The Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF, or FRII in Russian) has teamed up with the Bauman Moscow State Technical University to create an Internet-of-Things (IoT) association in Russia.
The association will be headed by Andrey Kolesnikov, who previoulsy managed the National Domain Name Coordination Center.
The association intends to define a “roadmap” for the development of IoT in Russia, Kolesnikov said in an interview with Russian tech news site CNews.ru.
“This road map aims to suggest to government structures measures to develop the IoT market or industry,” he explained.
Twenty-five organizations have already expressed interest in joining the association, according to Kolesnikov.
Annual membership fees range from 10,000 rubles (around $150 at the current exchange rate) for startups to 400,000 rubles ($6,280) for large companies. Membership is free for academic organizations.
More than 30 million devices in 2 years
In July this year together with leading tech companies and mobile operators, the IIDF launched an IoT consortium. Among its stated goals was the definition of a single and open standard of data exchange for the Internet-of-Things network. Such standard does not yet exist in Russia, where more than ten different companies and startups are working on the development of technologies for IoT data exchange.
Launched in 2013 with considerable funds to support Internet startups at the seed stage, the IIDF extended its coverage to new fields such as wearable devices and the Internet-of-Things as early as in 2014.
According to J’son & Partners Consulting, the number of IoT devices in Russia by 2018 could amount to up to 32,55 million, doubling compared to 2015. This sustainable growth will ensure the development of massive IoT-services, in particular in fields like smart homes, transportation, trade, financial services and industry.
