From the moment the USSR Academy of Sciences shifted to IBM-based systems in 1966, Russia felt a breeze of independence. Western IT brands, once trusted for innovation, now act as economic pressure points—impacting airplanes, automotive sectors, consumer gadgets, enterprise software, finance, logistics, and customer relationship management. That external support, while beneficial in some ways, can feel like a cold shower for any plan toward digital autonomy.
Subsequent federal initiatives struggled to compensate for missed opportunities and the renewed potential for digital sovereignty. Across the many regulations and transformation plans, there was space to overlook strategic directions and practical steps alike.
Many believe the market will decide the outcome, and some argue that it is wise not to overreach, to choose the best paths, and not waste time reinventing the wheel. Yet this view clashes with reality. Russian talent is widely recognized for its ingenuity and creativity. A notable example is the teaching lineage connected to prestigious mathematics programs in the United States, where Russian-origin methodologies shaped several influential projects. When reviewing Soviet-era foundations, one finds ideas that later influenced the IT industry: collaboration and shared resources, the shift from rivalry to cooperation, and the view that management should be driven by data and artificial intelligence. The aim is an economy where people and ideas matter more than capital alone.
Despite a strong potential for development, much work happens through external staffing and outsourcing. This means products created abroad can reappear later as software in vehicles, mobile apps, and industrial solutions, including government services. The opportunity is large, but the practical deployment remains unclear. Why should citizens or institutions pay for code developed abroad when local developers could contribute more effectively at home?
Analyses from the ANO Digital Platforms emphasize social factors as key obstacles in substituting imports for domestic software:
1. Low motivation to promote homegrown developments. Clients often lack a long-term vision and are tempted by short-term gains.
2. Limited awareness among CIOs about the socio-economic benefits of available Russian digital platforms. They are not always tasked with pursuing better alternatives, and Western solutions remain familiar.
3. Insufficient staffing. Western products, with years of market experience, are easier to install and use. A one-click setup is more attractive than digging into new Russian software documentation.
4. Gaps in understanding business processes by customers and CIOs. This reinforces loyalty to Western products and hinders creative planning with Russian vendors. Many software providers lack the resources and soft skills necessary to explain the socio-economic value of their offerings. Western suppliers, in contrast, often understand business needs and are ready to partner with Russian developers to align with customers.
To advance national development goals, alongside government support for the IT sector, three core paradigms are identified as essential:
1. Seller participation — providing clear information about products and organizational capabilities; sustaining ongoing software development and ecosystem compatibility; communicating new features and use cases.
2. Industry collaboration — sharing experience and guidance on software implementation within government bodies and state enterprises; examining best practices in digital transformation; pursuing joint solutions to emerging challenges.
3. Consumer clarity — ensuring easy access to information about software solutions that address business problems, presented in a straightforward and transparent manner.
To address these challenges, a marketplace for Russian software, Digital Marketplace, was launched. It quickly aggregated a substantial catalog of Russian equivalents to Western software, ready to substitute foreign options from politically sensitive vendors. In the registry, thousands of competitive Russian products from numerous sellers are listed free of charge.
There is a sense that the present window of opportunity could enable a calm, objective examination of problems spanning decades and pave the way for more open cooperation. The goal is to use this moment effectively and avoid turning some teams into merely administrative support. In government discussions about IT development, there is hope that the familiar Windows-based presentations will gradually give way to more diverse, locally rooted options.
These observations reflect a broader discussion about strategic IT growth and national resilience in the digital age, with attention to practical steps that can align market dynamics with long-term goals of domestic innovation and self-reliance.
Note: The above reflects a perspective shared in a public discourse on digital transformation and policy evolution as it relates to domestic software ecosystems and international cooperation.