Linux goes to the masses – Newspaper Kommersant No. 159 (7360) of 08/31/2022

One of the largest retailers, M.Video-Eldorado, is launching retail sales of the domestic Red OS operating system and the R7-Office office suite. Developers expect that against the backdrop of problems with access to Microsoft products, they will be able to become leaders in the consumer segment by mid-2023. But experts doubt such prospects: Russian operating systems and software may not work correctly with external devices such as printers, scanners and headphones adapted for Microsoft, and it will be too expensive for the consumer to change all the peripherals.

The M.Video-Eldorado group is launching retail sales of the Russian operating system Red OS (based on the open Linux system), as well as the R7-Office office suite, the retailer told Kommersant. “Red OS” will be presented in two categories: “workstation” (for PC) worth 3.5 thousand rubles. and “server” (for server hardware) for 9.5 thousand rubles. The cost of office software “P7-Office” starts from 3.5 thousand rubles. “The solutions of Russian developers are competitive, becoming more recognizable and in demand,” M.Video-Eldorado believes, adding that “certain stocks of American Microsoft software remain.”

After the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, Microsoft announced a reduction in its presence in Russia, stopped sales and deliveries of its products to the country (see Kommersant on June 8). After that, the interest of users in pirated versions of Windows grew by 80–250% (see Kommersant of June 27). At the same time, Russian OS developers claimed that sales of domestic operating systems for individuals have grown by about 20% since April.

Retail sales of Red OS first began in Citilink at the end of 2021. The retailer noted that in August, OS sales more than doubled in units compared to July. Absolute sales in Citilink were not disclosed.

P7 products will be presented in retail for the first time. “This is part of the P7 target program to expand its presence in the market. Work in the direction began in December last year and is associated with great demand in the segment of small and medium-sized businesses, ”P7 CEO Natalia Agafonova explained to Kommersant, noting that the company intends to take a leading position in the consumer segment by mid-2023.

The direct competitor of P7 is the New Cloud Technologies company, which develops the MyOffice office suite. It is currently not available in retail chains. Product Marketing Director of MyOffice Petr Shcheglov connects M.Video-Eldorado’s move with the lack of foreign alternatives on the market and an increase in demand for domestic products. “Obviously, retail sales are aimed at strengthening the presence of developers in the consumer segment, which has historically been dominated by products of a foreign vendor that has left the market, including those distributed illegally,” he says. According to him, MyOffice is also exploring the possibility of entering retail.

However, Kommersant’s interlocutor in the IT market doubts that such products will become noticeably in demand, “the main demand will be from those who need licensed software, these are primarily corporate customers.” Ordinary consumers will prefer pirated versions of Windows.

Not all devices are yet adapted to work with Linux and have the appropriate drivers for communication controllers, images and peripherals, so there may be problems with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, as well as connecting third-party devices such as printers, scanners, headphones, notes another Kommersant’s source in the IT market. “In order to minimize such risks, devices must be tested in advance for correct operation under the OS on Linux before they get to the user,” emphasizes the interlocutor of Kommersant. In his opinion, when purchasing an OS out of the box, the consumer must first be guided by the list of equipment compatible with it or understand where he can apply for technical support.

VisionLabs CEO Dmitry Markov believes that the main problem of all alternative operating systems is the missing application software and functionality. “Users are just used to working in the Microsoft Office environment, and other Russian companies can take a long time to overcome this barrier, given the disparate amount of investment in the product that foreign companies are making,” he says.

Timofey Kornev