“Marvel” sat down at the workplace – Newspaper Kommersant No. 22 (7467) dated 02/07/2023

The structure of the electronics supplier F+ tech-Marvel bought 49% in the manufacturer of automated workstation systems (AWP) Getmobit. Philip Gens, the owner of Lanit Group of Companies, sold his share in the project, and Peter Efimov, the founder of Informzaschita, reduced it from 55% to 41%. Experts believe that F + tech-Marvel decided to focus on the supply of electronics primarily in the public sector, using preferences for equipment manufactured in Russia.

The electronics manufacturer F+ tech (the parent company of F+ tech-Marvel Group of Companies) bought out 49% in the Russian manufacturer of automated workstation systems (AWS) Getmobit. According to the interlocutor of Kommersant, who is familiar with the terms of the deal, Philip Gens, the owner of Lanit Group of Companies, sold his 35% stake in the project, and Pyotr Yefimov, the founder of Informzaschita (owned by Lanit), sold another 14% of his 55%. Lanit Group confirmed the sale of shares, but refused to name the amount of the transaction. The interlocutor of “Kommersant” estimates it at the level of 200-300 million rubles.

Getmobit releases workstations for both the public sector and the corporate segment, the representative of F + tech clarifies. Workstations are computers with built-in cameras for video conferencing systems, VDI solutions (virtualization of remote desktops), wired phones, built-in information security systems, etc. The annual market capacity of such systems in the Russian Federation in F + tech is estimated at 40 billion rubles . During 2023, the company plans to invest up to 500 million rubles. “in the creation and development of technologies, as well as the expansion of production capacity.”

In December 2022, Philip Gens sold part of his stake in Code of Security, a major provider of cybersecurity solutions, to Rosatom structures. Before the deal, the businessman’s share was 85%, and then decreased to 43.5%. Kommersant’s interlocutor among electronics manufacturers suggested that the sale of Getmobit was due to the company’s unprofitability and the original owners’ lack of interest in developing such technology: “Getmobit was also acquired by Philip’s father Georgy Gens, the asset was inherited.”

In 2023, Getmobit plans to release 20,000 workstations, and in 2024, to start developing a new line of equipment. “It is planned to create thin clients, monoblocks and IP phones on the Russian electronic component base (ECB), as well as increase production capacity to produce up to 100 thousand devices per year,” explained Alexey Melnikov, managing partner of F + tech-Marvel.

The structures of F+ tech-Marvel stepped up investments in the production of electronics in the Russian Federation in 2022 – the market has become promising due to large-scale Western sanctions and supply restrictions after the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine. In August, the company bought out the Russian division of the American printer manufacturer Lexmark (see Kommersant dated August 5, 2022). In November, she announced the start of production of data storage systems (SHD) and network equipment in the Moscow region (see Kommersant dated November 18, 2022). To develop our own storage systems, a stake in the developer of SK-SHD software was purchased (see Kommersant dated December 1, 2022).

Even before the deal, Getmobit was aimed at supplying electronics mainly to the public sector, for this the company intends to include its equipment in the register of domestic software and hardware systems (PAK) of the Ministry of Digital Development, said Nikolai Komlev, head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce Council for the development of the digital economy. This, according to him, makes it possible to supply PAK to government customers, including subjects of critical information infrastructure. At the end of December, the Ministry of Digital Transformation included PAK developers in the register of Russian software. Accredited companies receive a number of tax benefits and preferences for public procurement.

Timofey Kornev