Will Russia Become a Global Software Leader?

Russia’s computer programmers are the some of the best in the world and more than 200,000 students majoring in technology graduate every year, a staggering figure especially when considering that figure matches India with five times the population! Despite Russia’s noble technological tradition of being the first country to launch a man in space, becoming a powerhouse of software development appears to be a goal that at least for now is just slightly out of reach.

Maybe Russia is on its bumpy way to becoming a global software leader. Russia’s software industry is definitely growing by leaps and bounds and is now considered to be the third largest software-outsourcing destination in the world after China and India. The country’s expanding software exports are still, however, a drop in the ocean when compared with the tens of billions of dollars it earns each year from natural resources.

According to Dmitry A. Loschinin, CEO of Russia's largest software development company, Luxoft:

“Just three countries, India, China, and Russia, are big enough to become IT superpowers and in terms of geography, Russia has a pretty big advantage. In the long term it will be a very good [outsourcing] destination for Europe.”

Like that old Beatles’ song about getting by “with the help of some friends,” Russia needs a governmental boost when it comes to expanding its software industry. Up to now, the government has typically been more of a hindrance than help. With current prodding from President Putin, policy-makers now seem to be waking up and smelling the coffee as far as the importance of the software industry is concerned.

Luxoft, a global provider established in 2000, has come a long way in the last few years and on October 23 of this year won the National Outsourcing Association’s award for Telecommunications Outsourcing Project of the Year at the NOA awards ceremony. The NOA awards aim to reward organizations for success in outsourcing projects, as well as raising awareness for the importance of the best practices in outsourcing. The awards acknowledge achievements in IT outsourcing, business process outsourcing, as well as sector specific achievements in telecommunications, finance and utilities.

So world, watch out. Russia is well on its way and holding its own when it comes to climbing the profitable ladder of global software leadership!