Russia bans purchase of foreign non-niche software in Russian state agencies
Import substitution applied to software... http://fortruss.blogspot.ru/2015/11/medvedev-bans-use-of-foreign-made.html Medvedev bans the use of foreign-made software in Russian state agencies Translated by Ollie Richardson for Fort Russ 20th November, 2015 novayagazeta.ru The Prime Minister of Russia, Dmitry Medevdev, has signed a decree prohibiting from 1 January 2016 the purchase of foreign-made software for state needs, reports the press service of the Cabinet. According to the document, customers will now be obliged to buy Russian-produced software. It notes that the initiative is a method of import substitution. The exception is when software has the necessary functional, technical or operational characteristics absent in Russia. To place an order on, for example Microsoft Windows, officials will have to justify the need for this operating system. As reported to "Kommersant" earlier, the official, who asked to remain anonymous, said that a German IT company began to discuss with the Ministry of economic development the possibility of a partial transfer of software production to Russia, in order thus to be able to sell it on government orders. A draft resolution was prepared and submitted by the Ministry of communications and mass communications of the Russian Federation. It was presented to Medvedev earlier in April.
Another article on the same topic. Although I like the phrase "complete sovereignty of information" I think it is vague - seems they mean "Russian government sovereignty over all domestic information processing" or something, which of course will have positive flow on effects, at least in the medium to longer term, for the domestic Russian software industry. Way to go Russia! More countries should act in such a protectionist way. What's the point of a country if it doesn't look after its own citizens and national interests? http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-restricts-use-of-forei... Russia Restricts Use of Foreign Software in Battle for ‘Information Sovereignty’ By Peter Hobson Nov. 20 2015 19:31 Last edited 19:31 VedomostiUnder Friday's order, authorities will draw up a register of Russian computer programs that will verify the Russianness of software and promote its use. Russian officials will be barred from using foreign software from next year if a Russian version exists. The move, which is aimed at boosting Russia's national security and the country's tech industry, could cost foreign firms hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues. The rules apply to local and national government entities and come into force on Jan. 1, 2016, according to an order signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and published on the government's website on Friday. The order is part of a drive to wean Russia off imports in key areas of industry that was accelerated after Moscow's falling out with the West over Ukraine last year. It is also linked to fears of spying and sabotage by foreign intelligence services, who are feared to have access to software and equipment developed in their countries. This anxiety has led to calls to boycott iPhones, build a Russian operating system to rival Microsoft's Windows, and tighten control of the Internet. As Communications and Mass Media Minister Nikolai Nikiforov put it a year ago: "We stand for complete sovereignty of information." Under Friday's order, authorities will draw up a register of Russian computer programs that will verify the Russianness of software and promote its use. Foreign software giants such as SAP, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft recorded sales in Russia worth around $1.4 billion last year, accounting for some three-quarters of the market, according to news agency RBC. This included sales worth 20 billion rubles ($300 million) to government entities, the Kommersant newspaper reported. It is not clear how much foreign-made software has no analogue in Russia, but the government is promoting local production. It also seeks to train more programmers, though the most talented often end up in the tech hubs of California. Earlier this month Kommersant obtained a letter from the Association of European Businesses, a Moscow lobby group, warning that the planned law restricting use of non-Russian software would likely see foreign companies freeze investment or pull out of Russia. Contact the author at p.hobson@imedia.ru
agreed. if it comes in the form of help/fund/fork of open source
software, better.
----- Message from Zenaan Harkness
Another article on the same topic. Although I like the phrase "complete sovereignty of information" I think it is vague - seems they mean "Russian government sovereignty over all domestic information processing" or something, which of course will have positive flow on effects, at least in the medium to longer term, for the domestic Russian software industry. Way to go Russia! More countries should act in such a protectionist way. What's the point of a country if it doesn't look after its own citizens and national interests?
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-restricts-use-of-forei...
Russia Restricts Use of Foreign Software in Battle for ‘Information Sovereignty’
By Peter Hobson Nov. 20 2015 19:31 Last edited 19:31
VedomostiUnder Friday's order, authorities will draw up a register of Russian computer programs that will verify the Russianness of software and promote its use.
Russian officials will be barred from using foreign software from next year if a Russian version exists. The move, which is aimed at boosting Russia's national security and the country's tech industry, could cost foreign firms hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues.
The rules apply to local and national government entities and come into force on Jan. 1, 2016, according to an order signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and published on the government's website on Friday.
The order is part of a drive to wean Russia off imports in key areas of industry that was accelerated after Moscow's falling out with the West over Ukraine last year.
It is also linked to fears of spying and sabotage by foreign intelligence services, who are feared to have access to software and equipment developed in their countries. This anxiety has led to calls to boycott iPhones, build a Russian operating system to rival Microsoft's Windows, and tighten control of the Internet.
As Communications and Mass Media Minister Nikolai Nikiforov put it a year ago: "We stand for complete sovereignty of information."
Under Friday's order, authorities will draw up a register of Russian computer programs that will verify the Russianness of software and promote its use.
Foreign software giants such as SAP, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft recorded sales in Russia worth around $1.4 billion last year, accounting for some three-quarters of the market, according to news agency RBC. This included sales worth 20 billion rubles ($300 million) to government entities, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
It is not clear how much foreign-made software has no analogue in Russia, but the government is promoting local production. It also seeks to train more programmers, though the most talented often end up in the tech hubs of California.
Earlier this month Kommersant obtained a letter from the Association of European Businesses, a Moscow lobby group, warning that the planned law restricting use of non-Russian software would likely see foreign companies freeze investment or pull out of Russia.
Contact the author at p.hobson@imedia.ru
----- End message from Zenaan Harkness
Russia is just active as US on spying on it's own citizens, if not more, yes, in the name of the same "national interests", although in this case it seems to be more about money. A kind of way to bypass that already found by Eset, they just partner with Russian company and sell the same product as Russian-origin. Of course this means that price for Eset products will be higher for authorities and money will leave Russian budget for no reason. Also Russian analogs which has no way to compete with foreign software because of quality and price now can survive only by selling their shit to the government. And if you thought that opensource will take place of foreign proprietary software, it's not true. Only in the form of proprietary Russian product using some GPL/etc. codebase in violation of these licenses. Corruption in Russia is very real and strong. Zenaan Harkness:
Another article on the same topic. Although I like the phrase "complete sovereignty of information" I think it is vague - seems they mean "Russian government sovereignty over all domestic information processing" or something, which of course will have positive flow on effects, at least in the medium to longer term, for the domestic Russian software industry. Way to go Russia! More countries should act in such a protectionist way. What's the point of a country if it doesn't look after its own citizens and national interests?
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/russia-restricts-use-of-forei...
Russia Restricts Use of Foreign Software in Battle for ‘Information Sovereignty’
By Peter Hobson Nov. 20 2015 19:31 Last edited 19:31
VedomostiUnder Friday's order, authorities will draw up a register of Russian computer programs that will verify the Russianness of software and promote its use.
Russian officials will be barred from using foreign software from next year if a Russian version exists. The move, which is aimed at boosting Russia's national security and the country's tech industry, could cost foreign firms hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenues.
The rules apply to local and national government entities and come into force on Jan. 1, 2016, according to an order signed by Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and published on the government's website on Friday.
The order is part of a drive to wean Russia off imports in key areas of industry that was accelerated after Moscow's falling out with the West over Ukraine last year.
It is also linked to fears of spying and sabotage by foreign intelligence services, who are feared to have access to software and equipment developed in their countries. This anxiety has led to calls to boycott iPhones, build a Russian operating system to rival Microsoft's Windows, and tighten control of the Internet.
As Communications and Mass Media Minister Nikolai Nikiforov put it a year ago: "We stand for complete sovereignty of information."
Under Friday's order, authorities will draw up a register of Russian computer programs that will verify the Russianness of software and promote its use.
Foreign software giants such as SAP, Oracle, IBM and Microsoft recorded sales in Russia worth around $1.4 billion last year, accounting for some three-quarters of the market, according to news agency RBC. This included sales worth 20 billion rubles ($300 million) to government entities, the Kommersant newspaper reported.
It is not clear how much foreign-made software has no analogue in Russia, but the government is promoting local production. It also seeks to train more programmers, though the most talented often end up in the tech hubs of California.
Earlier this month Kommersant obtained a letter from the Association of European Businesses, a Moscow lobby group, warning that the planned law restricting use of non-Russian software would likely see foreign companies freeze investment or pull out of Russia.
Contact the author at p.hobson@imedia.ru
-- https://nesterov.pw GPG key: 0CE8 65F1 9043 2B11 25A5 74A7 1187 6869 67AA 56E4 https://keybase.io/komachi/key.asc
On 21.11.15 10:55, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
Another article on the same topic. Although I like the phrase "complete sovereignty of information" I think it is vague - seems they mean "Russian government sovereignty over all domestic information processing" or something, which of course will have positive flow on effects, at least in the medium to longer term, for the domestic Russian software industry. Way to go Russia! More countries should act in such a protectionist way. What's the point of a country if it doesn't look after its own citizens and national interests? This happened once in Czech Republic, too. Totalitarian government banned all electronic software and books from "capitalistic" countries. It ended with Czech republic 20y after mainstream industry and science before revolution. Of course it given totalitarian government another reason why and what for punish its citizens. Who was smart and courageous tried to emigrate therefore country lost most of good scientists, too. So much for interests of your own citizens. BTW at that time it was invention of Soviets same way.
Regards, - Over -- “Borders I have never seen one. But I have heard they exist in the minds of some people.” ― Thor Heyerdahl Telegram...................@over23 facebook chat..............overdrive23@chat.facebook.com facebook...................facebook.com/overdrive23 projects...................https://brmlab.cz/user/overdrive twitter....................https://twitter.com/#!/over2393 last.fm....................http://www.last.fm/user/overdrive23 GnuPG key FingerPrint......08EA E4DC EF85 0F02 9267 5B48 2E58 6902 C5F8 794C Public key ................http://overdrive.dronezone.eu/overdrive.txt
On 11/23/15, Tomas Overdrive Petru
On 21.11.15 10:55, Zenaan Harkness wrote:
Another article on the same topic. Although I like the phrase "complete sovereignty of information" I think it is vague - seems they mean "Russian government sovereignty over all domestic information processing" or something, which of course will have positive flow on effects, at least in the medium to longer term, for the domestic Russian software industry. Way to go Russia! More countries should act in such a protectionist way. What's the point of a country if it doesn't look after its own citizens and national interests? This happened once in Czech Republic, too. Totalitarian government banned all electronic software and books from "capitalistic" countries. It ended with Czech republic 20y after mainstream industry and science before revolution. Of course it given totalitarian government another reason why and what for punish its citizens. Who was smart and courageous tried to emigrate therefore country lost most of good scientists, too. So much for interests of your own citizens. BTW at that time it was invention of Soviets same way.
Banning rights (eg to purchase particular software) of private citizens is perhaps not the smartest thing for any government to do, soviet/ communist or otherwise - the heavy hand (always?) produces problems. I agree there are many typical (and actual) problems of government. It is good to separate different problems in our minds, so we can attack (if we have will) the problems properly, and so maximise the benefits to ourselves and to our country. That is: it is right for a government to spend the peoples' money (taxes) only on software which the people will thereafter have an indefinite right to use (libre software, even if 'improperly' sold with deception of license). And it is right for a government to maximise the spending of its peoples' money on software which is developed and or serviced in any way by the people of that country - maximise internal velocity of the country's wealth. This is economic rationalism at national level. This is the softer hand - encouragement by the carrot of money. Transparency problems? "Hidden single vendor" problems? Other problems? These problems will happen for foreign proprietary software as well... they are separate problems. Solve each problem, but don't stop your government from promoting something good with government contracts/ government spending, just because there are additional problems to solve. It might sound funny, but Russia is not Czech, and Putin is not that stupid. This particular policy of Russian government does not decrease individual/ private rights like the heavy handed Czech republic example you give, and this Russian policy correctly tries to improve on government spending of Russian taxes - it is a correct approach, within the boundary of existing Russian government. --- Perhaps find a talented young teenager who likes creative graphics software and designs a desktop skin for e.g. Debian GNU/Linux, and help it to become popular, make a hero of this young designer, because people like heroes. Probably needs to look like Windows XP :) (so that people are at least partly familiar with it), or perhaps Mac. When I install Debian for people, I usually install XFCE desktop with full top menu bar and Cairo Dock, libre office, tor browser/ firefox, chromium and VLC. This covers most needs of most people - advanced users have to help themselves a bit more, but less advanced users only need nice and relatively simple GUI, which XFCE+CairoDock provides. Perhaps provide this type of setup as a services company to government departments - start with municipal or smaller level, and build your company up from there. Provide some "mandatory training" to council/govt staff, employ local computer geeks (perhaps yourself to start) - make snazzy PDF brochure. Franchise/ expand to other areas in your city, then other cities. Keep respectful public profile on important mailing lists so you can solve your client problems quickly. Promote the employment that you have created. There are many opportunities. Russian government just made it a little easier to take advantage of some opportunities at the same time as building your company on free libre software. This is a very good thing. A door has been opened. Walk through it. Regards, Zenaan
A long term TODO herewith done, capping this old thread: This was a few months later, and unlikely to be missed by those who were interested: Oracle slurs PostgreSQL - was Re: Russia bans purchase of foreign non-niche software in Russian state agencies https://lists.cpunks.org/pipermail/cypherpunks/2016-March/012707.html but this may have a thought seed possibly useful to those wanting to reinforce their foundations in respect of free libre- based businesses: What is the value of the State? https://lists.cpunks.org/pipermail/cypherpunks/2017-May/037571.html
participants (4)
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Anton Nesterov -
Tomas Overdrive Petru -
Virilha -
Zenaan Harkness