The modern IT landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by innovative platform solutions and technological breakthroughs that extend far beyond individual companies, reshaping entire industries. Andrei Bobrov is a certified IT expert holding a number of top-tier professional certifications from Google, Microsoft, Red Hat, Cisco, Juniper, with extensive experience working for major international companies including Fujitsu, Volvo, and General Electric. His groundbreaking work has influenced not only the companies he has collaborated with but also the broader IT ecosystem where his works have been widely implemented. In this interview, we explore his most impactful contributions and the technologies that are reshaping the industry. Andrei, in this interview, we’d like to discuss the impact of IT professionals on industry development through your experience. How important is it for IT specialists not only to develop solutions but also to think about the future of technology? IT work often revolves around leveraging existing solutions and adapting ready-made products. But before a technology becomes a standard, someone has to conceive, develop, and prove its effectiveness. If a solution is truly successful, it doesn’t just solve an isolated problem - it reshapes industry practices and becomes a standard. This is how the industry evolves - through experimentation, bold ideas, and knowledge sharing. I frequently exchange insights with fellow professionals, discuss new approaches, and collectively push technology forward. Andrei, you’ve played a significant role in various cutting-edge IT solutions. Let’s start with your work on the Platon Toll Collection System. What were the key challenges, and how did you approach them? The “Platon” system employs various models of on-board devices that utilize satellite navigation systems to enhance accuracy. This system was designed for use by thousands of truck drivers across the country. All vehicles under the Platon system are required to be fitted with these on-board devices. They transmit data on the movement of heavy-duty trucks on federal roads, leveraging GLONASS or combined GLONASS/GPS satellite navigation technologies. The system gathers data from the devices while the trucks are in transit and shifts to standby mode when the vehicles exit highways or come to a halt. One of the challenges was securing this data transmission over cellular networks. Any vulnerability could lead to data manipulation or loss, affecting millions of freight operations. As a Head of Telecom Department I was in charge of developing and implementing the best security solutions for the project. I designed and implemented a hardware-based encryption mechanism using CryptoPro HSM, embedding cryptographic keys directly into the onboard devices. This ensured that data was securely encrypted before transmission, mitigating risks of interception. By December 2024, over 1.9 million registered trucks were using this secured transmission system. The success of this encryption model influenced security standards in other IoT applications, particularly in transportation and logistics. Another major technological challenge was ensuring secure connectivity for stationary road traffic monitoring systems in remote areas. These monitoring systems, deployed along federal highways, operate in extreme temperatures ranging from -30°C to +40°C. They capture license plates, take vehicle photos and videos, and transmit this data to processing centers. I developed and implemented automated encrypted VPN connections using climate-resistant cryptographic gateways, carefully selecting hardware based on regional conditions. Additionally, I created self-healing scripts to ensure uninterrupted operation with minimal maintenance. As of late 2024, more than 510 monitoring systems are operating with these encrypted VPN solutions. They have significantly enhanced surveillance reliability and influenced other transportation security frameworks. One of your other significant projects is SharxDesk, a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution. How did you contribute to its development? Virtualization technology is another area where I made a substantial contribution. SharxDesk, developed by SharxDC company, is a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) solution that allows enterprises to deploy and manage virtual workspaces through a web interface. My role was focused on developing its management portal, creating multilingual language packs, integrating with other virtualization systems for broader global adoption, and integrating SharxDesk with third-party solutions. These integrations expanded its capabilities, making it a preferred choice for enterprises looking for scalable VDI solutions. It has gained widespread adoption across corporate environments, particularly due to its ease of integration and management. The ability to seamlessly incorporate it into existing enterprise systems has positioned SharxDesk as a leader in the VDI space. The largest implementations of SharxBase and SharxDesk were carried out in TransTeleCom, Russian Railways (RZD), Central Ring Road (CKAD), and ER-Telecom. You were also involved with General Electric’s Predix Private Cloud. Can you tell us about its significance? One of the most impactful projects I have led was the development and deployment of Predix Private Cloud (PPC) - an industrial IoT platform designed to process and analyze massive amounts of data from industrial devices. Developed by General Electric, Predix is widely used across various industries, optimizing industrial automation, predictive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making. As a DevOps Team Leader & Senior Release Engineer at General Electric Digital, I played a crucial role in porting and developing Predix Private Cloud (PPC), a dedicated version for private data centers. I was responsible for the development, architecture, customization, deployment, and technical support of this platform, working in close coordination with teams from the United States, India, and China. One of the most significant implementations of PPC was at Rosneft, where we deployed a high-performance private cloud cluster comprising 96 servers. This deployment became a benchmark for industrial IoT environments, enabling real-time data processing across Rosneft’s infrastructure - from oil wells to gas station distribution systems. I spearheaded original solutions that addressed the unique challenges of working with industrial IoT applications in an isolated, high-security environment. One of my key contributions was developing a unique CI/CD approach for a closed environment. Unlike conventional cloud-native platforms, Predix Private Cloud had to operate within isolated data centers with strict regulatory constraints. I designed and implemented a customized CI/CD pipeline that enabled automated software updates and deployments without external internet access. This solution significantly streamlined the software delivery lifecycle, ensuring continuous updates while maintaining operational security and compliance. Another of my key contributions is Innovative Software Integration in a Complex Industrial Stack: The PPC platform at Rosneft was built on 36 different open-source and enterprise vendor services, including networking, virtualization, container management, and microservices. I developed a seamless integration framework, ensuring that these components could operate efficiently in a closed environment with minimal downtime and maximum reliability. The successful implementation of Predix Private Cloud at Rosneft marked a turning point for industrial IoT (IIoT) within isolated infrastructures. This project set a new standard for IoT solutions in private cloud environments, proving that cloud-native technologies can operate effectively in high-security, closed systems. Through advanced architecture, a fully offline CI/CD system, and seamless integration of both open-source and enterprise-grade components, the platform enabled Rosneft to process real-time data across its entire industrial chain - from oil extraction to fuel distribution. The impact of this project extended far beyond a single deployment. The technical solutions developed within Predix Private Cloud became reference models for other General Electric initiatives and partner implementations around the world by various corporations in a number of critical industries. Moreover, the core principles established in this deployment - isolated automation, resilient integration, and industrial-grade scalability - have critically influenced infrastructure projects in Russia. Companies like VK Cloud and ICL are now building secure private cloud environments tailored for enterprise and industrial use. The MTS IoT HUB, integrated into the CloudMTS ecosystem, delivers a scalable platform for managing IoT devices in secure corporate environments. Meanwhile, Kaspersky IoT Secure Gateway, developed by Kaspersky Lab, ensures secure data transmission from industrial equipment to local or private clouds - meeting the strictest requirements for critical infrastructure. These examples highlight a clear trend: industrial IoT is rapidly migrating into private cloud environments, where powerful analytics must be paired with robust security. The solution we delivered with Predix Private Cloud became a benchmark in this field and has influenced how modern industrial IoT systems are designed, deployed, and scaled within restricted environments. By creating a scalable, secure, and fully automated private cloud platform, I helped shape a new technological paradigm—one where industrial IoT is tailored to meet the highest standards of enterprise security. Finally, what excites you most about the future of IT? The intersection of AI, cloud automation, and security is where I see the next wave of breakthroughs. We are moving towards fully autonomous IT ecosystems, where infrastructure can self-optimize in real-time. I plan to focus on exploring the capabilities of AI and finding ways to apply it and I’m excited to continue pushing the boundaries, creating solutions that don’t just serve businesses but shape the future of technology itself.

This story contains new, firsthand information uncovered by the writer.

Between Two Computer Monitors: This story includes an interview between the writer and guest/interviewee. 

IT Expert Shares The Breakthroughs Redefining the Industry

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