25 January 2012
SITRONICS and Rostelecom have started supplying components for software and hardware systems that will be installed at polling stations to support video monitoring during voting and vote counting for the Russian presidential election in March of 2012.
The first two chartered Boeing 747 freighters arrived in Moscow with components for software and hardware systems that will be installed at polling stations to support video monitoring during voting and vote counting for the Russian presidential election in March of 2012.
The decision to deliver the components by air rather than by sea, which is traditional for this type of cargo, was determined by tight deadlines set for creating the video monitoring system for the election.
Each freighter delivers approximately 500 pallets of equipment, which corresponds to the capacity of 11 railway cars. A total of seven flights are planned to deliver 400 tonnes of cargo.
The delivered cargo has already arrived at customs, where, pursuant to agreements with the Russian Federal Customs Service, it is going to be checked and clear customs on a priority basis.
After having cleared customs, the cargo will be delivered to SITRONICS' assembly plant in Zelenograd, where over 500 people are to assemble software and hardware systems in three shifts, to then be delivered to polling stations.
Each software and hardware system comprises two video cameras, an uninterrupted power supply unit, a set of connecting cables and a laptop or desktop computer with a monitor and necessary peripherals. All components were selected based on the results of a special test for quality and reliability.
Pursuant to decree by the Central Election Commission of the Russian Federation, this equipment will be installed at all polling stations, except for mobile or closed polling stations, which include hospitals, sea and river ships and military units, among other secure facilities.
Rostelecom, authorised by the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation, is creating a system to webcast the voting and vote counting procedures during the Election of the President of the Russian Federation in March 2012. According to Article 55, Section 2, Paragraph 17 of the Federal Law on Placing Orders for Deliveries of Goods, Works and Services for Federal State and Municipal Needs, the Government of the Russian Federation has therefore appointed Rostelecom as the sole supplier of said services.
As per the specifications, the infrastructure for the video monitoring system will cover 91.4 thousand polling station commissions, and its capacity will allow 25 million users to be able to connect to it, while supporting the ability for 60 thousand users to simultaneously view images recorded by 1 camera.
As a part of the project, Rostelecom has already begun large-scale preparations in its telecommunications infrastructure for organising the webcast at the polling stations.
Rostelecom is a Russian national telecommunications company, the largest in the industry. Rostelecom has been in its present form since April of 2011, when Russian long-distance operator Rostelecom merged with inter-regional telecommunications service providers CenterTelecom, North-West Telecom, Southern Telecom, VolgaTelecom, Uralsvyazinform, Sibirtelecom, Dalsvyaz and Dagsvyazinform.
The merged company continued its operations under the "Rostelecom" ("Russian Telecommunications") brand which is one of the most powerful national brands and on the Top 10 consumer confidence list in Russia, according to research company Romir.
Nowadays, Rostelecom is the indisputable leader in the telecommunications market for Russian public authorities at all levels, public institutions and organisations.
The Rostelecom's majority interest is owned by the Russian government which controls over 53% of its ordinary shares through Svyazinvest, Deposit Insurance Agency and Vneshekonombank.