In 2016, the IT GROUP OPEN appeared on the Russian market: a small company engaged first in supplying equipment, then in producing computer system units for state institutions. Its founder was interested in diving into new technologies, and at some point simple tasks became not enough. The company made a pivot towards multimedia and now deals with interactive projects. One of them was a sensory room for Diana Gurtskaya's Center for Sociocultural Rehabilitation in Moscow, where the team had to literally outdo itself. Vladimir Rozin, General Director of IT GROUP OPEN, told us how to move from computer production to interactive projects, develop through challenges and realize ideas that have not been finalized.
First steps and rapid development
I am an economist by profession, I have a higher education at Tyumen State University, a second degree in law and an MBA from the University of London. I worked at Transneft for a very long time, but in 2015 I started to think about doing something of my own. I wanted to fully manage tasks and rely only on my own strength.
Business had to mean profitable and interesting projects at the same time, so I went into technology. This is how the IT GROUP OPEN appeared in 2016. The launch was entirely on my own money. And I assembled the team from close acquaintances and comrades with whom I had already worked before.
Initially, we were involved in supplying computer equipment and office equipment under tenders to government customers, but soon we got bored with just transporting boxes - we wanted to install and integrate something. Therefore, after a year we re-profiled: equipment was brought to me, I together with specialists developed the project, carried out installation and changed IT-infrastructure of customers.
After this stage, there was a desire to create, so in 2018 we opened the production of computer system units to Russian government agencies. We assembled them from components made in Europe or China, which we bought from manufacturers' representatives in Russia. We installed licensed software, office and application applications. In fact, we carried out import substitution, and our alternative turned out to be good both in terms of price and quality. These computers are still working for our clients and there have been practically no warranty cases.
When we were working with computers, we had the first developers on our staff. They started making software from scratch, and we wanted to use this competence. So we started producing touch screen terminals: information kiosks that stand at bus stops and tourist sites. These are panels where people can get information about the location, weather, see news reports, vote in polls on the improvement of districts. We developed the whole system, assembled enclosures that are not afraid of weather conditions. The terminals were sent to the regions on orders from city and regional administrations.
We liked this direction, it was great to make a contribution to the improvement of cities, but it turned out that the market was small and it was unrealistic to reach large production volumes. Because of long approvals, we spend half a year making one terminal, and we wanted to make 3-5 thousand per month. In the end, we came to the conclusion that the direction was economically unprofitable and it was better to close it down.
From system units to multimedia solutions
Over time, our team developed engineering skills, organizational and technical competencies, so we wanted to try something new. No longer just to build hardware and create classic devices, but to make large-scale projects. That's why in 2019 with the team we decided to try our hand at multimedia.
The first project was an order to re-equip the Tyumen Technopark. We equipped a small conference hall, which was the center for meetings of the Tyumen region government. In addition to it we made a large conference hall for all major events and a concert hall. These locations later hosted the Tyumen Oil and Gas Forum, the main business event in the industry in Russia. The functionality of the venues we created was sufficient for such a large-scale event.
After this project, we realized that we liked the direction we were going in, we had enough competence to start working in it, so we started taking on new projects. At the same time, we expanded the team: we added sound, light and video engineers. We trained in each of these micro-directions: we went to industry conferences, learned from the experience of other companies around the world, and tried to learn more about market innovations and technologies.
As new projects emerged, new challenges were added. The geography of our customers was expanding, we covered literally the whole of Russia: the westernmost project was in the Krasnodar region, the easternmost - in the Republic of Sakha and Yakutia. The projects were large, sometimes we sent 2-3 truckloads of equipment to other regions. And then a team would go there to install, commission, start up and hand over the equipment on site.
Often several projects were launched simultaneously in different regions. The teams worked in different time zones: back office in Moscow, front office at a site somewhere in Omsk. This is how we got a logistics department, which was responsible for coordinating the running of projects and deliveries. In addition, we created a unified project management system. Guys from different departments worked on the product, and we put all the tasks together.
Now we have a software product in which each project looks like a matrix where we enter all incoming information. This includes logistics, deliveries, deadlines, and the availability of contractors on site. The project management cycle is broken down by detail. You can go in and dive into the nuances: you can see what has been done for each contract period - everything is very convenient.
Interactive projects: fantasy and technology
There are many interesting trends in multimedia - in particular, immersive installations. These are projects that combine creative tasks with engineering ones, where designers, sound designers, engineers, programmers and developers work together. It turns out to be a very exciting collaboration.
One of the main interactive projects for us was the sensory room for the Diana Gurtskaya Center for Sociocultural Rehabilitation: it is a space with many different stimulants that affect the senses. That is, on hearing, vision, and skin receptors. In the sensory room, a person can create sounds, play with light and much more.
Initially, there was no clear understanding of what exactly a sensory room should be. There were no analogues in Russia, or indeed in the world. In the end, we decided to make it as functional as possible, which gave birth to many ideas for realization.
The ideas ranged from the crazy ones, which were not clear how to realize, to the simplest ones. In the end we came up with the final look: the main object is a huge screen, which is illuminated by two perfectly stitched projectors. The result is an incredibly wide picture that gives the impression of infinite space. All this is complemented by surround sound, which is distributed evenly in every point of the room - thanks to the ceiling placement of its sources. If you sing or play a musical instrument, the color changes, hand movements produce music, and a simple drawing on the tablet is transferred to the screen as a whole artistic picture.
But even when we had the concept and its 3D model, it was not final. Already in the course of the project, we were constantly adding and changing things. The creative process was literally all the way through to delivery - all four months. Sometimes we stayed at the site until 2-3 o'clock in the morning, controlling the execution of works, correcting something. It was almost non-stop work.
How to realize fantasies
The big difficulty with the sensory room was that it was not just a lot of different equipment that should perform practical tasks: to influence hearing, vision and so on. There was also a creative part - to make a space where each of the children would find something interesting for themselves and be able to realize their creative abilities. It is even possible to hold lessons on some subjects here - vocal, fine arts.
Another important point that had to be thought about was automation. Teachers who will be working with children in the sensory room are not technical specialists, so they need an interface that is as simple, clear and friendly as possible, but at the same time effective and solving all the problems that arise. Now we see that we have done everything right - people come in, read the manual fluently, press a button, and everything works. They don't need a long study or third-party explanations of how and what to do.
The project was not easy also because of the number of objects. We had to make sure that all the installations would work stably 24/7 and there would be no surprises in the process of use. And we had to work especially hard with the centerpiece: a huge curved screen. It doesn't just display something on it: it's connected to the installation, which allows you to swipe leaves with the movement of your hands. It sounds and looks simple, but it is difficult to realize in practice.
The hardest thing was to stitch the projectors together to have a clear and merged picture. We had enough technical skills, we understood how to do it, but the realization process itself was difficult, especially the setup process. We got Panasonic projectors with ultra wide angle lenses. The lenses are amazing, but they are very difficult to work with. In some countries, Panasonic doesn't even provide these projectors without their own engineer to set them up. Moreover, we have a semicircular wall, and these lenses emphasize every irregularity, down to the smallest dimples.
We fought with them long and hard, sometimes everything reset and we had to start again. But we still defeated them and got a cool, juicy picture without joints. When the projectors were sewn together, we ran some YouTube videos in this huge non-standard aspect ratio, and I was amazed at how it looked in person.
The choice of flooring also created a lot of difficulties for us. First we thought about carpeting, then we thought of a mirror floor. But there is a nuance here - this room will be used not for a day or a month, but for years and very actively. Therefore, the coating should be wear-resistant, easy to maintain and clean. Carpet turned out to be the most interesting solution, but very simple. We added a fluorescent coating: UV lights are installed around the circle, thanks to which the room comes to life.
Overall, the whole team agrees that the sensory room project has been the most interesting and exciting in the last year or two, and at the same time a real challenge to our capabilities. We have grown a lot thanks to it - we have learned to look for non-obvious solutions and to cope with the phrase "this is technically impossible to do".
In addition to the sensory room, in 2022 we managed to launch the projection of a monument in Usman.
Results and plans
Now we are developing very rapidly, our revenue is increasing twofold year on year, and our staff is also growing. With each new project, new specialists appear, who join the team and strengthen our overall competencies.
We have not yet requested state support for small businesses. But we have recently been accredited by the Ministry of Digitization as a Moscow IT company and plan to take advantage of the new opportunities - this will be our first experience.
We are now creating concert venues, innovative conference halls, and chamber halls for various events. We are interested in sound, light, video, we are also gradually developing the segment of interactive projects and immersive installations and will focus on it. In general, our plans now are to develop in the field of multimedia as specialists, to study, to raise our level, and to try new interesting projects.
First steps and rapid development
I am an economist by profession, I have a higher education at Tyumen State University, a second degree in law and an MBA from the University of London. I worked at Transneft for a very long time, but in 2015 I started to think about doing something of my own. I wanted to fully manage tasks and rely only on my own strength.
Business had to mean profitable and interesting projects at the same time, so I went into technology. This is how the IT GROUP OPEN appeared in 2016. The launch was entirely on my own money. And I assembled the team from close acquaintances and comrades with whom I had already worked before.
Initially, we were involved in supplying computer equipment and office equipment under tenders to government customers, but soon we got bored with just transporting boxes - we wanted to install and integrate something. Therefore, after a year we re-profiled: equipment was brought to me, I together with specialists developed the project, carried out installation and changed IT-infrastructure of customers.
After this stage, there was a desire to create, so in 2018 we opened the production of computer system units to Russian government agencies. We assembled them from components made in Europe or China, which we bought from manufacturers' representatives in Russia. We installed licensed software, office and application applications. In fact, we carried out import substitution, and our alternative turned out to be good both in terms of price and quality. These computers are still working for our clients and there have been practically no warranty cases.
When we were working with computers, we had the first developers on our staff. They started making software from scratch, and we wanted to use this competence. So we started producing touch screen terminals: information kiosks that stand at bus stops and tourist sites. These are panels where people can get information about the location, weather, see news reports, vote in polls on the improvement of districts. We developed the whole system, assembled enclosures that are not afraid of weather conditions. The terminals were sent to the regions on orders from city and regional administrations.
We liked this direction, it was great to make a contribution to the improvement of cities, but it turned out that the market was small and it was unrealistic to reach large production volumes. Because of long approvals, we spend half a year making one terminal, and we wanted to make 3-5 thousand per month. In the end, we came to the conclusion that the direction was economically unprofitable and it was better to close it down.
From system units to multimedia solutions
Over time, our team developed engineering skills, organizational and technical competencies, so we wanted to try something new. No longer just to build hardware and create classic devices, but to make large-scale projects. That's why in 2019 with the team we decided to try our hand at multimedia.
The first project was an order to re-equip the Tyumen Technopark. We equipped a small conference hall, which was the center for meetings of the Tyumen region government. In addition to it we made a large conference hall for all major events and a concert hall. These locations later hosted the Tyumen Oil and Gas Forum, the main business event in the industry in Russia. The functionality of the venues we created was sufficient for such a large-scale event.
After this project, we realized that we liked the direction we were going in, we had enough competence to start working in it, so we started taking on new projects. At the same time, we expanded the team: we added sound, light and video engineers. We trained in each of these micro-directions: we went to industry conferences, learned from the experience of other companies around the world, and tried to learn more about market innovations and technologies.
As new projects emerged, new challenges were added. The geography of our customers was expanding, we covered literally the whole of Russia: the westernmost project was in the Krasnodar region, the easternmost - in the Republic of Sakha and Yakutia. The projects were large, sometimes we sent 2-3 truckloads of equipment to other regions. And then a team would go there to install, commission, start up and hand over the equipment on site.
Often several projects were launched simultaneously in different regions. The teams worked in different time zones: back office in Moscow, front office at a site somewhere in Omsk. This is how we got a logistics department, which was responsible for coordinating the running of projects and deliveries. In addition, we created a unified project management system. Guys from different departments worked on the product, and we put all the tasks together.
Now we have a software product in which each project looks like a matrix where we enter all incoming information. This includes logistics, deliveries, deadlines, and the availability of contractors on site. The project management cycle is broken down by detail. You can go in and dive into the nuances: you can see what has been done for each contract period - everything is very convenient.
Interactive projects: fantasy and technology
There are many interesting trends in multimedia - in particular, immersive installations. These are projects that combine creative tasks with engineering ones, where designers, sound designers, engineers, programmers and developers work together. It turns out to be a very exciting collaboration.
One of the main interactive projects for us was the sensory room for the Diana Gurtskaya Center for Sociocultural Rehabilitation: it is a space with many different stimulants that affect the senses. That is, on hearing, vision, and skin receptors. In the sensory room, a person can create sounds, play with light and much more.
Initially, there was no clear understanding of what exactly a sensory room should be. There were no analogues in Russia, or indeed in the world. In the end, we decided to make it as functional as possible, which gave birth to many ideas for realization.
The ideas ranged from the crazy ones, which were not clear how to realize, to the simplest ones. In the end we came up with the final look: the main object is a huge screen, which is illuminated by two perfectly stitched projectors. The result is an incredibly wide picture that gives the impression of infinite space. All this is complemented by surround sound, which is distributed evenly in every point of the room - thanks to the ceiling placement of its sources. If you sing or play a musical instrument, the color changes, hand movements produce music, and a simple drawing on the tablet is transferred to the screen as a whole artistic picture.
But even when we had the concept and its 3D model, it was not final. Already in the course of the project, we were constantly adding and changing things. The creative process was literally all the way through to delivery - all four months. Sometimes we stayed at the site until 2-3 o'clock in the morning, controlling the execution of works, correcting something. It was almost non-stop work.
How to realize fantasies
The big difficulty with the sensory room was that it was not just a lot of different equipment that should perform practical tasks: to influence hearing, vision and so on. There was also a creative part - to make a space where each of the children would find something interesting for themselves and be able to realize their creative abilities. It is even possible to hold lessons on some subjects here - vocal, fine arts.
Another important point that had to be thought about was automation. Teachers who will be working with children in the sensory room are not technical specialists, so they need an interface that is as simple, clear and friendly as possible, but at the same time effective and solving all the problems that arise. Now we see that we have done everything right - people come in, read the manual fluently, press a button, and everything works. They don't need a long study or third-party explanations of how and what to do.
The project was not easy also because of the number of objects. We had to make sure that all the installations would work stably 24/7 and there would be no surprises in the process of use. And we had to work especially hard with the centerpiece: a huge curved screen. It doesn't just display something on it: it's connected to the installation, which allows you to swipe leaves with the movement of your hands. It sounds and looks simple, but it is difficult to realize in practice.
The hardest thing was to stitch the projectors together to have a clear and merged picture. We had enough technical skills, we understood how to do it, but the realization process itself was difficult, especially the setup process. We got Panasonic projectors with ultra wide angle lenses. The lenses are amazing, but they are very difficult to work with. In some countries, Panasonic doesn't even provide these projectors without their own engineer to set them up. Moreover, we have a semicircular wall, and these lenses emphasize every irregularity, down to the smallest dimples.
We fought with them long and hard, sometimes everything reset and we had to start again. But we still defeated them and got a cool, juicy picture without joints. When the projectors were sewn together, we ran some YouTube videos in this huge non-standard aspect ratio, and I was amazed at how it looked in person.
The choice of flooring also created a lot of difficulties for us. First we thought about carpeting, then we thought of a mirror floor. But there is a nuance here - this room will be used not for a day or a month, but for years and very actively. Therefore, the coating should be wear-resistant, easy to maintain and clean. Carpet turned out to be the most interesting solution, but very simple. We added a fluorescent coating: UV lights are installed around the circle, thanks to which the room comes to life.
Overall, the whole team agrees that the sensory room project has been the most interesting and exciting in the last year or two, and at the same time a real challenge to our capabilities. We have grown a lot thanks to it - we have learned to look for non-obvious solutions and to cope with the phrase "this is technically impossible to do".
In addition to the sensory room, in 2022 we managed to launch the projection of a monument in Usman.
Results and plans
Now we are developing very rapidly, our revenue is increasing twofold year on year, and our staff is also growing. With each new project, new specialists appear, who join the team and strengthen our overall competencies.
We have not yet requested state support for small businesses. But we have recently been accredited by the Ministry of Digitization as a Moscow IT company and plan to take advantage of the new opportunities - this will be our first experience.
We are now creating concert venues, innovative conference halls, and chamber halls for various events. We are interested in sound, light, video, we are also gradually developing the segment of interactive projects and immersive installations and will focus on it. In general, our plans now are to develop in the field of multimedia as specialists, to study, to raise our level, and to try new interesting projects.
