SPIEF: Russia's IT Sector More Attractive in Crisis Market Conditions
St. Petersburg, Russia, June 20, 2015 - Russian Information Technology (IT) industry will benefit from the new global market conditions as a more competitive partner and a global destination for outsourcing, while its IT offer will become more international. It was the message of leading industry experts at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum's (SPIEF) annual talk on IT.
SPIEF, an annual meeting of policymakers, business leaders and experts to discuss the global economy and business with Russia, hosted a frank discussion about the IT sector future. Owners and top managers of the largest IT companies, senior officials, academics and industry leaders discussed the business conditions in the global market, and strategies to support exporters and increase attractiveness of Russia's IT sector to international players.
"The Russian IT companies offer becomes more competitive internationally, and they are keen to expand business abroad and provide high quality IT services. As a positive trend, we particularly see China and South East Asia as very promising for Russian IT export", explained Kirill Filippov, Chief Executive of SPB TV AG, a leading global provider of IPTV, OTT TV and mobile TV solutions. He highlighted that "the ability for Internet advertisement monetization is a strong case to attract more investment into the IT business today".
Valentin Makarov, President of Russia's national association of software developers RUSSOFT, said: "The Russian Rouble devaluation helps us to enhance positions in the most competitive markets such as the US and the EU, but there is also a growing interest in Russian IT in developing countries, such as BRICS, which makes it possible for companies to find more new markets". He noted that now "Russian businesses have to open companies abroad to attract investment internationally but also look for support to their international marketing from the Russian government".
Sergey Plugotarenko, Director of the Russian Association for Electronic Communications (RAEC), stressed that "one of the challenges for Russia's IT sector is to retain talent", adding that "the companies ready for outsourcing will win as they can provide services at globally competitive prices with a high quality". He outlined: "For better export, the Russian IT sector needs a preferential tax regime, absence of double taxation, simplification of export procedures for intellectual property and new technology, support of research and development, more infrastructure, and availability and easier flow of capital".
About SPB TV
SPB TV is a leading global provider of end-to-end OTT TV, IPTV and mobile TV solutions. SPB TV solutions provide stable video delivery and playback across any network, award-winning intuitive UIs for TVs, computers, tablets and mobiles, effective monetisation tools and engaging interactivity features. SPB TV solutions are integrated by large network operators and media companies, like Amedia, MTS, Tele2, StarHub, Beeline, and recognised through many prestigious awards, including CSI Awards, TV Technology Europe STAR Awards, Mobile Entertainment Awards, Google Developer Challenge and others. Over 43 million people worldwide watch OTT TV through SPB TV services. SPB TV AG is headquartered in Switzerland, with R&D headquarters in Russia and affiliates in Asia and South America.