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Medvedev finds Russia’s share on IT market very small

Russian Prime Minister believes a breakthrough is needed

MOSCOW, July 15 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev finds Russia’s share on the IT market very small and believes that a breakthrough is needed in the IT industry.

“In general, the overall growth of our IT market in the previous year has made about six percent, according to different estimates. However, the share of our produce on the world market of information technologies, which is already estimated at 1.7 trillion dollars today, makes just 0.6%. This is certainly very little,” the prime minister said at a meeting of the Russian government on Monday.

The prime minister stated that the introduction of modern information technologies will result in the growth of labour productivity and the life quality of people, as well as the quality of state services. The premier added that the software output in Russia in 2012 exceeded 75 billion roubles, meanwhile, 60% of this produce was delivered for exports.

Medvedev also cited the data of experts that the Internet market in Russia is the largest one in Europe and has a huge potential for growth. In particular, he noted the developers of mobile applications. Meanwhile, the prime minister stated that many needs of the domestic market are still satisfied only thanks to the imports.

The production and exports of Russian IT services should double in Russia by 2018, Medvedev stated. “The IT growth rate should exceed the average GDP growth rate by no less than three times. We can hope for this. In 2018 the number of highly productive jobs in the IT industry will double and it should reach the figure of over 600,000 people. The production and exports of domestic produce and services will double,” the prime minister underlined.

The prime minister is convinced of the need for a higher level of education in the IT industry, including the distant education. He also finds it needed to expand the program of research in this sphere and improve the measures for the support to the IT industry.