An information breakthrough at the beginning of the 21st century marked the introduction of digital technologies in all spheres of the economy and public life. The improvement of portable information and communication devices, intelligent robotic systems, the intellectualization of software, a massive transition to the use of Internet platforms for trade, consulting, training and other major breakthrough technologies of the 21st century have radically influenced the vector of economic development. Scientific and technical discoveries in the field of information technology have significantly expanded their boundaries in recent years. This process in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a change in attitudes towards digitalization and the consciousness of the vast majority of the population. The digitalization process is carried out in the legal field, which is being formed and improved, state programs are being developed, priority directions for the development of digitalization are determined, however, the pace of ICT implementation in Russia is not sufficient and there is a lag behind the leading countries in this area. A comparative analysis of technologies and methods of using ICT by foreign enterprises of the digital economy indicates the need for both an external direction of development, expressed in the intensification of the role of the state in this process, and an internal one – to reform the mechanism for managing the innovative development of enterprises. The development of digitalization and transformation into a digital economy is impossible without regulation and control from the state, and this requires state support. The introduction of digital technologies in all spheres of production, distribution, exchange and consumption requires mobilizing internal resources of enterprises, identifying bottlenecks, revising traditional approaches to business, interacting with customers, reorienting operational management towards digitalizing resource flows, using digital techniques and tools to increase efficiency of production and laborDigitalization is a complex and multifaceted process, which, along with a large-scale positive impact, carries a number of risks and ambiguous consequences, in particular, structural changes in the labor market, changes in the quality of life for various categories of consumers, etc. The method of comparative analysis and a systematic approach were used for the study. The main conclusion of the study is that the development of digitalization and transformation into a digital economy is impossible without regulation and control by the state, and this requires state support.