The Ministry of Digital Development proposes to create centers for assessing the compatibility of Russian IT solutions

The Ministry of Digital Development is discussing the creation in Russia of independent centers for testing the compatibility of Russian software with domestic equipment and operating systems, Deputy Minister Maxim Parshin said at a session of the Vedomosti conference “Russian Microelectronics”. According to him, the department “plans to initiate or, let’s say, stimulate” the creation of such centers.

While it is being discussed whether this system will use only budget funding or whether it will be financed jointly with software customers, Parshin noted. The mechanism for the functioning of these centers, the procedure for revoking their licenses in case of any violations in their work, etc. are also being worked out.

Such centers are definitely needed, Alexey Smirnov, chairman of the board of directors of Bazalt SPO, notes. “The user needs a working PC as a whole, and not just a working operating system or this or that solution,” he explained in a comment to Vedomosti. The Ministry of Digital Development is discussing new requirements for domestic software to be included in the registry, and one of these requirements is just compatibility with platforms and equipment, Smirnov added. “If such a requirement arises, there should be an objective verification mechanism,” he said.

According to Smirnov, Basalt SPO, as a platform developer, for its part, carries out such work to test the compatibility of applied solutions with its platform, but these conclusions do not currently have a state status.

If the conclusion on the compatibility of this or that software will have a state status, then it is logical if such an examination will be carried out for budget funding, Smirnov continued. According to him, industry associations now have such competencies – the Association of Documentary Telecommunications, the Voskhod Research Institute, as well as the Competence Center for Import Substitution of ICT.

Such centers are now needed by potential users of Russian software among industrial groups, said Alexei Martyntsev, Director of the Information Security and IT Infrastructure Department of Norilsk Nickel, who was present at the session. “We support this initiative. In my opinion, at the moment there is a lack of some kind of system. On the one hand, it is a huge plus that many people have now rushed to develop software products and equipment. But, on the other hand, while all this is happening without state control. And if we manage to systematize it and improve the quality with the help of this, then of course we are for it,” said Martyntsev.

Darius Khalitov, Vice President for Development of Information Systems of Rostelecom, and Rustem Khairetdinov, Deputy General Director of the Garda group of companies, also spoke about the fact that the problem of compatibility of software products is acute for developers. But even if the problem of software compatibility is solved, then the problem of running application programs on a particular microprocessor architecture arises, Khalitov noted.

In mid-June, Vedomosti reported that the Ministry of Digital Transformation had prepared a draft resolution, according to which developers would have to ensure the compatibility of their software with at least two domestic operating systems (OS) in order for the product to qualify for inclusion in the Russian software registry. The requirements will apply both to new software and to those already included in the register, a representative of the Ministry of Digital Development told Vedomosti. According to him, the requirements will be introduced in stages for different classes of software, and for the software already included in the register, a transitional period will be given to refine it to meet the new requirements.