Valentin Makarov, president of RUSSOFT, an association that represents the interests of Russia’s software development sector, recently presented some impressive statistics to the Association of European Businesses: in 2007, information technology (IT) in Russia experienced 46% growth, to top $2.3 billion; revenues in 2008 will likely exceed three billion dollars; Russian programmers are among the world’s most highly educated and qualified.
Makarov gave his presentation at Moscow’s glistening President Hotel, owned and operated by the Presidential Administration. Yet the government-supplied meeting room, which boasted a state-of-the-art sound system, had awful acoustics. The grand, marble and polished-wood lobby, which can be spacious and welcoming (in a Brezhnevian, “Welcome to Vegas” sort of way), was only accessible through a crowded and disorganized security checkpoint.
In short, the event was a microcosmic reflection of the reality that is Russian IT outsourcing. American and European firms are providing the bulk of contracts generating growth in Russia’s fast-growing IT sphere. Yet clumsy governmental actions prevent Russian IT from reaching its full potential.
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