The Ministry of Digital Development of Kazakhstan has developed a domestic analog of Zoom - Qosyl
The Ministry proposed to introduce this system in pilot mode until September 2023 as an online service for holding open meetings in central and local executive bodies. The pilot has ended, and today central government agencies are already successfully using the domestic product to conduct online meetings.
Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Bagdat Musin noted the importance of the project in the field of public service: “Government bodies are actively using online platforms for holding meetings, which saves time for civil servants. In connection with this, the ministry, together with JSC NIT, decided to develop a domestic software system. The Qosyl project has become one of the successful ones. First of all, the new system ensures that meetings are held in a secure information environment, which is especially important for government agencies. In addition, it does not require unnecessary resources, which makes it convenient to use.”
According to project manager Nurislan Isakov, the product was created back in 2020. However, it took some time for successful implementation and testing: “The project was created in 2020, during the pandemic. There were requests from government agencies to create online video conferencing, which would not depend on foreign manufacturers and would not work through their servers. It was required that the product work on servers in Kazakhstan, pass an information security test and meet all requirements. Since the release of the first version in 2020 to this day, the product has been constantly updated and developed. We add new functionality based on the requests of our customers and improve the technological part of the product. And now we can scale and develop the current version without restrictions.” The product can be adapted to the specifics of any organization, integrated with other systems, and new functionality developed. It is also noted that the system does not have a time limit for use.
One of the key features of Qosyl compared to foreign platforms is a high level of information security .
“Our software has successfully passed tests for compliance with information security requirements. Also, due to the fact that the servers are located in Kazakhstan, traffic does not pass through foreign countries. The domestic system can be deployed on any servers without using specialized equipment; ordinary server capacities, cameras and microphones are sufficient. The second point, when compared with Zoom, is that our product is easier to use. It is easier for even an inexperienced person to use. It does not require downloading additional applications; you can connect through any browser on any device. You can also download the application if you wish. We piloted the program at MCRIAP for six months and made many improvements based on user requests. Based on the results of the pilot, it was decided to put the product into operation,” noted Nurislan Isakov.
Since November 2023, the Qosyl system has been successfully launched and officially implemented for use by government agencies. In the future, it is planned to adapt the product for use in the educational sector.