The information technology industry in Russia: Current position and future prospects

Purpose: The information technology industry in the Russian national economy occupies a special place. This sphere is very dynamic and does not require significant investments. In the next 10 years, the sphere of information technology in Russia might increase by several times. The utilization of information technology has a significant impact on productivity. Industries that utilize information technology grow 1.7 times faster than the average economy. In this regard, the main purpose of this article is to assess the current position and future prospects of the information technology industry development in Russia. It was enabled the authors determining the main conditions for increasing the competitiveness of the Russian IT-industry.Findings: To become one of the leaders, Russia will have to solve two very difficult tasks. First is to develop the national market similar to the national markets of the world leaders in the field of IT. Second, Russia needs to create the conditions for Russian companies to become leading global players. Among the main conditions for increasing the competitiveness of the IT-industry in Russia, the authors found: formation of a favorable investment climate, provision of state support and benefits for industry entities; creating of the scientific and methodological basis for the development of new information technology; development of human resources in the IT-industry; ensuring the safety of intellectual property.Research/practical implications: This study may be useful for scientific community members, government representatives, experts of big companies and analytical centers as well as small and medium businesses who are professionally interested in increasing the effectiveness and competitiveness of the IT-industry in Russia. Copyright © 2018 International Business Information Management Association (IBIMA).