Russian Companies Continue to Rely on Foreign Data Backup Systems

Around 70% of Russian companies in key sectors such as oil and gas, banking, retail and IT continue to rely on foreign data backup systems, despite a government push to replace imported software, according to a study by technology firm K2Tech cited by the Vedomosti business daily. U.S. provider Veeam accounts for 32% of usage, followed by Veritas at 18%, Commvault at 16% and Dell EMC NetWorker at 8%. Other providers, including IBM, Acronis and HPE, together make up around 7%. The continued dependence on foreign backup software underscores the challenges facing Moscow’s broader import substitution drive in the IT sector, as companies prioritize reliability and compatibility over political pressure to localize critical infrastructure. Earlier research by CNews and Russian developer Cyberprotect estimated that domestic solutions account for roughly 50% of the backup systems market. However, companies often reserve foreign systems for their most critical operations while deploying Russian alternatives such as Cyber Backup or RuBackup in less sensitive environments, said Mikhail Kostsov, head of computing infrastructure services at K2Tech. Some 20% of companies use multiple backups simultaneously, typically combining two or three systems, Kostsov told Vedomosti. Backup systems are a core component of IT infrastructure and their use is mandated under Russian law. Requirements for installing such systems are outlined in an order issued by the Federal Service for Technical and Export Control (FSTEC) that governs the protection of critical information infrastructure. U.S. vendors have set industry standards over decades, offering broader functionality and compatibility than Russian counterparts, Yulia Lipatnikova, a cybersecurity business partner at Cloud.ru, told Vedomosti. Their products are also deeply integrated with widely used software platforms including VMware virtualization tools, database systems and enterprise software from Microsoft and Oracle. At the same time, Russia has set an ambitious target under its Data Economy National Project for at least 80% of organizations in key industries to fully transition to domestic software by 2030. To support this goal, authorities have introduced incentives for developers, including zero VAT, reduced profit tax rates, preferential loans and procurement policies favoring locally developed software. Read this story in Russian at The Moscow Times' Russian service.