The need for experienced field technicians has never been greater in Russia as the country shakes off years of recession and the economy booms.
Working with a partner who can tap into a network of established, tech-savvy global field technicians can save an organization many operational issues during a global IT deployment. Global field techs can also offer 24/7 service and scalable solutions in ways that a dedicated in-house staff may not be able to.
So, what areas of the Russian economy are especially ripe for field service opportunities? Let’s unpack some of the hottest sectors.
1. Retail
The retail sector in Russia has been growing at a rapid rate after years of stagnation under communism and a recession-racked period in the early 2000s. Consider this excerpt from Natalia Volgina’s report on Russian retailing:
“[The] main factors determining active development of Russian retail trade are: favorable macroeconomic situation and stable economic growth; increase of real disposable incomes; intensive development of consumer credit; and vast geographic territory.”
The growing retail appetite of the Russian consumer is presenting numerous opportunities for foreign companies to provide upgraded point-of-sale units, store security camera networks, and inventory management systems to retailers hungry to cater to an increasingly sophisticated Russian consumer.
Another area of growth in Russian retail is in the management of the data itself. McKinsey reports that “Data-driven differentiation of pricing, at both the SKU and region/area level, could lead to 2 to 3 percent growth in revenue and profit.”
In other words, there’s plenty of room in the Russian retail market for tiered pricing by region and other demographic considerations. The processing of all of this data, the creation of new SKUs, and new pricing points all create opportunities for the global field technician to help create systems to manage the data, whether cloud-based or off-site.
2. Education
Russian universities have not always been looked upon as world-class, but a recent government initiative to upgrade the nation’s higher education system has resulted in numerous campus expansions. The initiative is known as the 5/100 project, which aims to put five Russian universities into the Top 100 in the world in rankings by 2020.
This ambitious effort has resulted in the pouring of vast amounts of government dollars into universities, and that has created opportunities. From improved student housing to research labs to campus communications, the need for skilled field technicians to implement everything from security cameras to new wireless networks will provide a real opportunity for global field technicians.
3. Telecommunications
Russia continues to invest in its telecom sector. Consider this report on the state of Russian telecoms:
“Telecos continue to deploy and modernize fixed-line network infrastructure to offer improved broadband services as well as a range of IP-delivered content. The government is investing billions of Rubles in a 200,000km telecom network which will provide a broadband service of at least 10Mb/s to thousands of underserved villages.”
While Russian telecom giant Rostelecom stands to benefit the most from this government-led effort, there are still plenty of opportunities for foreign telecoms to jump in to provide horizontal services and platform add-ons to Russian communication services. These upgrades and add-ons will require the right technical know-how, and a corps of vetted global field techs will be an asset.
4. Transportation
The recent implementation of an intelligent transit system (ITS) in Moscow has resulted in 2,000 video surveillance cameras, 3,700 road detectors, and 6,000 traffic lights to provide real-time responses to traffic situations throughout the city. Other Russian cities are copying these efforts, and this presents a huge potential workload for global field technicians who are skilled in these areas.
But the growth isn’t limited just to Moscow or to alleviating car-clogged highways. There are port projects and air hubs being built or upgraded throughout the Russian Federation, and all of these projects will be underpinned and connected by various wireless elements. Again, that creates a huge demand for technicians.
Each of these four areas will require many skilled workers and should provide plenty of work for field technicians with a stomach for adventure. Check out the Kinettix Ultimate Guide to Russia for more information on doing business there. And contact us anytime if you’d like a complimentary consultation about getting qualified global field techs for your own Russian IT project.
