![]() ![]() Therefore, Mr Kaspersky plans to widen his portfolio of products and services that will suit a post-computer era. Today, information is stored not only on the hard disks of personal or corporate computers, but also on mobile phones (especially smartphones) and virtual disks (cloud computing). Recent years have brought about huge changes in the way we store our data. Cars cannot run without fuel data cannot be stored securely without antivirus software." I would compare it with the role of fuel for cars. The reason for that is that we deliver not products as such, but services: computer defence systems. He says: "Events such as the global financial crisis do not hit antivirus software companies as hard as other companies in the IT sector. Such optimism derives not only from the firm belief of Mr Kaspersky and his employees that their products are the best, but also from the specific nature of the sector they work in. He says: "In 2009 we had a 5.8% share of the consumer-dedicated antivirus software market, and for 2010 we expect the share to increase to 7%.” Mr Kaspersky predicts that even though his company currently ranks as the fourth largest global consumer antivirus software provider, in the next 2 years it may establish its position in the forefront of antivirus software-producing companies. Mr Kaspersky believes that the outlook for upcoming years is even brighter. Such belief, along with Mr Kaspersky's mantra of "delivering the best possible products and solutions created by the best people”, became the foundation for the success of the company that in 13 years has become a serious competitor to established and powerful players such as Symantec and MacAfee. Mr Kaspersky, who apart from being a successful entrepreneur has worked in various IT-field positions for more than a decade, says: "No way! Here in Russia we have an abundance of the best computer programmers, they are the type of people we need to continue developing our hi-end technologies.” However, this does not mean that in the company's global expansion efforts it plans to move its headquarters closer to its main competitors and vendors. It is really difficult to find experts in such fields as marketing and sales over here.” He says: "Our school of management is worlds apart from the level represented by Western professionals. So why are so many employees of the company, especially its senior managers, non-Russian? Mr Kaspersky states that the main reason is not his ambition to add a Western twist to his company, but the lack of skilled Russian specialists, something he thinks is the main obstacle to conducting business in Russia. He says: "More than 50% of our staff is non-Russian, the majority of our business is conducted abroad and most of our top managers are recruited from overseas." In fact, Mr Kaspersky points out that although the company HQ is located in Russia, it cannot be labelled as a Russian firm, either in the way it operates, or in terms of the ventures it undertakes. Mr Kaspersky's managerial style and the relaxed atmosphere of his global HQ resembles a Sillicon Valley start-up more than a Russian company situated just 20 minutes from the Kremlin.
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