“We need conditions under which IT specialists will not leave Russia”
Irek Azizov, General Director
— The main consequences of the current geopoliticalsituations are the refusal of Western vendors to supply equipment, software, the suspension of technical support for updates that have significantly affected the IT business. Updating foreign software is practically unavailable, free software repositories can now contain bookmarks, it is risky to use them. Due to the multiple growth of attacks on the IT infrastructure and IT services of Russian enterprises, the threats to information security have increased dramatically. Cloud services from unfriendly countries become unavailable. Therefore, we are working on options for migrating to cloud solutions from Russian suppliers, conducting pilot projects and offering customers solutions from domestic manufacturers.
Now there are difficulties with ordering and receivingIT equipment, technical support from vendors. Together with partners, we are working out routes for the supply of components and spare parts, scenarios for switching to solutions from other manufacturers. For example, we offer options for replacing technical support from a vendor with our experts. But globalization has led to the fact that all countries in the world depend on each other. Sanctions affect everyone. The disruption of supply chains hits everyone, including those who imposed these sanctions. Therefore, I hope that they will be canceled soon.
“Sanctions practically did not affect the service direction of our business”
Due to high volatility, our suppliers now only work on a 100% prepayment basis. We reviewed the costs, but did not take any drastic steps. We work as before.
The sanctions practically did not affect the servicedirection of our business. Moreover, we expect the growth of this area - for example, on-site technical support. Growth drivers — consulting services and implementation of solutions based on 1C, other Russian developments, information security services, maintenance of IT infrastructure and engineering systems. We bought spare parts, tools, paper, consumables in advance. We create partnerships with those who have their own Russian software and hardware products and solutions.
We need to reorganize as quickly as possible, findnew niches and learn how to create, sell products that are in demand on world markets. Partial recovery of labor productivity is possible in 2024, at best in 2023. Then we will be able to get closer to those indicators that were before the imposition of sanctions.
I hope the exchange rate of the ruble will soon be morestable, and equipment supply chains will be rebuilt. We will adapt, find new opportunities, offer competitive solutions and our expertise. I look to the future with cautious optimism — as part of digitalization, our competencies and expertise will be in demand for a long time to come.
We expect the Central Bank to cut the rate:current conditions do not allow to raise money on acceptable terms. We expect real support measures in the form of subsidies, reduction of the tax burden, simplification and acceleration of procurement procedures. We need conditions under which IT specialists will not leave Russia, and the economy will grow.
“Not the easiest times are waiting for any area”
Sergey Smirnov, Business Development Director, MONETA LABS LLC
— The sanctions did not affect us, but rathercaused inconvenience, our clients are Russian companies. First of all, the inconvenience concerns software from foreign developers, which we used in internal processes. I think this is a common problem now. For a long time, we have collaborated with tool manufacturers to conduct vulnerability scanning. Now they are blocked, and we are forced to look for analogues. Now, in agreement with auditors, we use free, open-source analogues of these tools.
“Absolutely any field of activity in the near future will face difficult times”
Fortunately, our financial situation is radicallyhasn't changed. Therefore, no “emergency” measures were used. We plan to implement all the plans that we outlined at the end of last year. We have plans to enter foreign markets. We did not cancel them, we simply adjusted the geography of these countries in connection with the geopolitical situation
Absolutely any field of activity in the near futuretime is waiting for not the easiest times. Subject forecasts can be built after the situation is more or less stabilized. But I am sure that in the medium term any negative impact on the work of Russian companies will be overcome. It feels like it will take two years to restore indicators to pre-crisis levels.
“Government measures only soften the fall of our industry”
Sergey Ponomarenko, partner and executive director of EORA
“The problem was caused by a number of factors.The first is a complete freeze of all activities with our largest clients - large international holdings. All marketing activities for which we supplied our solutions have been curtailed. Even agreed-upon projects have been halted. The second is the disconnection of our bank from SWIFT and the departure of international payment systems. This means that we can no longer pay for foreign services and receive money from abroad.
At the end of last year, we startedmarkets in the Middle East. We started with a victorious participation in the first e-commerce hackathon in Qatar. We became the only team that participated remotely and took a prize, and immediately first. This allowed us to start establishing contacts with major local players. We are lucky - in this region, Russians are still treated neutrally. If we decided to choose the markets of Europe or the USA, now we would have to change plans 180 degrees. However, under the current conditions, we can no longer plan to conclude contracts with our Russian company. Now we are opening a new legal entity in Dubai. This jurisdiction is convenient for our clients from the Middle East and transparent for potential investors. In addition, with this company we will be able to freely pay for foreign services that we use in our work. Now we have to pay for them with personal cards that we were able to open in Armenia and the United States after the conflict began.
“The market froze in anticipation of a resolution of the situation”
We had to reschedule budgets and cutexpenses. They abandoned optional items, for example, payment for a postal client, reduced plans for staff expansion, and in general began to coordinate new expenses much more strictly. The market has frozen, new applications for projects are coming less frequently. All focus and hopes are now on overseas sales.
In the short term, we are completing what we startedand coordinated projects in Russia and focus all available forces on foreign sales. The long-term goal is to receive the vast majority of revenues abroad. Only in this way can we be confident in the future of the company.
The market froze waiting for the situation to be resolved.At the same time, unfortunately, there is no confidence that the sanctions will be lifted quickly. In the event of prolonged restrictions, the entire business will suffer severe losses. Our field, artificial intelligence, is not an essential service. In a difficult economic situation, businesses will have to solve much more pressing problems. That is why, unfortunately, we do not see a future for ourselves in Russia in the coming years.
Either the lifting of sanctions will help us, or time to adapt the business to life under constant sanctions. In the second case, of course, there is no talk of reaching pre-war indicators in the coming years.
The measures proposed by the government are onlysoften the decline of our industry. Yes, tax incentives will give us a little more time to find clients abroad in the absence of demand in the Russian Federation, but these savings in total will not give us even one additional month of work on our current planning horizon. We do not expect other support measures. We rely only on ourselves.
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