Russian PC manufacturing: history, problems and prospects of import substitution.

Russia, year 1998. Government short-term bonds (T-bills) have become the trigger of default. 24 years ago, criminal authorities and people's deputies invested in them. The state has built a financial pyramid! At that time, no one had even heard of such a term: a Russian computer manufacturer. Admittedly, it was not up to the PC of domestic production then.

For two years, the state has been shamelessly lending money to its own citizens. The yield of T-bills grew, and the purchase of debt securities was allowed even to Turkish subjects, in the sense of citizens of other states. A month before the presidential election of 1996, the yield of T-bills rushed to the skies. And then the collapse of the pyramid, irreplaceable payments from the country's gold and foreign exchange reserves, mass disposal of T-bills, panic in the stock market. August 1998: the suicidal cost of a barrel of oil is $9.1, the government's debt on bonds is a record 36 billion dollars! This is what Russian-made office equipment would have become now if finances had been invested in its development then. But the state has other concerns: it shamefully admits default, and the "green presidents" are heading for free swimming. 

And it was necessary to try to develop their own production. In all directions and with the help of the state. In the IT sphere, rely on Russian PC production and Russian software development. And not to implement it as necessary, but to act within the framework of an exact strategy, the purpose of which is to create technological independence.

The first mention of import substitution dates back to 1998. They started talking about replacing imports with goods of domestic producers at that fateful moment when the country's authorities had an unaffordable crisis on their hands: a crisis of public confidence. Do you think the past years have formed the foundation for Russia's technological independence?

Experts who know the Russian production of personal computers firsthand say that the moment has come when you can call the overseas White House with a calm soul and abandon the technological bondage of the New World.

Today, we can only sympathize with those Russian companies that are besieged by technologies from abroad and do not see clear advantages in switching to Russian platforms. In this situation, Russian business should become a guide. Russian Russian microchip architecture and technologically autonomous operating systems are all that is required from the state to determine the legislative vector, provide business with support and preferences for the creation and implementation of Russian microchip architecture and Russian technologically autonomous operating systems.

And most importantly, Russia has everything to rush to IT independence. After all, we have Russian processors with their own architecture, and a Russian computer manufacturer, and All-Russian operating systems with their own programs. There is everything, then what is missing? As it turns out, there is no consolidated position of government and business to disconnect once and for all from the Western IT dropper.

There is always a choice! It is necessary to continue developing the IT industry within the country. Yes, today no one can force a person to buy a Russian-made computer. But let's be honest! There are those among us who remember the skepticism caused by the products of the Korean automotive industry among consumers in Russia. And that was 20 years ago.

The hardest thing in any process is setting the task. There is no difference from whom the message comes: a business owner, a developer company, or a branch ministry. It must be a will. Political, if you like. The country must have Russian-made computers. That's why RDW Technology is going the hard way of import substitution, through trial and error, but developing our products. We believe that one day this perseverance will be rewarded, and the number of our attempts will turn into quality. That's when requests will appear more often in browsers: buy a Russian-made computer. Then everyone realizes that Russia has gained technological independence!