The pandemic and the COVID-economy continue to have a significant impact on the development of industries of the "new economy". We might see it in the acceleration of digitalization, visualization of work processes and the predominance of communications in electronic channels. The transition to fully remote development and support of software under the influence of the COVID factor not just changed the IT industry, but established a new standard of organization of the software production. This article presents the results of study that covered various aspects of fully remote software development in Russian companies, including VTB, Yandex, Sbertech, and others. More than 20 experts representing their development teams have identified the main approaches to ensuring the motivation and involvement of engineers and to ensuring favorable conditions for their professional growth. The study also identifies the prospects for the evolution of the fully remote software development as a new industry standard. The results of the study are accompanied by the brief conclusions, the main idea of which is the need to quickly understand a new trend in software development and the usage of this factor in the competitive struggle (hiring specialists, organizing teams, organizational development).