Russian IT minister to BRICS leaders: “We have new large-scale IT partnership ahead”
Mr. Nikiforov said that the first meeting of his colleagues, the BRICS ministers of telecom and IT, has been planned for October 2015 in an effort to coordinate each country’s moves in this direction
Jul 21, 2015
Russian Minister of Telecom and Mass Communications Nikolai Nikiforov this past Tuesday called for closer BRICS cooperation in software development at the 7th International IT Forum in Khanty-Mansiisk, in Russia’s North, the Ministry website announced. The Forum was held just a day ahead of the opening of BRICS’ Summer Summit, which is coming to a close today in Ufa, in the mid-Volga area.
In his opening speech, Mr. Nikiforov emphasized the importance of international collaboration in pursuing the goal of de-monopolizing the global software market. Here are a few excerpts from his speech:
"The number of Internet users in most of the BRICS countries [which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—Editor’s note] currently surpasses 50% of the population in each of these countries. In the Russian Federation, we’re building one of the world’s largest fiber optic communications line (FOCL) networks to connect small localities. Our objective is to bring inexpensive and high-speed Internet access to 97% of Russia’s population within three-to-five years.
It is clear that such a high level of IT and telecom penetration into all areas of our life creates both new opportunities and new threats. I deem it extremely vital for the BRICS and SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization, another supranational union that includes China and the former USSR republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—Editor’s note] countries to jointly discuss the de-monopolization of the global software ecosystem. It’s no secret that almost all countries in the world currently use software and key related technologies which just a handful of companies in just one single country develop. Monopoly is always bad, as it creates problems and threats.
However, I believe it’s wrong for any single country to create its purely national operating system. No country in the world should try and fence the world out in its technology development. There can be no national projects per se these days. To become successful, projects must be international.
The BRICS population accounts for roughly half of the population of the entire planet. It is obvious that very soon the BRICS markets will account for half of the world’s Internet and broader IT market…."
Mr. Nikiforov said that the first meeting of his colleagues, the BRICS ministers of telecom and IT, has been planned for October 2015 in an effort to coordinate each country’s moves in this direction.
In his opening speech, Mr. Nikiforov emphasized the importance of international collaboration in pursuing the goal of de-monopolizing the global software market. Here are a few excerpts from his speech:
"The number of Internet users in most of the BRICS countries [which include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—Editor’s note] currently surpasses 50% of the population in each of these countries. In the Russian Federation, we’re building one of the world’s largest fiber optic communications line (FOCL) networks to connect small localities. Our objective is to bring inexpensive and high-speed Internet access to 97% of Russia’s population within three-to-five years.
It is clear that such a high level of IT and telecom penetration into all areas of our life creates both new opportunities and new threats. I deem it extremely vital for the BRICS and SCO [Shanghai Cooperation Organization, another supranational union that includes China and the former USSR republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan—Editor’s note] countries to jointly discuss the de-monopolization of the global software ecosystem. It’s no secret that almost all countries in the world currently use software and key related technologies which just a handful of companies in just one single country develop. Monopoly is always bad, as it creates problems and threats.
However, I believe it’s wrong for any single country to create its purely national operating system. No country in the world should try and fence the world out in its technology development. There can be no national projects per se these days. To become successful, projects must be international.
The BRICS population accounts for roughly half of the population of the entire planet. It is obvious that very soon the BRICS markets will account for half of the world’s Internet and broader IT market…."
Mr. Nikiforov said that the first meeting of his colleagues, the BRICS ministers of telecom and IT, has been planned for October 2015 in an effort to coordinate each country’s moves in this direction.