IXCELLERATE
16 are frightened of Russia ,” says Willner . “ People are happy enough to invest in Singapore and the Middle East where democracy is not much in evidence . They may say : ‘ Russians look like us so why don ’ t they behave like us ?’ They don ’ t realise this is a country twice the size of the USA or China , with huge diversity , dozens of nationalities , ethnicities and cultures .” Like many emerging economies , he adds , Russia has been wary of outsourcing with a strong inclination to keep its data inhouse . His team has been explaining why outsourcing makes sense , that it does not mean relinquishing control of a customer ’ s IT systems , and it ’ s also his job to explain to IT people that they still retain control of their systems , which will be more effectively and securely located than they ever could be by keeping them close . But Russia is now not merely catching up but leapfrogging in many ways , with interesting e-banking innovations , very fast technological development and even self-driving taxis being trialled on its streets . All this is inexorably driving a new data centre revolution , Willner believes .
FEBRUARY 2021