EPAM to Launch Office for International Clients in City
One of the leading European software designers EPAM Systems will open a development center in St. Petersburg, the company said Monday.
Jul 08, 2005
"The new office is the next stage in developing our export abilities. The St. Petersburg branch will specialize in .NET technologies," senior technical director of EPAM Systems, Balazs Fejes, said in a statement.
With many large Information Technology (IT) firms opting to set up a St. Petersburg office, industry players say EPAM's move comes as part of a strong, natural trend.
"It's not a secret that staff costs are substantially lower than in Moscow by about 20 percent," said Tatyana Oreshkina, a project assistant with International Financing Corporation, which ran a two-year IT project in the city.
Boris Volpe, marketing director for SAP in Russia and CIS, sees the move as "promising for EPAM" to help secure a sizeable local client base.
"Russia is a vast territory and its regions differ in the sense of business culture and client base. It's important to have offices in the main cities with population over million," Volpe said.
EPAM doesn't have major clients based in St. Petersburg, yet the company says it does not intend to pursue a local clientele at the new office.
"The St. Petersburg center will work on international clients' projects, while the Moscow office will work mostly with clients from Russia and the CIS," said marketing manager at EPAM Alena Tsishkova.
In doing so EPAM may be underestimating the growing local market. "The St. Petersburg office would be more efficient working with the city and the Leningrad Oblast, which is developing rapidly because of huge Russian and foreign investment. It's more attractive than working with foreign markets through St. Petersburg," Volpe said.
Among the most attractive local client sectors, Volpe named finance and banking, retail, the governmental sector, industrial construction and transport.
"St. Petersburg is a good platform for starting work with Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. You get lower costs and better understanding of client needs [in St. Petersburg]," Volpe said.
EPAM will hire 30 to 40 staff in St. Petersburg by the end of 2005 and more than 100 people next year, Tsishkova said.
St. Petersburg State university, Polytechnic university and Precise Mechanics and Optics university could provide EPAM with the most qualified specialists, Balazs said. The company will offer them participation in interesting international projects, thus "contributing to Russia's rating on the world industrial software market," Balazs said.
With many large Information Technology (IT) firms opting to set up a St. Petersburg office, industry players say EPAM's move comes as part of a strong, natural trend.
"It's not a secret that staff costs are substantially lower than in Moscow by about 20 percent," said Tatyana Oreshkina, a project assistant with International Financing Corporation, which ran a two-year IT project in the city.
Boris Volpe, marketing director for SAP in Russia and CIS, sees the move as "promising for EPAM" to help secure a sizeable local client base.
"Russia is a vast territory and its regions differ in the sense of business culture and client base. It's important to have offices in the main cities with population over million," Volpe said.
EPAM doesn't have major clients based in St. Petersburg, yet the company says it does not intend to pursue a local clientele at the new office.
"The St. Petersburg center will work on international clients' projects, while the Moscow office will work mostly with clients from Russia and the CIS," said marketing manager at EPAM Alena Tsishkova.
In doing so EPAM may be underestimating the growing local market. "The St. Petersburg office would be more efficient working with the city and the Leningrad Oblast, which is developing rapidly because of huge Russian and foreign investment. It's more attractive than working with foreign markets through St. Petersburg," Volpe said.
Among the most attractive local client sectors, Volpe named finance and banking, retail, the governmental sector, industrial construction and transport.
"St. Petersburg is a good platform for starting work with Eastern Europe and Scandinavia. You get lower costs and better understanding of client needs [in St. Petersburg]," Volpe said.
EPAM will hire 30 to 40 staff in St. Petersburg by the end of 2005 and more than 100 people next year, Tsishkova said.
St. Petersburg State university, Polytechnic university and Precise Mechanics and Optics university could provide EPAM with the most qualified specialists, Balazs said. The company will offer them participation in interesting international projects, thus "contributing to Russia's rating on the world industrial software market," Balazs said.