Rostelecom plans to start shipping hardware-software systems for the public sector in 2024
YEKATERINBURG. July 10 (Interfax) - Rostelecom expects that shipments to the public sector of hardware and software systems based on the Aurora operating system can start in early 2024, Kirill Menshov, the company's senior vice president for information technology, told Interfax.
Negotiations on delivery of these systems are still underway with the government, he said.
"We hope that by the end of the year we will reach an agreement. Deliveries will probably move to the beginning of next year. By law, a device belonging to the state cannot be given to a person, so there are two ways. On the one hand, we are looking for a solution where an employee still gets a phone to perform his official duties. On the other hand, if this is not possible, then he should be able to buy it himself," Menshov said on the sidelines of the Innoprom-2023 international forum in Yekaterinburg on Monday.
He added that Rostelecom sees interest in devices based on the Aurora OS from private companies as well. "Frankly speaking, we were not going to [supply them to non-state structures], but the situation is developing towards this," Menshov said.
Rostelecom does not exclude the possibility of exporting Aurora abroad, in particular, to the BRICS countries and the South, since there is demand in the world for "a supranational mobile system that would be available to all participants based on the principles of indivisible security," Menshov said.
Within two years, Aurora-based devices may also appear for sale to individuals, but for this, a full-fledged line of mobile applications for the OS would be needed, he said.
"We expect that by 2026-2027, B2C devices will appear in Russia. They will be comparable in cost to devices from China with Chinese or American OS. In addition, by that time, we will expand the application system, and develop Aurora, Menshov said.
He stressed that Aurora will be installed exclusively on devices assembled in Russia.
As reported, Rostelecom and New Cloud Technologies, the developer of MyOffice office software, are planning to organize the production of software and hardware systems intended for use in state-owned companies. They must provide state-owned companies with everything necessary for organizing a mobile workplace and a stationary workplace, as well as corporate server solutions for organizing a workspace.
The companies' plans include the release of a mobile workplace for tablets and smartphones based on the Aurora mobile operating system and MyOffice corporate office solutions (including cloud document storage, an office suite, Mailion mail, Squadus messenger and videoconferencing). The stationary workplace will also include "MyOffice" corporate office solutions.
The partners intend to form a technology stack that comprehensively solves the problems of a corporate user and a civil servant.
Third-party companies will be directly involved in the release of hardware-software system.