The decision to retain a single Gosoblako provider stems from the nature of the procurement model: it is easier for the customer to work with a single contractor who is responsible for the entire infrastructure. However, this approach creates risks—switching providers can be a lengthy and costly process, and it will be more difficult for the government to influence contract terms. RBC spoke with Antonina Levashenko, Head of the International Bast Practices Analysis Department at the Gaidar Institute, about this.
The Accounts Chamber audited expenditures on a unified cloud platform for government agencies for 2023–2025 and January–October 2026. According to the auditors, some of the paid-for capacity remained idle, and the quality of services did not always meet the terms of the contracts. At the same time, the current service delivery model has resulted in savings of 16.6 billion rubles in budget funds.
As Antonina Levashenko noted, Rostelecom has remained the sole provider of “Gosoblako” since the project’s launch. In 2019, the company was designated as the sole contractor, and this status was maintained in 2025. That said, approximately 97% of the software for the platform is supplied by Rostelecom’s subsidiary, Basis.
“It is easier for the customer to work with a single provider that is responsible for the entire infrastructure. Furthermore, migrating government systems to another platform requires time and significant costs. Therefore, continuing to work with the current contractor is often easier than looking for a new one. But this creates a dependency on a single company: it is more difficult for the government to switch suppliers and secure more favorable terms. As a result, there is a risk that contracts will have to be renewed even under less-than-ideal terms,” explained Antonina Levashenko.