to the fulfillment of the new concept. 

IT Minister Leonid Reiman has suggested that the Electronic Russia budget for next year will be increased to $80 million. However, the money for IT modification within the Russian government will be taken not only from the federal budget, but also from the budgets of various federal agencies. Overall, according to the IT Ministry, the federal agencies currently spend about $0.8-1.5 billion on IT.

Although federal expenditures for IT will not be centralized, the government is planning to develop a procedure of centralized procurement of IT products for federal agencies. According to Minister Reiman, it is more efficient for the state to purchase products in volume in order to negotiate the lowest possible price. The procedure of centralized government procurement of IT products will be developed soon.

 The Ministry expects that, in the medium-term, the concept will help to:

 

• combine the federal agencies’ information systems and resources;

• make these resources accessible at the intergovernmental level; and

• improve the legislative basis of the IT sector in Russia. 

 

The U.S. Commercial Service believes that the interest in IT in Russia runs very high, and there is little doubt of the huge potential demand for PCs, Internet access, and b2c e-commerce should the government support high-tech development and incomes rise from current levels.

 

 U.S. Commercial Service offices in Russia offer U.S. exporters a number of services aimed at generating export sales, including identifying distributors and arranging meetings with prospective buyers during business visits to Russia. For more information, contact Irina at

 

Tel.: 7 (095) 737-5022.

Email: irina.lakaeva@mail.doc.gov

Web:  www.buyusa.gov/russia/en



© 2003-2004 Russian-American Business Magazine Russian-American Business

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