T2 telecoms operator swaps VMware virtualization software for Basis product

MOSCOW. Nov 6 (Interfax) - The mobile operator T2 Mobile LLC, which operates under the T2 brand, plans to replace its U.S.-made VMware virtualization software with products from Basis LLC, a Russian developer of virtualization solutions, within its IT infrastructure, the Russian developer said.

The companies signed a three-year contract, the value of which has not been undisclosed, under which Basis will gradually deploy its Basis Dynamix platform for managing virtual servers and containers on 4,000 T2 servers. The platform should replace VMware vSphere Standard and other foreign solutions.

Basis will not only supply its software to T2, but also handle its introduction and provide extensive technical support and employee training, it said.

T2 may also begin using other Basis products. The operator is currently testing Basis Virtual Protect, a backup system for virtual machines and Kubernetes clusters, Basis Migration Assistant, which is used for automating virtual machine migration, and Basis Digital Energy, a DevOps pipeline for full-cycle development, testing and maintenance of software products.

"Our top priority is the uninterrupted operation of our infrastructure, preventing downtime and data loss," T2 Chief Information Officer Alexei Martynov said. "So we chose a phased migration with special tools, and made employee training part of the agreement with Basis," he said.

Basis was formed in 2021 with the merger of assets belonging to Rostelecom , KNS Group (Yadro) and Rubytech, which now own 50.3%, 29.69% and 20% of the company, respectively. Basis's product portfolio currently includes around ten solutions, and the company has around 800 customers in the government and commercial sectors.

Basis closed 2023 with a net profit of 1.6 billion rubles on revenue of around 2.8 billion rubles.

T2, formerly Tele2, is one of Russia's largest mobile operators and is owned by Rostelecom. Operating in 69 regions across Russia, T2 offers infrastructure for building virtual operators via its MVNO factory platform. It is the third largest operator by number of mobile subscribers. Its subscriber base stood at 48.1 million (including Rostelecom's MVNOs) at the end of 2023, and more than 20 virtual operators use T2's network.