Softline International

Softline International

Type	Private
Industry	IT Consulting Cloud computing Software distribution Computer software
Founded	Moscow, Russia (1993)
Founder	Igor Borovikov
Headquarters	Moscow
Revenue	>800 mln $ in 2015 FY
Number of employees	>3500 (2016)
Website	Softline Russia Softline Group in English

Softline is an international IT solutions provider operating in Russia, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Americas, India and South East Asia covering 80 cities within 30 countries. Softline offers private and public cloud solutions, integrated technology solutions, cybersecurity, software licensing, provisioning of hardware, and many other IT related services.

At the end of the 2015 fiscal year, Softline’s turnover was an estimated  $800 million. Over the past 10 years (2005-2015) there have been an average annual sales growth of 30%.

Softline has partnerships with more than 3,000 software and hardware vendors including Microsoft, Oracle, VMware, Adobe, HPE, IBM, EMC, Symantec, Dell, Citrix, Autodesk, Cisco Systems, Salesforce.com, Kaspersky Lab, Huawei amongst others.

History

The company was founded in 1993 in Moscow as a supplier of scientific software. The domain name softline.ru, registered on September 13, 1996, is considered one of the oldest (11th) in the ‘.ru’ domain.

By 1998, the company’s main business was reselling software from Microsoft and other vendors. In 1999, Softline launched services including a Training Center followed by a consulting division in 2001. Within the same year, Softline opened its first representative office outside Moscow, in Minsk, Republic of Belarus.

From 2002, further expansion took place with the opening of representative offices in Kiev, Khabarovsk and Nizhniy Novgorod in 2002 and Almaty, Tashkent, Novosibirsk and Yekaterinburg in 2003 followed by a range of Russian and CIS cities. New services introduced over these years were technical support, IT outsourcing, auditing, Microsoft Dynamics and SAP solutions and IT infrastructure build and run services. In 2002, the online website store for small businesses and individuals called www.allsoft.ru was launched.

In 2008, Softline opened representative offices outside Russia and CIS, namely Turkey, Venezuela and Vietnam. In subsequent years, the company has entered the local IT market in 30 countries within different regions of the world. In 2009, Softline launched Venture Partners, an investment fund for promising IT startups. In 2010, Softline’s focus was on integrating services in a single management framework. There was significant growth in cloud, hardware and information security services.

Since 2014, Softline is ranked within the Top 5 Russian IT companies, according to RIA Novosti, Russia’s international news agency. Softline solutions portfolio include a range of technology services,  with a special focus on public, private and hybrid clouds, based on both in-house and public data centers. Large service projects have been undertaken for corporate customers notably Gazprom, Transneft and Rusagro amongst others.

In 2015, Softline became Microsoft’s global partner with LSP status in 19 countries. With investment support from Sovcombank, Softline acquired Compusoftware, a Brazilian solutions provider in licensing and infrastructure services. The same year Softline has been successful in building a 600+ rack datacenter in Belarus, the largest in Eastern Europe.

In 2016, Softline continues to carry out large-scale high-tech projects for customers from 30 countries. The company’s proposed plans for acquisition of IT companies, within rapidly developing countries in different regions of the world, will be financed through Da Vinci Capital Fund.

Softline’s leadership and management team

The Chairman of the Board of Directors is Igor Borovikov. He was number 3 in the "Ranking of top leaders in IT" in 2015 by Kommersant.^[1] The Board of Directors include senior management and representatives from Softline’s investors, Sovcombank and DaVinci Capital Fund.

Softline Group of companies

The Softline Group of companies consists of independent subsidiary companies operating under their own names with distinctive service offerings within different IT areas. These are as follows:

Axoft (Russia) – independent software distributor.

ActiveCloud (Belarus, Russia) – Independent cloud solutions provider, joined Softline Group in 2010.

Novakom (Belarus) - Information systems developer for governmental agencies and businesses specializing in ECM and management systems for the industry. Was acquired by Softline in 2012.

Compusoftware (Brazil) - A leader in licensing and infrastructure services ranked among the top five Brazilian distributors. Was acquired by Softline in 2016.

Mirapolis (Russia) – A human capital management company specializing in HR solutions, distance learning tools and webinars. This is a portfolio project of Softline Venture Partners.

Allsoft (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan) – An online store software for individuals, small businesses and non-profit institutions.

Aflex (Russia) – Software distributor acquired by Softline Group of companies.

Other members of Softline Group include IT MAN, Stakhanovets, Videobaker, Copiny and Tekmi.

Development of Software

DeskWork — is the corporate portal of in-house Softline Development, this is a comfortable means of interaction between employees and the means of team work organization at any Company. By 2011 more than 450 Companies and state organizations started using DeskWork in their work.

Venture investment

Corporate investment fund Softline Venture Partners makes venture investments in independent developers of software on the territory of Russia, CIS and other countries where Softline is present.

As part of the work of Softline Venture Partners, 11 projects were invested in: Tekmi, Mirapolis, ActiveCloud, Daripodarki, Magazinga, EZLogin, Client24, Copiny, Smart Start, Apps4All and «Контекстный брокер».^[2]

Rankings & Awards

• Number 1 in the ranking of "The largest IT providers in retail in 2015" (agency CNews Analytics, 2015).^[3]
• Number 2 in the ranking of "The largest of mobile applications for business and public sector in 2015" (agency CNews Analytics, 2016)^[4]
• Number 3 in the ranking of “ The largest BI solution providers in Russia in 2015” (agency CNews Analytics, 2016).^[5]
• Number 3 in the ranking of “The largest Russian IT companies in the field of information security” (agency CNews Analytics, 2016).
• Number 4 in the ranking of "Companies of the Russian IT market" (Commersant, 2016)^[6]
• Number 5 in the ranking of “The largest Russian IT companies in 2015" (agency CNews Analytics, 2016).^[7]
• Number 5 in the ranking of "The largest Russian SaaS providers in 2015" (agency CNews Analytics, 2016).^[8]
• Number 5 in the ranking of "The largest Russian IT companies in 2016" (TAdviser, 2016).^[9]
• Number 6 in the ranking of “The largest contractors in building and premise construction projects in 2015” (agency CNews Analytics, 2016).^[10]
• Number 7 in the ranking of "The largest contractors in comprehensive data center infrastructure development projects in 2015" (agency CNews Analytics, 2016)^[11]
• Number 15 in the ranking of "The largest IT consulting companies 2015" (agency CNews Analytics, 2016)^[12]
• Number 27 in the ranking of "The most efficient companies, 2015" (agency CNews Analytics, 2016)^[13]
• Top 200 in the ranking of "200 largest private companies of Russia — 2015" (Forbes Russia)^[14]
• Top 250 in the ranking of "The Rating of Russian Business, 2015" (RBC)^[15]

Social activities

Activity of Softline position is reflected also in the public work of Company that is oriented toward overall formation of favourable conditions to develop IT-sector in Russia.

Chairman of Board of Directors at Softline Company, Igor Borovikov, is the member of Presidium of OPORA RUSSIA, and heads the committee of OPORA RUSSIA in information technologies. OPORA RUSSIA is an All-Russian public organization of small and medium enterprise. The main goal of the activity is to participate in formation of favorable political, economic, legal and other conditions to develop enterprise activity in the Russian Federation. Divisions of OPORA RUSSIA work in 80 regions of the Russian Federation.

The goal of the committee in IT is establishment of the dialogue between entrepreneurs and representatives of business, scientific spheres, civil community, federal and regional bodies of the government for assistance in formation of favorable social-economic conditions of IT sector development in Russia.

Softline has entered into cooperation with the Skolkovo Foundation. This agreement was announced at a meeting of the Friends Club of the Information Technology Cluster. Within the framework of cooperation, Softline is going to participate in research in the field of strategic computing and software, and in monetization of development results. Top priority will be assigned to the creation of new development and testing tools, innovative information security technologies and cloud computing.^[16]

References