Digital Design sets the standard by becoming the first Russian software company to successfully undergo a formal CMMI assessment

Digital Design is the first in Russia and among the first few companies in Europe to become CMMI certified.

The Digital Design quality management system was assessed by Gartner Group (UK). The choice of Gartner as an auditor was conditioned by the company's rich experience. Gartner's experts participated in 125 formal and 240 informal CMM/CMMI assessments.

Russia has stepped onto the world stage of offshore software development relatively recently. The president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, identified information technologies as a strategic area of development for the country, as well as one of the ways to help facilitate recovery of the national economy. Increased software export is one of the goals set by a federal program entitled 'Electronic Russia'. By the year 2010 export revenue in information technologies is projected to increase to $1.5-2 billion from its current $346 million (EDC/Market Visio research data).

The growth rate of the Russian software development sector has been about 40-50% p.a., and Russia is now poised to level up with such outsourcing giants as India and Ireland. A McKinsey report (Unlocking Economic Growth in Russia, 1999) identified the IT sector as the most productive and competitive in the Russian economy. The critical success factor, identified in the McKinsey survey, was international certification of Russian software companies.

272 out of 400 world leading companies in IT received quality assurance certificates such as ISO 9000 and SEI CMM. According to Mera Networks research, only 12 Russian enterprises are ISO 9001:2000 certified. Two Russian companies and a Motorola Software lab in St. Petersburg, are certified according to the CMM standard, which expires at the end of 2003 due to the introduction of a new standard - CMMI. The SEI official web site lists 28 companies around the globe that have already adopted the new CMMI standard.

According to the Gartner Group, up to 60% of software development requests for proposal (RFPs) will include certification as a prerequisite. The Gartner Group also suggests that the adoption of CMMI results in:

• Annual efficiency increase from 9% to 67%
  
• Early defects recognition improvement from 6% to 24%

"CMMI is a standard that is quite new to the world and it is undoubtedly a novelty in Russia. The CMM series of standards is due to expire by the end of 2003. That is the main reason why Digital Design has chosen the new one - CMMI. Being the first to do something has its advantages and disadvantages. Our major challenge was the absence of any information on model implementation, and other companies' experience. However, we have successfully adopted CMMI and passed all stages of the assessment process. We are the first company in Russia to achieve that and I consider our experience and know-how invaluable not only for Digital Design but for the rest of the Russian software companies as well." - Alexandra Malenkova, CMMI certification Project Manager.

"I see our strength in the fact that Digital Design's quality management system really works and is being constantly improved. Our unbeatable team spirit and pursuit of perfection are the basis of our sustainability today and our achievements tomorrow." - Boris Beljaev, Digital Design Director of Quality Management.