Editor’s Column
Edward Projdakov, editor-in-chief
Dear Readers! I am glad to introduce the first special issue of the leading Russian computer weekly, dedicated to the CebIT 99. besides being the world’s largest exhibition, CebIT is also extremely popular with Russian IT professionals. It gathers more exhibitors as well as visitors form Russia than any other international computer event. Numerous IT specialists from our country come here to get information and look for new contacts, investors, customers, employers etc. Sometimes it is even easier to meet one’s compatriot and strike a bargain at this huge fair in Hannover than in Moscow.
Edward Projdakov, editor-in-chief
This year the crisis in the Russian economy only catalyzed the interest to the exhibition. Luckily, the Russian computer market has endured the calamity without significant losses. The companies have reorganized their activities and are adapting themselves to the new circumstances that require wider participation in the international markets and more integration with the international system of division of labor. The crisis also has somewhat corrected the unbalance caused by the excessive banking sector which occupied 60 percent of the market volume, whereas the normal rate should not exceed 15 percent.
No wonder the Russian journalists take great interest in the exhibition, too. This year I am visiting CebIT for the 6th time. So far it has never disappointed my anticipation of new encounters and new impressions. However, I always perceive the lack of information about Russia - a circumstance typical for Europe and Germany in particular. Europeans have no clear idea of the modern state of the IT development and business opportunities in our country. Thus, one can say that our compatriots exhibiting their achievements at CebIT are discovering Russia to the West. One of the goals of our special issue has been to help them in this effort.
PCWeek/Russian Edition is well known in Russia and CIS. Its primary orientation is towards corporate users, system integrators, and software developers. This has determined the themes of the issue. Most of the newspaper’s articles concern data delivery, protection and analysis - the core IT areas. As the companies mentioned in the articles are present at the exhibition, you may contact their representatives in person to discuss the most interesting technical details.
Most of the articles in this issue have been translated from Russian into English (two articles were originally written in German by German and Austrian authors). We are conscious of the imperfection of our English language: neither English nor German happens to be the native tongue for any of our editors. Therefore we beg your condescension, seeing that it is our first experience of this kind. We would also like to answer your questions and learn your opinion of this issue’s materials.
To get more information and share your opinion please send me e-mail at chief@pcweek.ru.
