Ministry of Digital Development Considers Phased Restrictions on Access to Foreign Cloud Services for Major Companies

The Ministry of Digital Development enters the possibility of gradually restricting access for major Russian corporations to foreign cloud services that have exited the Russian market, provided there are mature domestic alternatives available.

Maksut Shadaev, the head of the Ministry of Digital Development, explained during the TAdviser Summit that in light of the challenging macroeconomic conditions and the high interest rates set by the Bank of Russia, many large clients are cutting their IT budgets, creating a «difficult» situation in the IT sector. Consequently, the ministry is contemplating additional incentives to boost demand for domestic IT solutions.

«In this context, our approach is to consider a phased restriction on the use of foreign cloud services in major corporations where mature Russian alternatives exist. This is aimed at supporting local IT companies and providing them with opportunities for additional revenue,» Shadaev stated.

According to the minister, Russian firms relying on foreign solutions that have withdrawn from the Russian market face difficulties with payment, noting that «many companies use very complex mechanisms for this.»

«De facto, these are services that we are essentially obtaining covertly from foreign companies that have, in essence, ceased operations. Yes, there is undoubtedly a conflict in user habits. However, when companies do not conduct their business in Russia and have demonstratively left the market, it seems strange that we continue to pay for these services,» the minister concluded.