STEP LOGIC on Blockchain in IT
While regulators are developing a blockchain legal framework, domestic integrators are mastering this technology and listing its tools in their offer. How important is this area for the players in the Russian integration systems market? What are the most interesting challenges that can be solved with the help of blockchain? What hinders the development of this technology in the Russian IT market? This was explainedby Roman Ostapchuk, Deputy CEO for Technical Development of STEP LOGIC.
Corporate blockchain: what tasks can be solved? Which of them are the most interesting and why? What platforms are applicable for this?
The corporate environment is defined by a strong centralized model, the core of which is the corporation itself. Therefore, the blockchain within the organization seems to be a largely redundant technology. First of all, the blockchain is a technology for the multi-corporate environment or for the interaction between government and businesses. Thus, in the short term, the areas associated with the interaction of a large number of companies among themselves will enjoy the greatest demand. This can be procurement management, logistics, and insurance.
What tasks are already being successfully solved with the help of blockchain? Why it is exactly thanks to the blockchain (and not alternative technologies)? What customers use blockchain most often?
At the moment, it is difficult to assess which of the areas are more and which are less in demand in terms of the blockchain applicability. The market is in a state of technology testing in various fields. For many implemented projects, the economic parameters remain a trade secret, therefore, the advantages of the blockchain compared to traditional technologies are analyzed speculatively.
Certainly, the economic efficiency of the blockchain technology is confirmed in the projects that involve digitization of public authorities. In this case, the cost center for the actual implementation and maintenance of the system is transferred from the state budget to private companies. In addition, the problem of speeding up administrative procedures is being addressed.
What contributes to the spread of blockchain, and what hinders it? For example, the development of the legislative framework – is it fast enough? How can we generally estimate the current volume and dynamics of this segment?
First of all, the spread of technology is hindered by a significant amount of myths around it, as well as excessive optimism regarding the range of tasks suitable for the blockchain. Many projects are prepared and implemented without a comprehensive economic evaluation. This gives rise to a paradox in a certain sense, when technology aimed at maximizing data transparency does not give a clear picture of its own state and development status.
How important is it for integrators to have blockchain competencies? What exactly is needed for this, what kind of experience, resources?
Blockchain is a complex application of already well-known techniques and architectures. In this regard, it is reasonable for integrators to have knowledge of the capabilities and limitations of the technology as a whole, as well as an understanding of the principles of ensuring security and performance of the blockchain applications. A separate aspect of the study is Smart Contracts, which take many forms and have many applications. For a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of the technology application, it is necessary to actively experiment with the use of the blockchain, and you can start with comfortable tasks as part of internal projects.
Blockchain in your company's business: specialists, cases, opportunities.
STEP LOGIC is actively exploring the blockchain technology capabilities for the implementation of intelligent solutions in logistics, retail and manufacturing. At the same time, we are focused on analyzing the economic efficiency of any technology and make no exceptions.
Your forecasts regarding the development of the blockchain technology, the blockchain market and the role of integrators on it.
In the near future, the blockchain technology will actively conquer the market. At least this is due to the "crouch start" effect. And as soon as the technology goes beyond the speculative financial market (first of all, I mean ICO), typical problems (for example, a long implementation cycle), knowledge of industry specifics, etc. will affect the projects. Therefore, the resources of integrators will be in demand both for conducting standard works within complex projects, and for combining internal and external teams for the blockchain applications development.
Source: ICT-Online