The customer of the project was the E-Government Operator (EGO) of the Leningrad Region, responsible for the implementation of the IT infrastructure of the region's electronic government.
Key responsibilities of the EGO include the creation, development, and maintenance of information systems that support the infrastructure for providing state and municipal services electronically. This includes systems for automating the work of multifunctional centers, as well as systems for automating state and municipal services in the Leningrad Region.In 2022, the geopolitical situation made it impossible for most Russian organizations to purchase or renew Microsoft Windows licenses. The need to modernize IT infrastructure and transition to domestic software became particularly urgent for government agencies, whose activities are regulated by Presidential Decree No. 166 on switching to domestically produced IT products.
As one of Russia’s leading regions actively developing digital technologies in public administration, the Leningrad Region decided to make a large-scale transition to Russian software.
Thus, in accordance with Decree No. 166, the State Public Institution "EGO" launched a project to modernize the IT infrastructure of the region’s government authorities with a migration to domestic solutions. To complete the task, VimpelCom (Beeline brand) engaged a reliable integrator – a partner of ICL Services, which already has experience in successfully implementing a similar project in government agencies of the Republic of Tatarstan.Key Challenges
- Ensure technological independence and the security of critical information infrastructure for the executive authorities of the Leningrad Region.
- Conduct an audit: analyze data on the device fleet and systems used by the executive authorities, and provide a compatibility report.
- Develop a roadmap for deploying the domestic RED OS and a standard configuration for civil servant workstations.
- Create a repository for migration and deploy a system for managing automated workstations to enable seamless OS deployment.
- Implement RED OS across the executive authorities of the region and provide technical support for users.
Initial Data
The new operating system had to be deployed on approximately 2,300 workstations across 46 executive bodies of the Leningrad Region — from the Governor’s Control Committee to the Committee for Culture and Tourism.Data Collection
Initially, the customer independently collected and submitted information on device inventory, installed software, and peripheral devices used in government agencies.Using this data, ICL Services experts conducted a compatibility assessment between the existing hardware and the target OS.
Based on the analysis:
— Workstations that did not meet the system requirements for RED OS were identified,
— A list of software used across all executive authorities of the region was compiled,
— The technical feasibility of using peripheral equipment with the new OS was verified.
A pilot deployment of RED OS was also conducted at the Committee for Digital Development of the Leningrad Region — this phase allowed for the study of network-specific technical aspects and identification of organizational risks during rollout in other committees. Additionally, based on user feedback, the list of software was expanded.
Deployment Preparation
Next, ICL Services experts developed technical documentation:1. A configuration standard for import-substituted workstations for civil servants of the Leningrad Region. This document described what the new workplace would look like with a domestic OS and office suite, and how the software set would change.
2. A technical solution for creating a centralized management system (CMS).
Two systems were chosen for centralized management:
— A central repository with automated synchronization,
— Colibri-UEM, ICL Services’ proprietary product for unified device fleet management.
Colibri-UEM allows operating systems and corporate applications to be deployed and updated through automated tools and provides compliance monitoring for heterogeneous workstation environments. It can also collect inventory data, enabling experts to assess hardware readiness for OS migration in advance.
This product proved ideal for the Leningrad Region’s complex network of committees and provided flexibility in software provisioning.
The RED OS base image for civil servant workstations included an extended list of domestic software, allowing selective installation tailored to the needs of each committee or user.
Deployment
The project is currently underway. The audit phase is complete, Colibri-UEM has been implemented, and about 50% of workstations have been migrated.
Technical support for civil servant workstations running RED OS is available via a feedback form provided by ICL Services and a dedicated support phone line.
Products and technologies
- Colibri-UEM
- RED OS
Results
- Collected data on ~2,300 devices across 46 committees; assessed compatibility and issued a compliance report.
- Deployed the centralized management system Colibri-UEM and software repository to accelerate seamless rollout.
- Created a RED OS base image with R7-Office for civil servant workstations that meets all technical and security requirements.
- In line with Presidential Decree No. 166, the domestic RED OS was implemented in the executive authorities of the Leningrad Region.
