DEVELOPMENT OF IT SERVICES IN THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS

The purpose of the article was to characterize IT services in the global economy and the specifics of the development and regulation of IT services exports in the Republic of Belarus. The subject of the article was the study of the development of information technologies as a sector of the economy. The methods of study are analysis and synthesis, generalizations, groupings and the comparative analysis, systematic approach. In the theoretical part of the research, the concept of «information technologies» is defined, six stages of their development are singled out and their features are given. A detailed classification of «computer and information services», adopted in the Republic of Belarus, is given. The export potential of IT services in the world economy is shown, the main consumers of IT solutions are identified, the largest segments of the global IT market are identified and the forecast of their development is indicated, key players of the global IT market are identified. Expert assessments on the priority directions of the IT market development are summarized: cloud computing, back-office technologies, etc. The emphasis is on the significance of the development of IT-offshoring centers. In the Republic of Belarus, the industry of «computer and information services» has the highest growth rates. The most significant factors affecting the competitiveness of the Belarusian IT industry are: significant tax preferences, high level of education, developed infrastructure. Thanks to the High-Tech Park in 2016, the export of computer services has become the second most important article in shaping the positive balance of the external trade in services of the Republic of Belarus. The results of study can be used in the practice of companies, public authorities.